Press Releases

Preliminary Results

6th October 2004

Download preliminary results for the year to 31 July 2004 in PDF format

Including:

• Consolidated Profit and Loss Account
• Consolidated Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses
• Consolidated Balance Sheet
• Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC, the speciality automotive and taxi services group, announces its preliminary results for the year to 31 July 2004.

Financial headlines

• Turnover from continuing operations up 1% to £86.7million (2003: £86.0 million)
• Significantly reduced loss before taxation of £1.2 million (2003: £10.2 million loss)
• Core vehicles division produced £4.3m operating profit
• Zingo losses increased to £4.1 million (2003: £3.3 million) despite rationalisation measures - impairment provision of £2.6 million taken
• Head Office costs sharply reduced by 49% to £1.3 million
• Net cash inflow from operating activities of £1.4 million
• Holloway Road property sold for £7.9 million in March, larger long leasehold premises in Brewery Road, Islington acquired for £4.6 million
• Recommended final dividend for the year of 2p (2003: 2p)
• Net debt at a comfortable £1.7 million (2003: £1.7 million net funds) with dividends of £5.0 million (2003: £0.2 million) paid in the year

Operational highlights

• Taxi sales increased by 7.5% to 2,494 vehicles (2003: 2,320)
• International sales up to 223 vehicles (2003: 67) – 168 taxis sold to US (2003: 26)
• Zingo – a technological success though fleet size too small to meet strong consumer demand – working with other organisations in the London taxi trade to increase fleet size
• Letter of intent signed with China National Bluestar (Group) Corporation and Provincial Government of Lanzhou – project proposal for joint venture manufacturing submitted to Chinese government
• License and distribution agreement for Mexico and Central America signed in March

Tim Melville-Ross, Chairman, said;

“It has been a year of progress for Manganese Bronze, with our loss before taxation significantly reduced. Our core black taxi business increased sales at home and abroad. We have signed a letter of intent with China Bluestar and are making steady progress in securing approval for our manufacturing joint venture.

“Zingo has achieved faster customer acceptance than driver take-up – we receive more than twice as many calls as we are able to fulfil. We are actively seeking ways of working with other organisations in the London taxi trade to grow the Zingo fleet.”

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CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

Summary

The Group incurred a much reduced loss before tax for the year ended 31 July 2004 of £1.2 million compared to the £10.2 million loss the previous year. The result includes the net gain on the sale of two of the Group’s properties of £4.7 million partially offset by an impairment provision against the carrying value of Zingo’s fixed assets of £2.6 million.

Taxi sales for the year were 2,494, an increase of 7.5% over the prior year. In September 2003 the Public Carriage Office (PCO) announced that it was to undertake a second limited review of the London Conditions of Fitness. The results of this second review have been delayed and are now not expected to be announced until December of this year.

The successful growth of Zingo in the first half of the year has not been repeated in the second half and the business has remained loss making despite the re-organisation announced in March.

Strategy

Good progress has been made in implementing the Group’s strategy of controlled international expansion with the signing of a letter of intent with China National Bluestar (Group) Corporation and the Municipal Government of Lanzhou for China and a license agreement with London Taxi Mexico LLC covering Mexico and Central America.

We are actively seeking ways of working with other organisations in the London taxi trade to grow the Zingo fleet. This would allow us to satisfy the many customers who call Zingo but for whom a taxi may not be available. The Board is actively considering all options to halt the monthly losses being incurred by Zingo, but in light of the ongoing losses believes that it is appropriate to make the impairment provision referred to above.

Returns to Shareholders

In March of this year, Rutland Investments Limited sold its 37% shareholding in the Company ending a long association with the company. Following on from this and the share placing in November 2003, we now have a number of new significant institutional shareholders.

A resolution will be put to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to give the Directors the authority to buy, and subsequently cancel, shares in the Company to give the Board greater flexibility in improving returns for shareholders.

The Board is recommending the payment of a final dividend of 2p per share making a total for the year of 3p per share which, if approved, will be paid on 1 December 2004 to members on the register on 5 November 2004.

Board

At our AGM, on 24 November 2004, three of the members of the Board will be seeking election or re-election as Directors of the Company. Mark Fryer retires by rotation in accordance with the Company’s Articles and Ian Pickering is required to stand for election to the Board following his re-appointment as Chief Executive by the Board after last year’s AGM.

