Released: 05/08/2008
com:20080805:RnsE6255A
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RNS Number : 6255A
Spiritel PLC
05 August 2008
For release 07.00 5 August 2008
SPIRITEL PLC
("SpiriTel" or "the Group")
ACQUISITION OF NETWORK SERVICES RESELLER, ED COMMUNICATIONS LTD
SpiriTel makes sixth acquisition into rapidly expanding SpiriTel Business
Division
SpiriTel plc, (AIM:STP), the business communications service provider, is
pleased to announce the acquisition of ED Communications Ltd. ("ED"), for a
total consideration of up to £3.0 million.
Under the terms of the acquisition, SpiriTel has agreed to pay £0.8 million in
cash on completion with £0.5 million of deferred payments payable over a two
year period. Performance-related earn-out payments of up to £1.7 million are
also payable by September 2009 with the maximum consideration payable being £3.0
million. The acquisition is to be funded by an extension to SpiriTel's debt
facility with Clydesdale Bank. In the year ending 31 December 2007, ED reported
revenues of £2.1 million, EBITDA of £0.29 million and has tax losses of
approximately £5 million.
ED provides a range of network services to over 700 corporate customers. ED's
services include: inbound and outbound calls, non geographic numbers, wholesale
line rental and broadband.
The purchase of ED is SpiriTel's sixth acquisition in less than two years.
SpiriTel intends to swiftly integrate ED into its rapidly expanding Business
Division with the addition of minimal incremental overheads. The acquisition is
expected to be immediately earnings enhancing. ED will be rebranded within
SpiriTel's Business Division and will afford SpiriTel an opportunity to cross
sell the Company's extended product portfolio, which includes mobile voice and
data, networking and hosted VoIP and WiFi services, into the ED client
portfolio.
Commenting on the acquisition, Alastair Mills, Chief Executive of SpiriTel said:
"The ED transaction is another exciting step in our acquisition-led growth
strategy. Following a sustained period of organic and acquisition-enhanced
growth, SpiriTel has now attained a level of scale that allows us to bolt on
acquired companies and swiftly deliver the resulting synergy benefits of cost
savings and new sales opportunities. SpiriTel has an excellent track record in
effective acquisition integration and we are confident that ED will prove a
highly profitable addition to our Business Division.
He added: "In a rapidly consolidating sector, we will continue to pursue this
strategy of making selective, earnings enhancing acquisitions that add scale to
our operations, expand our customer base and furnish us with the opportunity of
organic growth driven by cross selling."
Arthur Wingrove, Chief Executive of ED said: "This is a particularly exciting
partnership for ED's customers. SpiriTel is recognised as a leading provider of
converged communications to businesses throughout the UK and our customers will
benefit from the opportunity to buy an integrated voice and data product set
from a highly respected and rapidly growing B2B specialist."
For further information please visit www.SpiriTelplc.com or contact:
SpiriTel plc Tavistock Communications Daniel Stewart & Co.
Alastair Mills Simon Hudson Simon Leathers
Chief Executive Clemmie Carr Stewart Dick
Tel: +44 20 7160 0100 Tel: +44 20 7920 3150 Tel: 020 7776 6550
Notes to Editors
SpiriTel is a fully integrated business communications group which enables its
customers to take advantage of the opportunities created by rapidly changing
telecoms markets as the migration to Internet Protocol (IP) based services
accelerates. The Group is a consolidator of the highly fragmented UK telecoms
reseller market and is building a substantial customer base and scale through
selective acquisitions. We are organised into two divisions: SpiriTel
Technologies, which focuses on IP networking and wholesale voice services; and
SpiriTel Business, which provides a full range of voice and data services
directly to our Business customers.
SpiriTel offers fixed and mobile voice and data communications solutions
including Voice over IP (VoIP), data networking, telephone systems and ISP
services to a rapidly expanding customer base. We are a leader in the provision
of new, but proven, Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions that are firmly based on the
old-fashioned service values which run throughout the Group.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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