Toronto FC announced that the club has signed midfielder Matty Longstaff to a two-year contract through 2025 with an option for 2026. Longstaff will be added to the roster pending the receipt of his medicals and the International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Im thrilled to welcome Matty to our squad, said Toronto FC Head Coach John Herdman. His Premier League experience and dynamic playing style will add depth to our midfield and complement our tactical blueprint.
Longstaff, 23, joins Toronto FC after spending the past four seasons at English club Newcastle United, where he appeared in 20 matches, including 14 Premier League appearances. He registered his first goal for the Magpies when he scored the winner against Manchester United on his Premier League debut on October 6, 2019. The low strike from outside the box was voted as the Premier League Goal of the Month, and it marked the first time a player won a Premier League Goal of the Month award with a goal on their debut day since August 2016. The Rotherham, England native began his career in his home country at Newcastle United, coming through the ranks and making his professional debut as a 19-year-old when he started in the Carabao Cup against Leicester City on August 28, 2019.
During his time with Newcastle, the midfielder was sent on three different loan spells. In August 2021, Longstaff joined Scottish club Aberdeen FC on loan before moving to EFL League Two side Mansfield Town in January 2022, making a combined 23 appearances for the two clubs. Longstaff also spent time on a short-term loan with Colchester United of the EFL League Two, where he made 10 combined appearances in 2022.
Internationally, Longstaff has represented England at the youth level and made two appearances for England U20 team, including his debut against Portugal U20 on November 14, 2019.
TRANSACTION: Toronto FC sign midfielder Matty Longstaff to a two-year deal through 2025 with an option for 2026.
As the holiday season approaches, Acquire recognizes the importance of spreading joy and extending a helping hand to those who may be facing challenges. With this in mind, the company has partnered with the Salvation Army, a renowned charitable organization, to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and families by adopting an Angel Tree Family and donating toys to the Salvation Army Donation Center.
The annual Salvation Army Angel Tree program is a vital initiative that ensures thousands of children in Wake County receive Christmas gifts each year. Each angel symbolizes a child with a heartfelt Christmas wish list. Generous donors have the opportunity to adopt an angel and make these wishes come true. Donations typically include a toy and outfit from the child’s requests.
“We are honored to join forces with the Salvation Army to bring joy and essential items to children in need throughout Wake County this holiday season. Our partnership allows us to provide toys and clothes to those who may otherwise go without, spreading warmth and happiness during this special time of year,” said Zack Schuch, CEO and National Consultant.
Acquire is deeply committed to community contribution, considering it an integral part of its company culture. Demonstrating this commitment throughout 2023, Acquire actively engaged with various local and national organizations to foster a positive impact on the local community, businesses, and citizens. The company’s involvement ranged from organizing school supply drives to hosting golf tournaments, showcasing their eagerness to collaborate with any organization dedicated to assisting those in need. This Holiday Season the Acquire Team adopted a local family, consisting of 3 boys to fill their wish list of items. In addition, the Acquire Team hosted their annual Toy Drive where employees collected and donate 20+ toys to the Salvation Army.
“We firmly believe that every family should have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season and create cherished memories. We are immensely proud of our employees for their incredible generosity in donating toys that will bring joy to those in need. Their selflessness and compassion exemplify the true spirit of the holiday season.” – Cedric Lancaster, Managing Partner.
Through its donations to the Salvation Army, Acquire aims to provide support to children and families who are less fortunate, ensuring that they can experience the joy and happiness that the holiday season brings. The company’s commitment to community involvement goes beyond its day-to-day operations, as it actively seeks opportunities to contribute positively to local organizations and initiatives.
Acquire is encouraging the Raleigh-Durham community follow along on social media to see the Acquire team continue to positively impact the Triangle.
For more information on The Salvation Army of Wake County, check out their website at www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/wakecounty.
For more information on career opportunities, team events, marketing campaigns, community involvement or general inquiries please email hr@acquireraleigh.com or check out their company page at www.acquireraleigh.com.