Christopher Ross, the Deputy Chairman, has been a non-executive director of the Group for nine years and retires by rotation. The revised Combined Code (2003 FRC code) considers directors who have served for nine or more years as not independent. All of the other Directors of the Company view Christopher Ross as independent, and believe he offers valuable industry experience to the Board. The Directors recommend that shareholders vote in favour of his re-election at the AGM.

Prospects

The uncertainty created for taxi drivers in London by the second limited review of the Conditions of Fitness and the potential impact of the PCO’s proposed emission regulations for taxis is causing drivers to delay purchases of new vehicles in what are otherwise more favourable conditions. The resolution of these two issues will have a significant effect on the Group’s result for the financial year ending 31 July 2005. The overall result for the year will also depend on when we are able to eliminate the losses being incurred by Zingo.

We expect to make concrete progress with our overseas taxi projects during the course of the current financial year and remain confident that our strategy will deliver real value for all shareholders.

Tim Melville-Ross
Chairman

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW OF OPERATIONS

United Kingdom Taxi Market

Taxi sales in the UK during the year were 2,271, a marginal increase over 2003 when we sold 2,253 vehicles. Just over half of these sales (55%) were in London. Whilst there has been an increase in the number of taxi journeys in London over the last twelve months, drivers have delayed purchasing new vehicles for a number of reasons; lingering concerns over the reliability of the new TXII model; the possibility of changes to the London Conditions of Fitness; and the potential impact of proposals for tighter emissions controls on London’s taxis.

A number of teething problems were experienced when the TXII was introduced in January 2002. These problems were quickly rectified during 2002 although it has taken some time for the new model to gain the reputation for reliability enjoyed by the TX1.

The PCO announced in September 2003 that it would undertake a second limited review of the London Conditions of Fitness. This followed an application for a judicial review of the results of the first review, which had been announced in June 2003. The outcome of the second review is expected to be announced in December of this year after more detailed studies, particularly into the turning circle requirement. We believe that the new review will confirm that the existing regulations best suit the conditions experienced by London taxis.

The PCO has also circulated draft proposals for tighter emissions controls for London’s taxis. In their initial form they would have required approximately 17,000 taxis to be modified or replaced over the next three years. We anticipate that the proposals will be refined before they are promulgated, and may lead to an increase in sales in London in the coming years.

Our sales in the regions were unchanged from last year.

Overseas Activities

US

The initial shipment of 26 taxis to the US was completed in July 2003 following which a further 168 vehicles have been sold to our US distributor, London Taxis North America (LTNA), in 2004. Sales to the US reduced in the second half of the year due to the strengthening of the pound against the dollar. Further sales to the US from the start of the next calendar year will require further engineering developments to make the vehicle comply with new US emission regulations. LTNA recently agreed a $4.7 million financing partly to fund the engine development program. As part of this, LTI has taken a 10.2% stake in LTNA. The taxi has generated a lot of interest in the US, which over time could become one of our largest markets.

China

We signed a letter of intent in February of this year with China National Bluestar (Group) Corporation and the Provincial Government of Lanzhou for the creation of a joint venture company to manufacture taxis in Lanzhou, the capital city of China’s Gansu province. The three parties have jointly submitted a project proposal for the creation of the joint venture to the Chinese government to enable the joint venture company to manufacture taxis under the provisions of the new Chinese automotive policy.

Mexico

We signed a license and distribution agreement in February of this year for Mexico and Central America. We have been working with the licensee since that time to identify suitable manufacturing locations and product specifications.

Manufacturing

We maintained production volumes of 55 taxis per week throughout most of the year, although the rate was increased temporarily in May to 71 taxis per week following industrial action at the factory earlier in the year. Production has now returned to 55 per week.

The cost of warranty claims increased significantly in the year, particularly in relation to the second and third year warranty on the first few months’ production of the new TXII model. We have accordingly increased the warranty provision held at the end of the year to £3.4 million compared to £2.5 million at the beginning of the year.

The agreement reached in July last year, for the sale and leaseback of the Coventry taxi factory, required us to vacate a 30,000 square foot building which had previously been used for stores and product development. The move has resulted in a more efficient layout of the remaining factory area with no disruption to production.

