Cerebos, Company

Cerebos is a long established business with a strong internationally known brand which is the market leader in the retail salt market in South Africa with extended distribution into Southern Africa. The company's industrial business is focused on the supply of quality salt to the food manufacturing sector. Cerebos started business in South Africa during the sixties as a wholly owned subsidiary of RHM Ltd., UK and was subsequently acquired by AngloVaal Industries in the eighties through a subsidiary (now National Brands Limited). The management of Cerebos purchased the business in October 2002. On the 31st of October 2002 the documentation was finalised '- between AngloVaal Industries, the parent company of National Brands, and a local management consortium, seeing ownership move to this locally based independent entity. The new consortium has based it's work ethic and drive on the traditions of a company steeped in history and on a brand which has seen consistent customer loyalty for over 100 years, truly South Africa's first choice quality salt. The salt refinery at Coega was last updated and re-capitalised in 1976. Cerebos has operated a small Escher Wyss PVD plant for the past 10 years supplying top of the range Cerebos salt, Saxa salt and BP grade pharmaceutical salt. Sufficient experience has been gained with the process and costing to target this technology for the new plant. The company has secured a site within the new IDZ for the plant. This site provides the company with competitive services and is ideally situated for exports and imports. Thus the shareholders of Cerebos Limited have completed funding and planning for the erection of the new PVD salt production facility within the IDZ. An investment in excess of 100 million rand was required to fund the project. Through a strategic partnership with DBSA (Development Bank Of South Africa), KBSI (Khumo Bathong Strategic Investments) and the CDC(Coega Development Corporation). The project will be completed in March 2008.