This Announcement Relates to the Disclosure of Information That Qualified or May Have Qualified as Inside Information Within the Meaning of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as It Forms Part of Domestic Law in the United Kingdom by Virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
Please read full release here
Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle), a leading global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire Quantum Hi-Tech (Guangdong) Biological Co., Ltd (Quantum), a leading prebiotic dietary fibre business in China from ChemPartner Pharmatech Co., Ltd (ChemPartner) for a total consideration of US$237 million.
Key highlights:
Fully aligned to strategy to become growth-focused food and beverage solutions business
Strengthens position as a leading global player in fast-growing global dietary fibres market
Adds new, speciality and complementary products to portfolio
Brings strong R&D expertise with proprietary manufacturing processes and technologies
Strengthens fortification platform and enhances integrated solutions capabilities
Significantly extends presence and customer offering in China and Asia
Expected to be accretive to revenue growth and EBITDA margin in first year of ownership
Completion expected in the second quarter of 2022 calendar year.
Quantum engages in the research, development, production and sale of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). Together, FOS (from sucrose) and GOS (from milk sugar/lactose) represent around 25%2 of the global dietary fibres market which is forecast to grow at around 6% per annum3. In China, which currently represents the majority of Quantums sales, the FOS and GOS market is forecast to grow at around 10% per annum3.
The acquisition of Quantum significantly strengthens Tate & Lyles position as a leading global player in dietary fibres, bringing a high-quality portfolio of speciality fibres, strong R&D capabilities and proprietary manufacturing processes and technologies. The acquisition expands Tate & Lyles ability to provide added-fibre solutions for its customers across a range of categories including dairy, beverages, bakery and nutrition (including infant nutrition), and to meet growing consumer interest in gut health. It also significantly expands Tate & Lyles presence in China and Asia, and extends its capabilities to create solutions across food and drink utilising its leading speciality ingredient portfolio.
The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of ChemPartner, a public company listed in China, of which Quantum is a wholly-owned subsidiary. At completion, consideration4 will be paid in cash for 100% of the equity interests in Quantum. For the 11 months ended 30 November 2021, Quantum generated revenue of US$46 million and EBITDA of US$14 million5. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to revenue growth and EBITDA margin for Tate & Lyle in the first year of ownership.
Quantum produces its range of FOS and GOS fibres at its production site in Guangdong Province, Southern China. The management team of Quantum will join Tate & Lyle at completion. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second quarter of calendar year 2022.
Nick Hampton, Chief Executive at Tate & Lyle, said:
We are delighted to announce the agreement to acquire Quantum, a leader in prebiotic dietary fibres and a business recognised for its high-quality ingredients and solutions. This acquisition significantly strengthens our fortification capabilities and expands our customer offering in key food and drink categories. FOS and GOS are highly complementary to our existing fibre portfolio and will enable us to offer a broader range of solutions to our customers. The acquisition is also very much in line with our purpose to support healthy living by improving gut health, and driving sugar and calorie reduction and fibre fortification for consumers across the world.
Mr. Zeng Xianwei, Chairman of the Board of ChemPartner, said:
We are proud of the Quantum business we have built over the last 20 years, providing high-quality products to support healthier living for people across China and beyond. Tate & Lyle, with its global customer reach, strong focus on R&D, and strong fibre portfolio, is the ideal company to take Quantum on the next stage of its development. I wish them and the management team at Quantum success in the future.
Notes to Editors
1. Tate & Lyle already offers a broad selection of soluble fibre solutions, such as its PROMITOR® Soluble Fibre and STALITE® Polydextrose, with distinctive benefits for many food and beverage categories. These enable sugar and calorie reduction as well as fibre fortification, helping to support healthier lifestyles and provide nutritional benefits, while maintaining great taste.
2. Company analysis from sources including Maia Research Global Short Chain Fructo-oligosaccharides Market Research Report 2021
3. Volume growth (2021 – 2026); Company analysis including Maia Research Global Short Chain Fructo-oligosaccharides Market Research Report 2021
4. Consideration is on a cash-free, debt-free basis, and subject to customary working capital adjustments
5. Depreciation and amortisation charges together for the 11 months ended 30 November 2021 were US$2 million
6. As at 30 November 2021, the gross assets of Quantum were US$41 million.
7. On a pro forma 12 months basis, calculated by extrapolating the financial information for the 11 months to 30 November 2021, Quantum has annual revenue of US$50 million and EBITDA of US$15 million.
