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Wesfarmers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007) |
| Wesfarmers Limited | |
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| Type | Public (ASX:WES) |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Headquarters |  Perth, Western Australia |
| Area served | Australia New Zealand United Kingdom Bangladesh |
| Key people | Trevor Eastwood AM, Chairman Richard Goyder, CEO |
| Industry | Retailing, Industrial, Insurance, Energy |
| Revenue |  $8,859 million AUD (2006) |
| Operating income | $1,313 million AUD (2006) |
| Profit | $869 million AUD (2006) |
| Employees | 200,000 |
| Subsidiaries | Bunnings Warehouse, Coles Supermarkets, Bi-Lo, Pick 'n Pay Hypermarkets, Coles Express, Coles Central, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore, Officeworks, Kmart, Kmart Tyre & Auto Service, Target, Target Country, Target Home, Harris Technology, Pharmacy Direct, HouseWorks, Curragh Queensland Mining, Wesfarmers Premier Coal, Bengalla Mining Company*, Wesfarmers Federation Insurance, Lumley General Insurance, Lumley General Insurance (NZ), OAMPS Insurance Brokers, Crombie Lockwood (NZ), Koukia*, Blackwoods, Protector Alsafe, Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety NZ, CSBP, Australian Gold Reagents*, Wesfarmers Kleenheat Gas, Unigas*, Wesfarmers Kleenheat Elpiji, Wesfarmers LPG, Coregas, Air Liquide WA*, Energy Generation, Gresham Partners Group*, Wespine Industries* * Joint ventures |
| Website | www.wesfarmers.com.au |
Wesfarmers (ASX: WES) is one of Australia’s largest public companies and Australia's largest retailer, with its headquarters in Perth, Western Australia.
Wesfarmers is the largest employer in Australia, with more than 200,000 employees across the country. Official records announced a record net profit of $1.05 billion for 2006 with operating costs of $8.9 billion (prior to the Coles Group takeover).
On 2 July 2007, Wesfarmers announced it was purchasing the Coles Group retail chain for A$22 billion making it the largest successful take-over in Australian corporate history.[1]. Wesfarmers officially took control of Coles on 23 November 2007, after paying almost A$20 billion for the company.
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The company was founded on 27 June 1914 as a farmers' co-operative which focused on the provision of services and merchandise to the Western Australian rural community.
In 1924 it established the first public radio station in Western Australia with 6WF before it passed into the hands of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1929.
By the 1940s the company's work included "being wheat and general merchants; country distribution for Commonwealth Oil Refineries Ltd; wool, live stock, skin and produce auctioneers; grain & fruit exporters; insurance underwriters; acquiring agents for the wheat pool of W.A." Known as Westralian Farmers Limited, it had premises in various locations within the Perth central business district. In the 1940s there were premises at 563-571 Wellington Street. They also had premises at Newman Street in Fremantle.
In 1991, 19 m³ of the records of the Westralian Farmers Co-operative were deposited with the J S Battye Library in Perth.
A name change in 1985 to Wesfarmers Limited coincided with its restructuring from a co-operative to a public company when it was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Since becoming a public company, Wesfarmers have moved to dramatically diversify through an aggressive acquisition strategy.
Wesfarmers are the owners of Bunnings & Bunnings Warehouse - Australia's largest hardware chain. The chain was expanded considerably with the 2000 takeover of the BBC Hardware group. After taking over Coles Group in 2007, Officeworks and Harris Technology were added to the Home Improvement Division.
Owns CSBP Limited and a 75% interest in Australian Gold Reagents
Wesfarmers Energy own the Curragh coal mine in Queensland, the Premier Coal operations in Western Australia and a minority interest in the Bengalla coal operation in New South Wales.
Gas and energy interests include Kleenheat Gas, Wesfarmers LPG, which owns and operates a liquefied petroleum gas extraction plant facility in Kwinana, Western Australia, Coregas, EnGen (Energy Generation) and a minority interest in Air Liquide WA (ALWA).
Wesfarmers LPG are also building a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plant on their existing site at Kwinana. Wesfarmers are committing $138 Billion to the project which will bein full production by Feb 2008.
Wesfarmers Federation Insurance, Lumley General Insurance Australia and Lumley General Insurance New Zealand.
In Australia: Blackwoods, Bakers, Atkins Carlyle, Motion Industries, Mullings Fasteners, Protector Alsafe.
In New Zealand: Blackwoods Paykels, NZ Safety, Protector Safety Supply, Packaging House.
The food, liquor and convenience division comprises the majority of the former Coles Group assets. These include Coles and BI-LO Supermarkets, Liquorland, Liquorland Express, Vintage Cellars, Coles Express and 1st Choice Liquor Superstores.
Wesfarmers operates Target and Kmart and stand alone entities.
Owns a 50% interest in Gresham Partners, a corporate finance business focused on mergers and acquisitions.
Owns a 50% interest in Wespine Industries, a softwood sawmill operation at Dardanup, Western Australia.
- ^ Peter Ryan. "Coles board recommends $22b takeover offer", ABC News online, Jul 2, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
- Smith, Kevin P.(1984)A bunch of pirates: the story of a farmer co-operative: Wesfarmers Perth, W.A : Westralian Farmers Co-operative. ISBN 095918970X
- (2003) 50 years of powering Western Australia : from Western Colleries to Wesfarmers Coal. Collie, W.A.: Wesfarmers Premier Coal.
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| Food, Liquor and Convenience Division | Coles Supermarkets · BI-LO Supermarkets · Coles Express · Liquorland · Vintage Cellars · Pick 'n Pay Hypermarket · Coles Central · 1st Choice Liquor Superstore · Pharmacy Direct |
| Home Improvement and Office Supplies Division | Officeworks · Harris Technology · Bunnings · Houseworks |
| Coal Division | Curragh Mine, QLD · Bengalla Coal Mine, NSW · Premier Coal, WA |
| Insurance Division | Wesfarmers Federation Insurance · Lumley General Insurance |
| Industrial and Safety Division | Blackwoods |
| Energy Division | Kleenheat Gas |
| Stand Alone Entities | Kmart · Target |
| Other Businesses | Wespine Industries |
| Related | FlyBuys |