Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA which, together with its subsidiaries, is the owner of 19 138 507 shares in Unitor ASA (97.9% of the shares and the voting rights), has today resolved to exercise its right pursuant to section 4-25 in the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act (the “PLC Act”) to acquire all the 411 144 shares owned by other shareholders in Unitor ASA.
Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA offers the minority shareholders a redemption price of NOK 73.50 per Unitor share, which is the same price as Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA paid for the 17 425 953 Unitor shares purchased from Umoe Industrier ASA, Folketrygdfondet and Odin Forvaltning pursuant to an agreement dated 19 June 2005, and also equal to the price offered in the mandatory offer made to the shareholders in Unitor ASA in August 2005. The redemption price offered to the minority shareholders has been deposited in a separate account with Nordea Bank Norge.
The offer letter, which is attached hereto, will be sent to all shareholders with a known address. Shareholders who do not raise any objections against or reject the offer at the latest on 10 March 2006, will pursuant to the PLC Act be considered to have accepted the offer.
As a result of the above, Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA, together with its subsidiaries, are now the owners of all shares in Unitor ASA, and the Board of Directors in Unitor ASA will propose that the shareholders’ meeting in Unitor ASA shall resolve that the Company shall request a delisting from the Oslo Stock Exchange of the shares in Unitor ASA.