Bid adieu to Lion Nathan – and say hello to Lion Nathan National Foods

Lion Nathan’s interim dividend of AUD 0.22 a share in June meant the original AUD 12.22 bid, including dividend, reduced the offer to AUD 12 a share, it was reported.

The vote cements the company as Australia’s largest food and drinks group – to be known in future as Lion Nathan National Foods, employing 10,000 people. Lion Nathan’s CEO Rob Murray, and his senior executive team will run the entire group from Sydney headquarters and an office in Melbourne.

Kirin’s ownership, now subject only to procedural clearance, has paved the way for Kirin to integrate the beer business with their National Foods dairy and juice group in Australia, including the Dairy Farmers milk group but not Kirin’s Australian malting business in West Australia.

Lion Nathan’s Chairman Geoff Ricketts said after the meeting that sales of the combined company were AUD 7.5 billion.