Dalgety plc
Encyclopedia
Dalgety plc was a major British
conglomerate
. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
.
, a Scotsman
, in Melbourne
in 1846, outfitting sheep ranchers. In 1854 he moved to London
where he operated as a wool
trader. The Company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
in 1884. In 1962 the business merged with the New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency.
The Company expanded into North America
in 1966 acquiring Balfour Guthrie, a lumber
and poultry
business, and in 1970 it acquired the UK
-based Pig Improvement Company.
In 1979 it diversified into foods acquiring Spillers, a flour milling and pet food
business, following a hostile take-over battle, and in 1987 it bought Golden Wonder
, potato crisp manufacturers. Then in 1995 it bought Felix Pet Foods
.
In the late 1990s, following a BSE
crisis in the UK
, it entered into a series of disposals and sold Golden Wonder
to the management in 1995, its food ingredients and Spillers flour milling operations to Kerry Group
plc in 1997 and its pet foods business to Nestlé
in 1997.
in 2005.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
FTSE 100 Index
The FTSE 100 Index, also called FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the footsie , is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange....
.
History
The Company was established by Frederick DalgetyFrederick Dalgety
Frederick Gonnerman Dalgety was the founder of Dalgety plc, one of the United Kingdom's largest conglomerates.-Career:Born in Canada, Frederick Dalgety arrived in Sydney in 1834 and became a clerk in a local merchanting business....
, a Scotsman
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1846, outfitting sheep ranchers. In 1854 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he operated as a wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
trader. The Company was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1884. In 1962 the business merged with the New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency.
The Company expanded into North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1966 acquiring Balfour Guthrie, a lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
business, and in 1970 it acquired the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based Pig Improvement Company.
In 1979 it diversified into foods acquiring Spillers, a flour milling and pet food
Pet food
Pet food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food...
business, following a hostile take-over battle, and in 1987 it bought Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder is a British company that manufactures snack foods, most notably crisps.-History:Founded in Stoneyburn in 1947 by the Scottish bakery owner William Alexander, the company was named after the Golden Wonder potato. The company was acquired by UK-based Dalgety plc in 1987...
, potato crisp manufacturers. Then in 1995 it bought Felix Pet Foods
Felix (pet food)
Felix is a European brand of cat food. It is owned by Purina, and sold in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Slovenia, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, as well as France, Italy, Greece, Sweden and Denmark , and Finland .The Felix brand was acquired from Quaker by Dalgety plc...
.
In the late 1990s, following a BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
crisis in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it entered into a series of disposals and sold Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder is a British company that manufactures snack foods, most notably crisps.-History:Founded in Stoneyburn in 1947 by the Scottish bakery owner William Alexander, the company was named after the Golden Wonder potato. The company was acquired by UK-based Dalgety plc in 1987...
to the management in 1995, its food ingredients and Spillers flour milling operations to Kerry Group
Kerry Group
Kerry Group , is a public food company headquartered in Ireland. It is quoted on the Dublin ISEQ and London stock exchanges. It evolved initially from a local dairy co-op in the Munster region of Ireland...
plc in 1997 and its pet foods business to Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
in 1997.
Demise of the business
The Company was renamed PIC International Group plc in 1998 and then Sygen International plc in 2001 before being acquired by Genus plcGenus plc
Genus plc is a British-based business selling products manufactured using biotechnology to cattle and pig farmers. It is headquartered in Basingstoke and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
in 2005.