Tobacco Institute
Grand Metropolitan Annual Report 1984
Fields
- Type
- REPORT
- Litigation
- Washington AG
- Site
- TI Storage Box 5187
- Recipient (Organization)
- Barclays Bank
- Ending Date
- No date
- Date Loaded
- 13 May 1999
- Request
- Wa1-4
- Wa1-5
- Wa1-51
- Author
- Grinstead, S.G.
- Author (Organization)
- Grand Metropolitan
- Bloomfield Shaw Design Consultants
- Box
- 170
- UCSF Legacy ID
- tyg32f00
Document Images
GRAN D METROPOLITAN
AN N UAL REPORT 1984
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Financial
Highlights
Results of the year 1984 1983
Trading
Turnover £5,075.Om £4,468.8m
Trading profit £443.9m £407.Om
Profit before tax £334.3m £295.2m
Ordinary shareholders
Earnings per share 32.4p 278p
Dividends per share 9 2p 8.02p
Dividend cover 3.5 times 3.5 times
Net assets per share 237p 215p
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Contents
Financial Highli-htti
Our Customers around the World
Chairman's Statement
Analysis of Group Activities
Directors' Report
Trading Rex-iew
1=inancial Statements
Source and Disposal nt Vaiuc Added
Principal Subsidiary Companies
Principal Related Companies
Anah-sis of Shareholdings
Five Year Record
Notice of Meeting
Proxy Form
Grand %letropolitan PLC
11/12 Hanover Square, London 11'2A IDP
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10
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Analysis of
Group
Activities
expressed as percentages
6
Capital
Employed
23.7
19.0
Group total
£2,895.1 million
TIWA 003711

1 Unbranded agarettes, manufactured by Liggett &
Myets, are a favourite choice in supermarkets.
2 Pepsi-Cola, for when you're having fun. ,
3 Every year Alpo sponsors one of the leading sled dog
races um the world, held at Saranac Lakes in New York
State.
4 The flag of GrandMet USA fiutten in the bright autumn
sunshine outside the company's headquarters in
Montvale, New Jersey.
16
2
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19
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Earnings per Share Q
Dividends per Share ®
In the United States, all our main businesses
did well and the overall improvement in dollar
earnings was further enhanced on translation to
sterling by the latter's continuing weakness,
although this benefit was partly offset by the
cost of the group's dollar borrowings.
In the International sector, Inter-Continental
Hotels and International Distillers and Vintners
had excellent years. A number of hotels were
sold and several new hotel developments were
begun. Our wines and spirits business
continued to prosper and many of our brands to
out-perform competition.
The growth and success of the company could
not have been achieved without the continued
dedication of its employees, both in the UK and
overseas. I would like to congratulate everyone
concerned for their part in helping us achieve
record profits not only this year, but over the
past ten years of steady growth.
Every company has a responsibility to the
communities in which it operates. For several
years I and my colleagues have been concerned
with the problem of youth unemployment and
in 1981 Grand Metropolitan Community
Services was established to organise youth
training schemes. Its success has been
commended by the Manpower Services
Commission and to date more than 1,000
youngsters have received training. A high
proportion of those who have completed their
training have obtained permanent
employment. The level of our support will be
increased in 1985 so that an even greater
number of young people may take advantage of
the training offered.
A number of Board changes have taken place.
Mr Clifford Smith retired in August and Mr
Alex Dibbs and Mr Tony Good will retire at the
conclusion of the Annual General Meeting. I
would like to record the appreciation of the
Board for their services and to thank them all
personally for their valuable support over many
years.
Earnings and Dividends per Share
Mr Walter D Scott, an American resident, has
been appointed a Group Managing Director to
take over responsibility for our US domestic
operations and in December Mr Richard
Giordano, Chairman and Chief Executive of
The BOC Group, joined the Board as a non-
executive Director, in order to maintain our
complement of non-executive directors at three.
During the year we have again reviewed all
aspects of our business in order to reaffirm that
the strategy of diversification outside the UK is
providing the anticipated potential for long
term growth. Despite the significant growth in
our trade overseas, this has not been at the
expense of the proper development of our UK
activities, in which we have invested net capital
of over £300m during the last four years.
Further substantial funds will be allocated in
1985 to support the efficiency of our UK
operations in order to enable the process of
upgrading facilities and properties to be
continued. Our Foods division should recover
to more acceptable levels of profitability, but
prospects for the UK economy generally remain
unexciting. Subject to the current uncertainties
in cigarette trading, our businesses in the US
and International sectors are expected to do
well.
I remain convinced that the group is moving in
the right direction. The spread of our activities
in the UK, the US and other international
markets makes us well placed to take advantage
of opportunities for future growth. The breadth
of our interests is a major asset and provides a
flexible base from which to meet the new
challenges of these difficult and rapidly
changing times.
14th January, 1985
Chairman
adjusted for the effects of rights and capitalisation issues
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
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