Synlait CEO Resignation Highlights Deeper Challenges Facing Dairy Processor
A revolving door of chief executives at milk processor Synlait is a warning sign, says Lincon University senior lecturer in agribusiness Nic Lees.
The listed company’s share price has dropped to 50c/share, valuing the company at only around $100 million. The share price has been travelling south despite the company working hard to sell off under-utilised assets and reduce debt.
Milking It reckons all this means a takeover bid could be around the corner. Watch out for Bright Dairy of China; it already owns 39% of Synlait and could easily fork out a couple hundred million to buy the company outright.
The Chinese know how to run successful dairy companies in NZ; just look at Westland Milk, which reported a record revenue of over $1b last financial year.
