NTR plc

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NTR plc
Type Public, unlisted.
Founded Flag of Ireland Dublin, Ireland (1991)
Headquarters Flag of Ireland Dublin, Ireland
Key people Jim Barry, CEO, Tom Roche Chairman
Products Roads, electricity, water, and other infrastructure services
Website www.ntr.ie/

NTR plc (formerly an initialism for "National Toll Roads") is an Irish infrastructure company.

The company is involved in a number of public-private partnership related businesses. It is however best known as the operator of the West-Link and East-Link toll bridges in Dublin, and the North-Link toll motorway on the M1 at Drogheda. They do not own any of these roads - the M50 on which the West-Link operates is owned by the state, the East Link is owned by Dublin City Council and the section of the M1 which is tolled is currently owned on a PPP scheme by Celtic Roads Group (which NTR is involved in), and will later revert to state ownership.

NTR formerly owned the Liffey bridges on the M50, which it sold to the state in 2007; as well as the East Link bridge, which reverted to state ownership after a 20 year period. NTR will cease to operate the M50 tolling in August 2008.

It also is involved in electricity generation through Airtricity, wireless broadband access through Irish Broadband (NTR Broadband in Northern Ireland) and waste management with Greenstar.

The company has made significant diversifications from the old, core toll roads business. This is visible in its investment in Bioverda a bioenergy and biofuels company. Bioverda is developing and operating businesses in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and the United States.

The company is now worth €1.2 billion on the grey market on which it trades. This is up from €1 billion at the end of August before the company completed a hugely successful €150 million share-placing. It was successful in that it raised the placing to €170 million to accommodate the extra demand.

[edit] Owners

The company ownership structure is highly concentrated. Tom Roche and Ann Roche own 44.8% of the company, One51, an agricultural co-operative that desires a stock exchange listing, owns 25.1% and others own the balance.

The company was known until 2002 as National Toll Roads. While it is registered as a public limited company, its shares are not traded on the Irish Stock Exchange, but on a grey market (operated by Davy, Goodbody, and NCB Stockbrokers) instead.

[edit] See also