Ipsos Buys South Africa's Markinor

Ipsos has acquired a 70% stake in Markinor, South Africa's leading independent MR firm, and has confirmed its excellent first half results previewed on August 16th.

The global group has an option to acquire later the remaining shares of Markinor, which was founded in 1972 and specialises in public opinion, marketing and loyalty research including employee relationship management. Its turnover in the last fiscal year was 75.5m Rand (7.9m Euros).

Markinor CEO Shirley Benney and other shareholding executive directors will be 'totally involved' in the new management team. The company employs 140 permanent employees and is headquartered in Randburg, Johannesburg, with an executive office in Cape Town. Field offices are in Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfountain, Boksburg and Pretoria.

Markinor offers quant and qual expertise including large surveys across the country and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Benney comments: 'We are building on our solid, established reputation and keeping current within the globalization trend as per market demands. Our clients and our staff will benefit from access to expertise to global competencies and we look forward to contributing from the South African context.'

Ipsos co-president Didier Truchot says the acquisition 'completes [Ipsos'] global coverage, South Africa being one of the major markets where Ipsos needed to go to meet the expectations of its major global clients.'

Meanwhile Ipsos has confirmed the excellent first half results previewed on August 16th (www.mrweb.com/drno/news7187.htm ), reporting an operating margin of 8.5% (adding 50 basis points on the year) and adjusted net profit attributable to the group up 36.7% to Euros 23.3 million. In the first half, the group generated sales of Euros 443.1 million, up 8.7% on the year despite a negative currency effect of 3.7%. Key factors were strong organic growth of 10% and 2.4% contributed by acquisitions in Latin America and Turkey.

The firm says its diversified client base of over 5,000 companies is 'a definite strength', and that its 'Fresh Impetus' plan, launched in February 2006, should help it to maintain strong annual growth of about 15% through 2011, with at least half generated through organic growth. The plan includes 'respecting the specialisation strategy' put in place over the past decade, and seeking to become clients' preferred supplier within those areas of specialisation.

Web sites are at www.ipsos.com and www.markinor.co.za.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.