BURNABY, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ableauctions.com Inc. (AMEX:AAC) (the “Company”) released a statement
today about its acquisition of SinoCoking, a coal and coke producer
based in central China.
“We are pleased to announce our acquisition of SinoCoking, a coal and
coke producer based in the Henan Province in the People’s Republic of
China”
“We are pleased to announce our acquisition of SinoCoking, a coal and
coke producer based in the Henan Province in the People’s Republic of
China,” said Abdul Ladha, Chief Executive Officer of Ableauctions.com,
Inc. The closing of the acquisition is scheduled to occur at the close
of business on February 5, 2010. Mr. Ladha further added “this
acquisition has provided our shareholders with a unique opportunity to
participate as equity holders in what we believe to be a company that
has good fundamentals and growth potential as a supplier of products of
vital economic importance within China’s fast-growing economy. Moreover,
the transaction allows our pre-acquisition shareholders to receive the
full liquidation value of our pre-acquisition business assets in
addition to a 3% aggregate stake in the reorganized company to be
renamed SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries, Inc. We are
excited about the potential of SinoCoking to grow and build shareholder
value.”
Mr. Ladha, who has served as Chief Executive Officer of Ableauctions
since 1999, will step down as CEO on February 5, and will be succeeded
by Mr. Jianhua Lv, who is an initial founder and current President of
SinoCoking. In addition, on February 5, 2010, the current board of
directors of Ableauctions will step down and be succeeded by seven new
directors designated by SinoCoking.
Mr. Jianhua Lv, the incoming CEO of the Company stated “As a coal
producer and coke manufacturer, SinoCoking has been a significant
supplier of the vital commodities of thermal and metallurgical coal and
coke to industrial customers such as power plants, steel mills and other
industrial buyers in China since 1996. SinoCoking is a
vertically-integrated processor that uses coal from both its own mines
and that of third-party mines to provide basic and value-added coal
products to its client base. SinoCoking currently holds mining rights
for approximately 2.5 million tons of coal from mines located in central
China. SinoCoking began producing metallurgical coke in 2002, and since
then has expanded its production to become an important supplier to
regional steel producers in central China. Coke, which is an essential
ingredient in steel-making, is manufactured in SinoCoking’s on-site
facilities by heating selected coal with certain thermal and chemical
properties at extremely high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment.
For the year ending June 30, 2009, SinoCoking produced and sold 154,631
tons of coke, 55,360 tons of washed coal, and 72,923 tons of raw coal,
and generated $51 million in revenue from sales consisting primarily of
these products. During its 2009 fiscal year, SinoCoking had audited net
income of approximately $17 million on a GAAP basis.”
Mr. Lv went on to say “We produce essential products that power the
industrial growth of China – coal and coke, and we see this moment as
only the beginning of a long-term secular expansion. Currently, the
demand from our customers significantly exceeds our current production
capacity, and we think that demand from Chinese industrial purchasers
will continue to increase. We are investing heavily in building our
production capacity, and since we are a larger producer that utilizes
advanced manufacturing processes with less impact on the environment, we
enjoy strong support from the Henan provincial and local governments.
Although the Chinese government has recently taken steps to slow its
rapid economic expansion, the Chinese economy is nonetheless expected to
grow at an annual rate of approximately 9% per year for the next five
years, according to government sources. Domestic steel demand is
expected to grow at 10% per year over the same period. China’s demand
for coke is expected to be approximately 4.5 billion tons per year in
the following years, and as a nation it is now the largest producer and
consumer of coking coal in the world. As a source of fuel, approximately
70% of China’s energy consumption is derived from coal, and as such it
is regarded as key element of China’s energy policy and strategy. The
Chinese government has also engaged in a policy of promoting
consolidation within the coal mining industry, as larger operators have
been determined to operate more efficiently, with consistently higher
safety records and less environmental impact.”
“Coal and coke are fundamentally important products to the growth of
China. We believe that SinoCoking can mine, produce, market and fulfill
these products more effectively than many of our competitors. We also
believe that right now, there is no better market in the world to
operate and grow our business than China,” said Mr. Lv. “On behalf of
SinoCoking, we are proud to complete this business combination with a
U.S. publicly-traded company. Being a U.S. public company will put us in
a position to attract the capital that our company needs to expand our
operations, and create value for our shareholders.”
About SinoCoking
Top Favour Limited, a British Virgin Islands holding company (“Top
Favour”), through its wholly owned subsidiary Pingdingshan Hongyuan
Energy Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. (“Hongyuan”),
controls Henan Province Pingdingshan Hongli Coal & Coke Co., Ltd.
(“Hongli”), a coal and coal-coke producer in Henan Province in the
central region of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”).
Hongli produces coke, coal, coal byproducts and electricity through its
branch operation, Baofeng Coking Factory, and its wholly owned
subsidiaries, Baofeng Hongchang Coal Co., Ltd. and Baofeng Hongguang
Environment Protection Electricity Generating Co., Ltd. (collectively
referred to as “SinoCoking”).
For further information about SinoCoking, please refer to the Definitive
Proxy Statement of Ableauctions.com, Inc. filed on Schedule 14A with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 27, 2009.
For a comprehensive Corporate Update and prior releases, visit www.ableauctions.com.
For more information, contact Investor Relations at investorrelations@ableauctions.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements, particularly as
related to, among other things, the business plans of the Company,
statements relating to goals, plans and projections regarding the
Company's financial position, the Company's business strategy, the
Company’s real estate development project, including the business of
SinoCoking. The words or phrases “would be,” “will allow,” “intends to,”
“may result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “anticipates,”
“expects,” “estimate,” “project,” “indicate,” “could,” “potentially,”
“should,” “believe,” “think”, “considers” or similar expressions are
intended to identify “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking
statements fall within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 and are subject to
the safe harbor created by these sections. Actual results could differ
materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a
result of a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking
statements are based on current expectations, involve known and unknown
risks, a reliance on third parties for information, transactions or
orders that may be cancelled, and other factors that may cause our
actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in our
industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance
or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
anticipated results include risks and uncertainties related to the
global recession, the performance of our staff and management, our
ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions
and other factors that are detailed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K
and on documents we file from time-to-time with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Factors that could cause our real estate
development results to differ materials from anticipated results include
delay experienced during any phase of the project development (such as
in obtaining permits) or unforeseen problems (such as labor disputes,
increasing materials costs, or an inability to obtain adequate
financing). Even if we are able to build the project, the market for the
units we build could decline. We cannot guarantee you that our building
projects will be successful or that we will be able to recover the money
we put into them. If our building projects are unsuccessful, our
business and our cash flow will be materially adversely affected. Price
changes may occur in the market as a whole, or they may occur in only a
particular company, industry, or sector of the market. Real estate
values and mortgage loans can be seriously affected by factors such as
interest rate fluctuations, bank liquidity, the availability of
financing, and by factors such as a zoning change or an increase in
property taxes. Since the majority of our investments are held in
Canadian funds, currency fluctuations may affect the value of our
portfolio significantly. There can be no assurance that the securities
and other assets in which we have invested will increase, or even
maintain, their value. Statements made herein are as of the date of this
press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date.
The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on such
statements. The Company does not undertake, and the Company specifically
disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to
reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances
after the date of such statement. Actual results may differ materially
from the Company's expectations and estimates.