Product development expenditure was again low during the year with no major product developments launched. This lower level of expenditure will continue until we begin the development programme to comply with the Euro IV emission regulations, which come into effect in January 2007.

Retail and Service Activities

In March, we sold the freehold of the site occupied by our Mann & Overton (M&O) London taxi dealership and simultaneously secured a lease for new premises nearby. We will be able to move into the new premises in 2006, when the current occupier’s lease terminates. (Until then, we have entered into a lease of the existing site from the new owner of the freehold). The new premises provide increased showroom, service and parking space and will allow us to expand M&O’s London operations.

We reduced the scale of our retail operation in Bristol during the year. The M&O dealership in the city was closed and replaced by a smaller sales office, supported by M&O Birmingham. We sold the freehold in the Bristol dealership at the end of the year.

The M&O dealerships’ financial performance improved significantly from the previous year, particularly in London, although both the Bristol and Birmingham dealerships incurred losses. It is expected that the new combined operation will trade profitably.

Our spare parts operation, which is managed by Unipart, had another good year and achieved improved operating profits.

The contribution to the Group’s taxi profits from our finance activities fell during the year due principally to a reduction in finance business from our independent London dealership.

Zingo

The Zingo mobile phone taxi hailing service was launched in April 2003 and grew strongly up to December 2003. Following the Christmas and New Year holiday period the growth in driver recruitment, and as a result, journey volumes, slowed. Consequently, we consolidated the cost base of the Zingo operation and our finance business in March to achieve a reduction of about half of the Zingo monthly operating expenditure. This action by itself has been insufficient to eliminate the monthly losses and Zingo is again expected to be loss making in the financial year ending 31 July 2005.

The Board has therefore decided that it is appropriate to make an impairment provision against the assets of Zingo of £2.6 million.

The Zingo system has proven itself to be technically robust and well liked by passengers. We regularly have over twice as many hail requests than we can fulfil. The limitation to growth in usage of the system, and therefore to profitable operations, is the number of drivers who have joined Zingo. We will again increase our efforts to recruit drivers during the autumn, including continuing discussions with the existing radio circuits to use their drivers. We have had a number of discussions with organisations which wish to license the Zingo system for use in cities abroad, which, if successful, will generate a new source of revenue.

Electric Delivery Vehicle and Hybrid Taxi

During the year we successfully completed two prototype electric delivery vehicles. We recently agreed the sale of this project for a small profit to book value. This project has increased our understanding of alternative powertrains, which we expect to be an important feature of our business in the future.

We have also jointly developed with Azure Dynamics a series hybrid taxi demonstrator which will form the foundation of our future low emission vehicle strategy.

Head office

Following the simplification of the Group’s activities as a result of the sale of the Components Division last year, we closed the Group’s head office in London in December 2003, and relocated the activities to Coventry and Milton Keynes. As a result of this and other cost savings we have reduced our central costs from £2.7 million to £1.3 million.

Summary

After the major restructuring carried out last year, we have made further progress towards achieving our long term goals. Our priorities in the coming year will be to reverse the losses being incurred by Zingo, to secure approval for the Chinese taxi joint venture, and to see taxi production begin in Mexico, while continuing to improve the service we provide to our existing customers. We have further strengthened our balance sheet and reduced our pension deficit, and are well placed to meet the challenges that lie ahead.

Ian Pickering
Chief Executive

FINANCE DIRECTOR’S REVIEW

Profit and loss account

The loss before taxation for year ended 31 July 2004 of £1.2 million is a significant improvement on the 2003 loss of £10.2 million, and includes an impairment provision on the Zingo fixed assets of £2.6m. Last year did, however, include net exceptional costs of £5.7 million (£7.5 million loss on the sale of the Components Division and £1.8 million profit on the disposal of the Coventry property) whilst this year’s result include a net exceptional income of £4.1million, including a profit of £4.7 million from the sale of our Holloway Road, London property.

Overall taxi volumes increased from 2,320 last year to 2,494 with both UK and overseas sales rising. Overseas sales were up by 233% to 223 vehicles, of which the US was our largest overseas market with 168 vehicles. Group turnover of £86.7 million was 1% up on last year, after excluding discontinued operations.

