Business News
Océ details information regarding strategic alliance with Konica Minolta
Thursday 01. May 2008 - Shareholders adopt all proposed resolutions at Océ AGM
Rokus van Iperen, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Océ today provided additional insight at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Océ (AGM) into the partnership with Konica Minolta, announced in January 2008.
He indicated that Océ is delivering wide format printers, cutsheet printers and continuous feed printers to customers in the corporate market (trade, industry, financial institutions and government bodies) and the commercial market (printers, printshops, mail order companies). Océ holds a leading position in the markets for wide format printers and continuous feed printers.
Océ and Konica Minolta teamed up intensively to strengthen their positions in the cutsheet market, according to Van Iperen. Product development and sales and distribution are cornerstones of this alliance.
Van Iperen told shareholders that Océ and Konica Minolta would jointly be developing new products in the black-and-white and color segments. These will be introduced in the high volume cutsheet printer markets. Océ and Konica Minolta will each be selling the jointly developed products under their own brand.
In addition, the entire existing Konica Minolta cutsheet range will be sold world-wide under the Océ brand, said Van Iperen. Konica Minolta will sell Océs high and very high volume cutsheet printers under their own brand, starting with the successful Océ VarioPrint 6000 series in North America, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
“The alliance between our two independent companies, each of which pursues its own go-to-market strategy, is aimed at achieving growth for both of us,” said Van Iperen. “Thanks to our partnership, we will be able to significantly reinforce our position in the cutsheet printer market.”
The Océ AGM approved all proposed resolutions.
The Financial Statements for 2007 were adopted, as well as the dividend for the 2007 financial year. The dividend has been fixed at 0.64 [2006: 0.58] in cash per ordinary share of 0.50 nominal. After deduction of the interim dividend, the final dividend for the 2007 financial year amounts to 0.49 per ordinary share. The cum-dividend date will be Thursday April 24, 2008. The ex-dividend date for Océ shares will be Friday April 25, 2008. The record date has been set at Tuesday April 29, 2008. The dividend will be made available for payment as from Tuesday May 13, 2008.
The meeting granted release and discharge to the members of the Board of Executive Directors and of the Supervisory Board.
The proposal to alter the Articles of Association has been approved. Changes are aimed at flexibilization and modernization. The priority shares are being abolished and the governance structure of Océ has been further adopted in accordance with the Dutch Corporate Governance Code [Tabaksblat]. Furthermore, the Articles of Association are already anticipating the entry into effect of the Act on electronic means of communication, the Transparancy Directive and the implementing act on capital protection for public limited liability companies. For the complete text of the changes including explanatory comments we refer to the agenda of the meeting.
The Executive Board was authorised for a period of eighteen months to resolve on the further issue of shares and on limiting the pre-emptive right to a maximum of 10% of the entire share capital outstanding, which percentage will be increased to 20% in connection with or on the occasion of mergers and bigger acquisitions. The Executive Board was also authorised to resolve on the purchase of Océ shares by the Company.
Mr. M. Arentsen was reappointed as Supervisory Director for a four-year period. Mr. D. Wendt was appointed as Supervisory Director with effect from April 24, 2008.
Finally the meeting approved the possibility of electronic dispatch of information to shareholders.