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About Tate & Lyle:
Tate & Lyle PLC is a leading global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions. Supported by our 160-year history of ingredient innovation, we partner with customers to provide consumers with healthier and tastier choices when they eat and drink. We are proud that millions of people around the world consume products containing our ingredients every day.
Through our expertise in sweetening, mouthfeel and fibre fortification, our Food & Beverage Solutions business develops solutions which reduce sugar, calories and fat, add fibre, and provide texture and stability in categories including beverages, dairy, bakery, soups, sauces and dressings. Our Primary Products business produces nutritive sweeteners, industrial starches used in paper and packaging, acidulants and products used for animal nutrition.
We have around 4,400 employees working in more than 60 locations across 30 countries. Tate & Lyles purpose is Improving Lives for Generations and through our purpose we believe we can successfully grow our business and have a positive impact on society. We live our purpose in three ways, by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities and caring for our planet.
Tate & Lyle is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol TATE.L. American Depositary Receipts trade under TATYY. In the year to 31 March 2021, Tate & Lyle sales totalled £2.8 billion. For more information, please visit https://www.tateandlyle.com or follow Tate & Lyle on Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook.
JWD InfoLogistics PLC (JWD), specialized in ASEAN logistics and supply chain solutions, announces a major investment, when on July 23 it agreed to acquire a 20% stake in ESCO, a Thai shipping container port operator and supply chain operator, with PSA Singapore, the world’s largest port operator by equity-weighted throughput, as ESCO shareholder. With the acquisition, JWD will become a major international container terminal operator at Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port and inland container depot (ICD) service provider at Ladkrabang, increasing its capability for multimodal transportation services, by land, sea and rail.
JWD InfoLogistics (SET: JWD), ASEAN top specialist in supply chain solutions, will acquire up to 20% of ESCO, the operator of international container terminals at 3 locations within Thailand’s Laem Chabang deep-sea port.
Mr Charvanin Bunditkitsada, Executive Committee Chairman and CEO of JWD, said “This investment is in line with our 5-year strategic plan to increase capability for multimodal transportation services. On July 23, our Board of Directors authorized JWD Transport (Thailand) Company Limited, a subsidiary of JWD, to acquire 20% of the shares in Eastern Sea Laem Chabang Terminal (ESCO), a major international container terminal operator at Laem Chabang Deep-sea Port in Chonburi Province and an inland container depot (ICD) service provider at Ladkrabang. With the share acquisition, JWD also becomes a business partner of PSA, manager and operator of Singapore’s world-class transshipment hub, as PSA is also a shareholder in ESCO.
“We consider this significant investment a major undertaking this year, to be funded by the recent issuance of debentures as well as from operating cash flow. Initially, JWD Transport will take a 15% effective share in ESCO, with an option to increase to 20% within the next 6-12 months,” Mr Charvanin said.
ESCO currently operates international container terminals at 3 locations within the Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port; i) ESCO (B3), where ESCO directly develops and manages a concession from the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT); ii) LCB1 (B1) terminal and iii) LCMT (A0) terminal, with ESCO a shareholder of the company that holds the concession to operate both terminals. In 2020, the three cargo terminals handled about 2 million twenty foot-equivalent units (TEUs), or 20% of the total throughput processed at the Laem Chabang Deep-Sea Port. The demand for services at the international container terminals is expected to grow continuously with the recovery of the world economy following improvements in the pandemic situation in the USA and Europe.
ESCO is also one of 6 inland container depot (ICD) service providers at Ladkrabang handling container traffic for various shipping lines not located within Laem Chabang Port, helping reduce lead time and transportation cost. Revenue is derived from the operation of the container yard and import and export warehouses, along with Customs clearance services, and furbishing and transporting containers by land and rail – which will increase opportunity for JWD’s freight business and offering additional services to users of Ladkrabang ICD Station.
