Australian National Industries

Australian National Industries Limited was an Australian heavy engineering company with diverse range of holdings.

History

Australian National Industries Limited had its origins in 1911 when John McGrath Industries Limited became one of the earliest garages in Australia selling and servicing motor vehicles. By the late 1940s, ANI had developed into a small steel forging, merchandising and engineering company. By 1985 it had become a multi-faceted corporation with operations throughout Australia and Overseas. ANI was incorporated in NSW and activities included contracting, distribution, manufacturing and service. Total sales were in excess of $1 billion in (1985) and in this year ANI achieved its 18th consecutive year of continuous profit growth. Profit after tax was $46 million in 1985 on sales of $1,095.4 million and this was a 9% increase on the previous year.

Contracting

• Comeng Rolling Stock: "Comeng designs and assembles railway rolling stock, including locomotives, passenger coaches, freight wagons and light rail vehicles. Other products include bus bodies, track maintenance equipment, mining service vehicles and rolling stock spare parts" (1985)
• O'Donnell Griffin: "O'Donnell Griffin's activities include electrical and instrumentation installation, and mechanical and fire protection services throughout Australia. This operation has particular expertise in relation to major petrochemical, industrial, construction, mining and resource projects" (1985)
• ANI Sergeants: "ANI Sergeants provides complex design, fabrication and construction expertise for major projects in the mining, sugar, aluminium, ship building and power generation industries. Other products include the Kleen range of metal working equipment" (1985)

Distribution

• Capitol motors: "Capitol motors is a motor dealer for Nissan and BMW products and used vehicles in Sydney and retail and wholesale distribution of automotive spare parts and accessories throughout New South Wales. Capitol also provides consumer finance" (1985)
• ANI Komatsu: "ANI Komatsu is the distributor of Komatsu earthmoving equipment in Queensland and New South Wales, servicing a broad spectrum of industries including construction, earthmoving, quarrying, mining and agriculture" (1985)
• Selby Scientific: "This operation distributes scientific equipment, chemical reagents, quality control equipment, science and engineering teaching equipment, medical laboratory supplies and rehabilitation equipment for the aged and disabled. It operates in all states of Australia" (1985)
• Steelmark: "Steelmark is a metal distributor throughout Australia for steel and aluminium products with extensive facilities for processing these materials" (1985)
• ANItech: "ANItech distributes, through a network of over 2000 dealers and retailers, a vast range of products, including petrol and diesel engines, pumps and turbines, electrical insulation, robots, electronic components, car radios, power tools, micro computers and printers" (1985)

Manufacturing

• Bradken Consolidated: "Bradken is the largest steel foundry group in Australia, with advanced capability in metals technology and quality control" (1985)
• National Forge: "National Forge is a dominant force in the Australian forging industry, supplying high-technology and general commercial forgings to Australian and overseas markets" (1985)
• Astra Engineering: "Astra Engineering's activities involve metal forming operations, including cold forming, sintering and machining of metal components" (1985)
• ANI Philippines Forge: "This operation manufactures commercial forgings for the local Philippine and offshore markets" (1985)

Service

• Coates Hire: "Coates Hire provides a hiring service for contractor, industrial and handyman equipment to government, mining, building construction and general industry through over 65 outlets around Australia" (1985)
• Nationwide Equipment Rentals: "Nationwide provides equipment rental services in the U.S.A, similar to those provided by Coates Hire in Australia" (1985)
• Container Care: "Container Care is the repair and storage of shipping containers in Hong Kong and the U.S.A. Marine and general survey services are also provided through associated operations" (1985)
• Computer Services: "Centralised computer facilities are provided for ANI's Australian operations and, to a limited extent, for companies outside the group. Advisory services are provided to ANI's offshore operations" (1985)

Investments

In 1985 ANI was reported to own 45% of Spedley Holdings. Spedley Holdings operated a merchant bank, Spedley Securities Limited which, in turn, owns the official short-term money market operator First Federation Discount Company Limited. and a London-based foreign exchange and currency broker in the international finance market. (1985). As of the 31st of October 1984, total assists of the Spedley group amounted to $460 million, however, Spedley collapsed only a few years later.

ANI under Kerry Packer

Kerry Packer became the dominant shareholder in ANI in April 1989 buying a 48% section of stock after the share price had crashed to $1.40 following the disastrous, secret relationship with the collapsing Spedley Corporation which cost ANI 200 million.

Kerry Packer sold a European waste management company (ABT) from Consolidated Press to ANI in1991 for 2 million, a decision that was not voted on or presented to shareholders of ANI. Packer reduced his share-holding from 48% to 30% in September 1991 and then went on to sell his remaining 30% stake in ANI only a few weeks later the ABT sale was concluded making a 200 million profit. It was reported that ABT had signed a contract to build a 150 million facility in Madrid that was predicted to cost up to 400 million.

Bob Ellicott QC was commissioned to do an independent enquiry, however, the report was never made public.

Smorgen purchased ANI for 850 million in 1998-99

List of companies in the ANI group in 1985

• ANI properties
• Commonwealth Engineering
• Sergeants Engineering
• ANI Distribution
• ANI Monosteel
• Capitol Motors
• Comeng Building Services
• Comeng Construction Equipment
• Comeng Holdings
• Comeng Industrial equipment
• fleet Facilities
• Greater Midwest Insurance
• Investment Acceptance
• John McGrath
• Metalstores
• Mittagong Engineering
• The ANI Corporation Limited
• Western Consolidated Industries
• Warburton O'Donnell
• A.N.I Nominees
• A.N.I National Forge
• Ceevic (in liquidation 1985)
• Coates Engineering
• Commonwealth Engineering
• H.B. Selby Australia
• H.B Selby and Co
• Austral Steel Holdings
• Brookside International
• Container Affairs Bureau
• Container-Care
• Current Engineering
• Ming Sing Electronics
• Tompkins International
• Wood & Browne
• ANI New Zealand
• Wilkinson Callon
• ANI Philippines Forge
• ANIpac
• O'Donnell Griffin Singapore
• ANI America
• Container Care New Orleans
• Nationwide Equipment Rentals Company
• Southern Container-Care

Subsidiary companies

• ANI Constructions
• Arcos Products
• Ashland Investments
• Bradken Consolidated
• B.K.F Properties
• Comeng Architectural Industries
• Comeng Investments
• M.K.V Investments
• Bundeng
• Capitol Investments
• Bachell Properties
• O.D.G Properties
• Eldridge Electric
• ANI Properties
• Austral Steel Properties
• ANI Corporation Hong Kong
• Sam Marrs Equipment Company
• Cockatoo Island dockyard.^[1]* Commonwealth Engineering.
• Bradken (Bradford Kendall).^[2]
• Bus body building.^[3]

Other companies owned or operated by ANI

• ANI Perkins

Sales results 1976-1985

• 1976 148 million
• 1977 171 million
• 1978 377 million
• 1979 441 million
• 1980 485 million
• 1981 560 million
• 1982 701 million
• 1983 1002 million
• 1984 1010 million
• 1985 1095 million

Largest shareholder in 1985 - ANZ 7.5%

Takeover

The struggling company was taken over by Smorgon Steel Group Limited and subsequently delisted from the Australian Stock Exchange on the 17 March 1999.^[4]

References

• Australian National Industries Limited, Annual Report 1985, pp. 1–40