MARK ALLEN GROUP COMPLETES FARMERS WEEKLY PURCHASE

Mark Allen Group (MAG) has finally completed its acquisition of Farmers Weekly. The 85-year-old brand has been sold by Reed Business Information Ltd (RBI), part of RELX.

The portfolio includes the leading weekly magazine Farmers Weekly, its community website and online trading platforms on FWi.comco.uk, a growing events portfolio including the market leading industry Farmers Weekly Awards, newsletters and social media platforms supporting these publishing activities. This transaction does not include the agricultural connectivity, workflow, data and analytics business Proagrica.

A new company, MA Agriculture Ltd, has been formed to accommodate the brand, which will continue to be based at its Sutton offices, with 55 members of its staff transferring under TUPE.

CEO Ben Allen said: “Farming is going through an interesting rationalisation. Farmers Weekly is ideally placed to help progressive farmers undertaking such transformation. I’m immensely proud of the acquisition and the opportunities which lie ahead.”

Mark Allen, the founder and chairman of MAG, added: “This has been a long process, but negotiations have been extraordinarily smooth. I would particularly like to thank RELX for the professional and amicable way they have negotiated this deal. We have been very well supported by our bank, HSBC, and well advised by our lawyers, Trethowans of Southampton and our London-based accountants, Blick Rothenberg.”

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For further information:

Mark Allen Group: Mark Allen Tel: 020 7501 6700 Mobile: 07919 016806

Mark Allen Group: Ben Allen Tel: 020 7501 6725 Mobile: 07747 010242

Farmers Weekly: Karl Schneider Tel: 020 8652 3043 Mobile: 07717 342095

Reed Business Information: Jane Baldwin Tel: 020 8652 8018 Mobile: 07917 803267

Mark Allen Group

The Mark Allen Group is a family-owned private company, which was founded in 1985. The company employs 434 staff in four locations – Herne Hill, Dartford, Guildford and Wiltshire. Its 100 magazines are in 12 different sectors: healthcare; dental; social care; education; music; manufacturing and engineering; aviation; print; human resources; the built environment; critical communications; auto, transport and entertainment. It organises up to 250 exhibitions, conferences and awards every year. Flagship brands include: Gramophone, Dental Update, British Journal of Nursing, Community Care, Nursery World, The Engineer, Machinery and Ground Handling International.

Proagrica

Proagrica, part of RELX Group, is a global provider of independent connectivity and data-driven support solutions for the agriculture and animal health industries. We deliver actionable intelligence to drive business growth across the value chain. Our superior products and services connect and empower industry participants to address their key needs around trading, productivity and compliance. Our solutions are built around the key competencies of data connectivity and data analytics delivering seamless supply chain management, supply chain standards compliance, and customer insight and engagement, essential for businesses looking to improve their value offering and expand in the modern marketplace. Further information at www.proagrica.com

About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately. £39bn, €46.4bn, $51.4bn £36.9bn, €43.2bn, $48bn. www.relx.com.