Premium Brands Income Fund is a company in Vancouver, British Columbia, that owns a wide range of food businesses supplied with manufacturing and distribution facilities located in Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Premium Brands Income fund was formerly known as Fletcher’s Fine Foods.
The company possesses a well-organized system of food distribution and wholesale networks which enable the Fund to sell one’s own products and products of the third parties. The ballpark of the customers dealing with the company is 25,000. The Fund’s family consists of the following brands: the McSweeney’s, Grimm’s, Harvest, Quality Fresh Foods, Hygaard, Bread Garden, and Hempler’s. The headquarters of the company is located in Richmond, Canada.
The company’s major competitors are primarily in the Fresh Prepared Foods industry and foodservice; Grains, and Meat Products sectors are other spheres where Premium Brands Income Fund competes. The competitive landscape of the company includes: George Weston, Kraft Foods, Sepp’s.
In July, 2007, the Premium Brands units were halted at C$12.36 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. For the month of November, 2007 the Premium Brands Income Fund announces a cash distribution of $0.098 per unit. According to the results for the third quarter that the company announced:
- The company’s sales have increased by $49.9 million, it composes 84% to record $108.6 million;
- The company’s EBITDA has increased in comparison with the third quarter of the year of 2006 ($11.5 million from $6.6 million respectively);
- The company’s net earnings of the third quarter of 2007 are $7.2 million or $0.42 per unit (they have increased if compared with $3.6 million or $0.24 per unit of the third quarter of the previous year).
In July, 2007 the Premium Brands Income Fund finished the acquisition of Centennial Foodservice. This is the company’s leading distributor of protein products to the foodservice industry in Canada. Its annual sales amount $160 million.
In August, 2007 the company started to deal with baked goods business, the sales of which are about $6 million per year.
In November, 2007 the Premium Brands Income Fund established the guidance for the year of 2008 with the sales of $430 million to $440 million, EBITDA of $42 million, the capital maintenance expenditures has been increased from $2.5 million to $3.0 million.
Important factors that influence the company’s development are:
- Seasonal and weather instability in the Fund’s sale;
- Changes in the cost of raw materials;
- Changes in consumer preferences;
- Competitiveness of other companies engaged in food manufacturing and distribution;
- New law regulations that might affect the company’s business and operations.
Works Cited
- “Premium Brands Income Fund Announces November 2007 Distribution.” Premium Brands Income Fund.
- “Premium Brands Income Fund.” Hoovers. 2007.