November 16: Canmaker Impress Holdings is being floated on the London stock exchange with an initial public offering that is expected to raise 600 million euros (US$878m).
The IPO – probably in mid-December – had long been expected following the company’s formation by London-based private-equity firm Doughty Hanson ten years ago.
But expectations rose when Impress, based in the Netherlands, further increased its global expansion with the acquisition of the food-can manufacturing assets of Australasia’s Amcor last month.
Chairman of the newly-structured company will be David Newlands, 59, who also chairs two FTSE companies, Tomkins and Kesa Electricals, and was formerly finance director of GEC. Well known and liked by both the Impress management and Doughty Hanson, he was chosen by a selection panel.
