Harworth refines and adds to income portfolio

 7 January 2020

LEI 213800R8JSSGK2KPFG21

 Harworth further refines and adds to income portfolio

Harworth Group plc ("Harworth" or "the Company"), a leading regenerator of land and property for development and investment, is pleased to announce the completion of two transactions.  It has completed the purchase of an industrial unit in Yorkshire for £9.2 million and sold a portfolio of freehold land on which the Company acted as landlord for seven solar developments ("Solar Portfolio") for £5.0 million.  Both deals form part of the Company's  strategy of recycling capital out of its more mature income assets into new assets with greater return potential, thereby improving its recurring income base and supporting its aim of delivering a market leading total return to shareholders.

Harworth has purchased a 253,352 sq. ft industrial unit across 12.1 acres in Sherburn-in-Elmet, close to its existing Sherburn Rail Freight Terminal and Kellingley sites, for £9.2 million.  An existing 10.5-year lease is in place with Esterform Packaging Limited, a leading independent converter of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), which provides a net initial yield of 7.0% and a reversionary yield of 8.1% based on a fixed rental uplift in 2020.  The property also has a low site cover of 47% which provides future asset management opportunities.

In the second transaction, Harworth has sold the freehold for its Solar Portfolio - seven former Colliery sites in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire totalling 251 acres with no further development potential - to Lightsource BP for £5.0 million, representing a net initial yield of 4.61% and at a price above 2018 book value.

Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive Officer of Harworth Group plc, said:

"Adopting an income portfolio churn strategy is an essential element of delivering market-leading returns and these deals represent this strategy in practice.  Our operational strength is also strongly in evidence, with the team acquiring a well-located property for our income portfolio with further asset management potential whilst also using our proven strong property management skills to deliver another portfolio sale at an attractive low exit yield below 5%.  Both deals show that the regional markets we operate in remain robust." 

-ENDS-

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ABOUT HARWORTH GROUP PLC

Listed on the premium segment of the main market, Harworth Group plc (LSE: HWG) is a leading regenerator of land and property for development and investment which owns, develops and manages a portfolio of approximately 20,500 acres of land on around 120 sites located throughout the North of England and Midlands. The Group specialises in the regeneration of large, complex sites, in particular former industrial sites, into new residential developments and employment areas (harworthgroup.com).