BAS acquires majority stake in Crow Lane Bakery
Bermuda Aviation Services Ltd. (BAS) has acquired a majority stake in Crow Lane Bakery Ltd., the airport services company said yesterday. The price was not disclosed and the deal was agreed to on Monday.
BAS president and CEO Eugene Bean said former owners, Louis Ooi and his wife Karen Scott, will retain minority ownership of the business located at the foot of the lane on East Broadway. Mr. Ooi referred inquiry about the deal to BAS.
"No significant changes, except those pertaining to finance and administration, are expected to take place at the bakery at this time,'' BAS said.
Finance and administration will be handled out of BAS's main offices on Kindley Field Road.
"The day to day management will continue to be the responsibility of the former owners,'' BAS said.
Mr. Bean said that it was hoped there would be no impact on the bakery's staff and indicated no employee redundancies were anticipated in the short term during a period of "observation and integration.'' Crow Lane Bakery has about 20 staff.
The merger is a "natural fit for BAS'' and will "strengthen the company's core business,'' BAS said.
"This is a strategic move for BAS to improve shareholder value,'' Mr. Bean said.
"BAS is looking at other areas of diversification.'' BAS acquired the bakery through a new subsidiary, Bermuda Aviation Foods Ltd., incorporated last week.
"We had been looking to diversify. This (Crow Lane Bakery) was brought to our attention (by the Bank of Butterfield),'' Mr. Bean said.
Bank of Butterfield brokered the acquisition. Early last week, Bank of Butterfield brokered Bermuda Forwarders Ltd.'s acquisition of Globe Forwarding Company Ltd., the Island's two largest forwarding companies.
BAS recently reported half year profit of $896,106 for the six months to September 30, 1996, down 2.6 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.
BAS, listed on the Bermuda Stock Exchange, last traded on January 8 at $4.
The company was incorporated on April 10, 1947 by a group of local businessmen.
Over one-third of BAS's 200 employees have taken part in the company's share purchase plan. Bermudian ownership of BAS is about 95 percent.