Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/416739
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 NOVEMBER 2014 44 THIS WEEK Why launch a bond issue? PTL Holdings plc, the holding company of PTL International, has launched a €36 million bond issue, maturing in 2024. The unsecured bonds, at a nominal value of €100 per bond issued at par, bear an an- nual interest rate of 5.1 per cent. Subscription lists open on Novem- ber 24, 2014. Proceeds from the bond issue will be directed to refinance PTL International's recent expansion by repaying loans utilised earlier this year to secure two major in- vestments: SAD in Poland and APCO in Malta. On July 1, PTL International ac- quired SAD, Poland's largest Apple reseller. SAD operates 22 Apple Premium Resellers under the iSpot brand in leading malls in Poland's key cities, including nine in War- saw. iSpot stores are also located in Krakow, Gdansk, Gdynia, Wro- claw, Lodz, Poznan, and Katowice. Its newest f lagship store, which opened in September, is strategi- cally positioned on Marszałkowska Street, one of Warsaw's main thoroughfares, where footfall can reach up to eight million people a month. iSpot Marszałkowska is Apple's 900th Premium Reseller in Europe. SAD also incorporates a busi- ness-to-business arm, SAD Cor- porate. This multi-disciplinary outfit provides integration solu- tions, technical assistance and training to corporate, local gov- ernment, and individual clients, including major Polish public and commercial TV stations, telecom operators, cable television, schools and educational institutions. It has provided countless platforms for schools and universities, and provided technology training to more than 8,500 teachers. Established in 1991, SAD enjoys three statuses: Apple Premium Reseller, Apple Authorised Train- ing Centre, and Apple Authorised Service Provider. On August 1, PTL International sealed the acquisition of APCO, the Malta-based payment services provider and automation expert. This was a major milestone in PTL International's diversification strategy as it added payments, a key capability, to the group's port- folio. APCO's major clients include lo- cal and international banking or- ganisations, retail operations and internet merchants. Established in 1987, APCO enjoys the expertise of a dozen professionals with a highly specialized skills set. APCO's strategic partners in- clude top names like HSBC, Post- Bank, B+S Card Services, Verifone Inc., Bank of Valletta, Gemalto SA, Hess Cashsystems GmbH, Wincor Nixdorf International, and Thales e-Security. Its reach extends to the US and South America, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and the Far East. APCO's unique selling proposi- tion is APCO Pay, a scalable inte- grated global payments platform with multi-currency and multi- channel options. APCO's structure has two key divisions. APCO Ltd is engaged in equipment sales, maintenance and other services, and provisioning of payment gateway services. APCO Systems Ltd is involved in software development, operational support, and an internal data center opera- tion. Which key sectors does PTL International target? PTL International was estab- lished earlier this year to bring together a diversified portfolio of IT investments with a footprint in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. PTL International's activities fo- cus on retail (through iSpot and iCentre Apple Premium Resellers in Poland, Hungary and Romania), business solutions (through PTL in Malta, Dubai and the Baltics, and SAD Corporate), and e-commerce (thanks to APCO Ltd). By partnering a range of best-in- class brands to deliver superior, innovative technologies, PTL In- ternational works to position itself among the leaders in its sectors in Dubai, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, and Romania. The group's ambitions are driven by a multi- cultural, expert knowledge base of 400 IT, sales and project man- agement professionals across its international presence. Across its activities in various sectors and markets, the group enjoys high-level technological, operational, and management ex- pertise. It is also able to tap multi-level synergies by combining the ex- pertise and resources from all the companies within its fold to tailor solutions and deliverables to di- verse clients. Besides, SAD and APCO, PTL International draws together: PTL Ltd, a leader in business so- lutions in IT and security, which partners major names including IBM, Lenovo, NCR, Cisco, Mi- crosoft and Red Hat. It services clients in the retail, banking and hospitality industries and has de- livered mission-critical projects for several public entities in Malta and around the Mediterranean. PTL Middle East is a provider of solutions for large-scale retail op- erations in Dubai and the region. Its solutions enable the efficient management of entire chains of shops end-to-end, from inventory and promotions, to footfall moni- toring and point of sale. Apple Premium Reseller chain iCentre in Hungary and Romania. Through a joint venture with VJ Salomone, PTL International op- erates 3 stores under the iCentre brand in major malls in Budapest, and another in Bucharest, Roma- nia. More stores will open in these countries in the future. PTL Baltics is another office of PTL, offering similar solutions in the region as PTL Ltd. PTL International holds a 33% shareholding in Smart Technolo- gies, the hardware leasing com- pany operating in Malta. What are the plans for PTL International? With the acquisitions secured this year, PTL International's an- nual turnover will exceed €100 million in 2015. Over the next three years, PTL International will continue to grow its Apple Premium Reseller network in Poland, Hungary and Romania. Currently standing at just under 400 employees, PTL International will continue to grow its staff com- plement, adding more capabilities, expertise and knowledge in diverse disciplines including advanced technologies, research and devel- opment, IT project management, sales and operations management. PTL International and Hili Ventures PTL International is the technol- ogy subsidiary of Hili Ventures, the holding company of a diversified Malta-headquartered group. Hili Ventures is engaged in logistics and engineering (Hili Company); technology (PTL International); property management (Hili Prop- erties); and multi-sited operations in collaboration with McDonald's (Premier Capital plc). Hili Ventures is currently present in 12 countries across Europe and the Middle East with a team of 3,500 people. It partners major brands including Allison, Apple, Cisco, CMA CGM, Hoffmann, IBM, Lenovo, McDonald's, Micro- soft, NCR, Terberg, Tranter, and other global leaders. www.hiliventures.com Disclaimer: The value of investment can rise as well as fall. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of fu- ture performance. Investors should seek the advice of an independent, authorised financial intermediary before deciding to invest in listed financial instruments. More information: More information about the PTL Holdings plc bond issue is avail- able from the prospectus dated November 3, 2014, which is avail- able at www.ptli.net or authorised financial intermediaries. Applica- tion forms are available from No- vember 10 from authorised finan- cial intermediaries. Subscriptions open on November 24 and close on November 28, or earlier if the bond issue is over-subscribed. €36m bond issue in IT investments PTL International, through its holding company PTL Holdings plc, has just launched a €36 million unsecured bond issue. What can investors expect and what are PTL's plans for the future? MaltaToday finds out.