“JWD expects to realize its share of capital gains from ESCO no later than October,” Mr Charvanin added. “The investment in ESCO will serve as an extension of our international freight port operations in Laem Chabang. With our stake in Transimex, a major logistics provider from Vietnam, incoming international shipping port service business will empower us to provide multimodal transportation services, connect a wide range of freight services including by car, rail, water, and increase the opportunity to expand our customer base from container port service and ICD Ladkrabang station service to provide a full range of logistics services.
“JWD is already providing multimodal transportation services, such as transportation and transfer of general cargo, vehicles, hazardous cargo and chemicals, the transportation of cargo from Bangkok to the international container terminal at Laem Chabang, the lifting and transport of containers by rail from the Northeast, from the Eastern Economic Community (EEC), as well as the industries from Rayong Province to Laem Chabang Port. Therefore, this investment will help to expand our customer base as well as both our Bangkok-to-Laem Chabang and ICD Ladkrabang-to-Laem Chabang transportation services. Also significant is the provision for using the cargo traffic data from Laem Chabang international port to further develop our logistics capabilities,” Mr. Charvanin concluded.
Value Convergence Holdings Limited (“VC Holdings”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”; Stock Code: 0821.HK) announced that the Group has entered into the sale and purchase agreement with iDreamSky Technology Holdings Limited (“iDreamSky”) to acquire its Rainbow Software, Dolphin Software and Nvwa Software at RMB45.00 million (equivalent to approximately HK$53.83 million). In addition, the Group is to acquire the entire issued share capital of Dream Impression Holdings Limited (“Dream Impression”) from Shenzhen Qianhai iDream Technology Co., Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of iDreamSky at RMB28.00 million (equivalent to approximately HK$33.49 million).
The total consideration of the two acquisitions is RMB73.00 million (equivalent to approximately HK$87.32 million) and will be settled by the allotment and issue of approximately 425,954,020 consideration shares at the issue price of HK$0.205 per consideration share. The consideration shares represent approximately 24.97% of the issued share capital of the Group as at 2 July 2021 and approximately 19.98% of the issued share capital of the Group as enlarged by the allotment and issue of the consideration shares (assuming there will be no change in the total number of issued shares between 2 July 2021 and the allotment and issue of the consideration shares). The allotment and issue of the Consideration Shares are subject to the approval at the extraordinary general meeting, while the acquisitions are subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions precedent.
iDreamSky (Stock Code: 1119.HK) is a leading digital entertainment platform in Mainland China. Its current business mainly includes research and development and operation of mobile games, provision of information services, development of SaaS (Software as a Service) and other related services as well as offline entertainment business. The Rainbow Software developed by the Group is a software system providing whole-process data support for game development and operation, for demonstration of game quality and operation conditions facilitating game design or achieving operation target. The Dolphin Software is a personalised operation platform integrating AI and big data applications. Through the amalgamation of AI and user’s portrait, it provides users with valuable contents, achieves precise sales and marketing. The Nvwa Software is a technical service platform software system that provides one-stop solutions and operation solutions for game developers and game agency publishers to release the games in the application markets. As an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of iDreamSky, Dream Impression is mainly engaged in provision of technical support, development, software maintenance and update, business management consultation, marketing and promotion services, and other services.
Mr. Peter Fu, Chairman and Executive Director of Value Convergence Holdings Limited, said: “VC Holdings has always been committed to providing professional and comprehensive financial services to its customers. In view that SaaS is transforming the business and revenue models of the modern industries and gradually spreading to all industries, the Group believes that the acquisitions will consolidate its existing business, further expand its clientele and enhance user experience through combining SaaS and FinTech in the securities industry. We expect that the income stream of the Group will be broadened in the long term, thereby achieving our vision of aggressively pursuing innovation.”
About VC Holdings Limited Value Convergence Holdings Limited (Stock code: 821.HK) is a well-established financial services group committed to delivering premier financial services and products in the Great China region. The Group’s services include provision of (i) securities, futures and options brokering and dealing, and financing services; (ii) corporate finance and other advisory services (including mergers and acquisitions and company secretarial services to clients, etc.); (iii) asset management; and (iv) insurance brokerage; and proprietary trading that fulfill various investment and wealth management needs of clients in the Greater China region. The Group is also engaged in proprietary trading and the sales and distribution of healthcare products.
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