Elders (ELD)

Shares / Stock Code

ELD

Stock Exchange / Sharemarket

ax

Elders (ELD) has developed core rural and automotive businesses organically and through acquisitions. Some businesses have recently been divested and the company is now shifting its focus towards its Rural Services business. Some of FCL's businesses are held through associate or JV companies (for example, Rural Bank). ELD was listed on the Australian stockmarket on 30 June, 1981.

ELD's key differentiaiting factor is its diversified portfolio of assets across a number of sectors. However, this diversification has not paid off for ELD and it is now in the processing of divesting assets across a number of non-rural sectors.

ELD services two main customer groups. The rural operations service Australia's rural community through the provision of a full range of products and services to the sector. The Automotive group supplies the major automotive producers, including Ford, General Motors and Mitsubishi. Local competitors also include AWB (Landmark) and Gunns (MIS). In export markets, ELD competes against the major automotive component suppliers.

Futuris had previously acquired Elders in 1996, and in 2008 moved to consolidate its business around Elders. Futuris changed its name to Elders Limited in April 2009, taking on the name of its principal business.

Today, Elders Limited company incorporates:

• Elders’ traditional rural services businesses, conducted through over 380 points of presence throughout rural and regional Australia and New Zealand;
• APRA licensed banking and insurance operations; Rural Bank and Elders Insurance
• hardwood plantation management and timber processing, through Elders Forestry;
• Futuris Automotive, Australia’s largest automotive component supplier

Collectively these assets provide an operational base with broad exposure to the sale of inputs and outputs from broadacre and intensive agriculture , supply chain operations in the livestock, wool, fertiliser and grain value chains, forestry, and the provision of financial and property services to rural producers and regional homes and businesses

Elders is also a member of the S & P 100 S & P 200 and Consumer Staples indices. Elders has approximately 4,600 employees

Elders History

The company was incorporated in 1955. In 1981, ELD moved to establish an industrial base through the acquisition of the Ultrasound Group. In 1987, ELD acquired the brake division of James Hardie. In 1989, the company went through a significant restructure with the sale of non-core assets and the acquisition of George Moss Limited. In 1990, ELD acquired Air International and in 1996, it successfully completed a takeover of Elders. In 2008, the company changed its name from Futuris to Elders.