Vehicles operating profit of £4.3 million was slightly lower than the £4.5 million achieved in 2003, which included £1.1 million profit from the China Brilliance settlement.

Zingo losses widened to £4.1 million (2003 £3.3 million) including £0.7 million of marketing and advertising expenditure (2003 £0.7 million). In view of these continuing losses, the directors have decided to make an impairment provision against the carrying value of Zingo of £2.6 million.

Head Office costs were sharply reduced by 49% to £1.3 million (2003 £2.7 million) following the closure of the London head office, cost saving measures and property rental income of £0.3 million (2003 nil).

Contributions of £1.3 million (2003 £2.4 million, including an additional £1.0 million following the sale of the Components Division) were made to the defined benefit scheme, (which was closed in 1995) but expensed in line with SSAP 24. As the UK Accounting Standards Board has delayed the compulsory implementation of FRS17 until 2005, the Group has not applied it.

The total depreciation charge was £4.6 million (2003 £5.5 million) including £1.0 million of depreciation for Zingo.

Exceptional costs of £0.6 million have been charged in the current year associated with the sale of the Component Division, which took place at the end of the previous year.

Balance Sheet

The group has net assets of £22.8 million (2003 £22.6 million) and group debt of £1.7 million (2003 net cash £1.7 million) with dividends of £5.0 million (2003 £0.2 million) paid in the year.

The total group debt is represented by cash at bank of £6.4 million (2003 £8.7 million), less the stocking loan for finished vehicles of £7.4 million (2003 £6.7 million) and finance leases of £0.7 million (2003 £0.4 million). The Group has a £3.0 million overdraft facility for which there is no current use.

£1.1 million of development costs associated with the electric delivery vehicle (project Mercury) have been capitalised as an intangible asset, with associated grant receipts from the Energy Savings Trust of £0.5 million held within creditors as deferred income.

Warranty costs have increased during the year, leading to an increase in our warranty provision to £3.4 million (2003 £2.5 million).

Cash flow

Net cash inflow from operating activities is £1.4 million (2003 excluding discontinued operations £0.7 million).

With proceeds from the sale of Holloway Road, London (see below) exceeding the cost of the purchase of the lease on Brewery Road, London, other capital investments, and the project Mercury development costs, there was a net cash inflow from capital expenditure of £0.9m (2003 £4.4m).

Total cash outflow before financing for the year of £3.5 million (2003 £11.2 million inflow) is largely the result of dividend payments to shareholders of £5.0 million (2003 £0.2 million).

With £1.2 million cash inflow from financing (2003 £4.9 million outflow), largely from a share placing, total cash flow decreased by £2.3 million (2003 £6.3 million increase).

Property

The Group sold its Holloway Road property for £7.9 million during the year and acquired a larger replacement long leasehold premise in Brewery Road, near Kings Cross for £4.6 million. This has been capitalised and is being written off over 50 years in accordance with surveyor advice.

The Group has retained interests in two investment properties from the sale of the Components Division in the previous year – Montgomery Street, Birmingham (book value £1.0 million) and Hadleigh Road, Ipswich (book value £2.8 million), which are let to the buyers of the Components Division. Notice has been given on both of these properties under the terms of the leases with occupation ending in August 2005.

Pensions

The Group has two principal pension schemes, a defined benefit scheme, which was closed in 1995, and a defined contribution scheme. An actuarial valuation of the defined benefit scheme has been carried out in accordance with the requirements of FRS17. This indicates a deficit of £6.4 million at 31 July 2004 (2003 £10.0 million). The principal changes in the deficit are cash contributions by the Group totalling £1.3 million and a £2.4 million benefit from the SERPS buyback exercise undertaken during the year.

In accordance with Minimum Funding Requirement (MFR) regulations, a schedule of contributions to make good the deficit has been agreed with the trustees. This involves contributions of around £1.2 million per annum, which is a higher level than required by MFR regulations, in order that the deficit may be further reduced.

International Financial Reporting Standards

The Group is required under European legislation to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2005. The Group is developing a transition plan to manage the conversion to IFRS, which will first apply to the Group’s financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2006.

Mark Fryer
Group Finance Director

Download preliminary results for the year to 31 July 2004 in PDF format, including:

• Consolidated Profit and Loss Account
• Consolidated Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses
• Consolidated Balance Sheet
• Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

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