Renaissance shareholders approve sale of IT distribution business

Friday 6th July 2012

Shareholders of Renaissance Corp, which used to have a monopoly on national supply of Apple products, have voted to sell its IT distribution division to Exeed Limited, halving the size of its balance sheet. The vote secured the required majority at a special meeting in Auckland, and will see information technology distributor Exeed take over the supply of Apple, Fuji, Cygnet, Belkin and Ozaki and acquire all the company's stock, valued at about $2.5 million.

Exceed will pay $2.3 million in goodwill and about $570,000 for fixed assets. The sale means Renaissance revenue will more than halve to $80 million from $180 million, based on the company’s budget for 2012.

Net interest bearing debt is wiped out. Under the agreement the company will exit the distribution business. It will be broken into two parts, a specialist Apple retailer Yoobee, and a specialist education institution Yoobee Design College, formerly known as Natcoll.

Renaissance forecasts Natcoll's earning to increase by 13 percent to $2.6 million in 2012. Yoobee is expected to generate earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation of $900,000, while overheads are predicted to be about $1.1 million.

It plans to resume dividend payments by September 2013. "With the plans we have in place for online delivery and new campuses, we think we should maintain a growth rate of something similar over the long term," Shaun Rendell, chief executive said in a statement.

The company also announced it will relocate its head office to the Yoobee School of Design in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga. Shares in Renaissance have gained 43 percent this year and recently traded at 14 cents.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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