600 Group pursued by Chinese suitor

Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire-based 600 Group manufactures Colchester and Harrison lathes, Pratt Burnerd workholding, Electrox laser marking equipment and Gamet bearings, and has international sales operations that also offer factored product. "There can be no certainty that an offer will be made for 600 Group, nor as to the terms on which an offer may be made," said the 600 Group statement of 11 September. According to the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, Qingdao D&D Investment Group Co must, by not later than 5:00 pm on 9 October 2013, either announce a firm intention to make an offer for 600 Group or announce that it does not intend to make an offer. And the 9 October deadline will cease to apply to Qingdao D&D Investment Group Co Ltd should another firm intention to make an offer for 600 Group be received prior to that date. In such circumstances, Qingdao D&D Investment Group Co Ltd will be required to clarify its intentions. Machinery note: An internet search for 'Qingdao D&D Investment Group Co Ltd' does not return any company of that name. However, there are a number of similarly named, related companies that Machinery is told are linked to Qingdao D&D Investment Group Co. Specifically, Qingdao D&D Holding Co is the parent of Qingdao D&D International Ltd, which manufactures air compressors, bench power tools, metalworking machines, and woodworking machinery. Established in 1997, according to this website about Qingdao D&D International Ltd, it has 250 products with "self-owned intellectual property rights", and 170 patent applications. D & D has a global distribution network, exporting to South America, Central America, North America (Canada , US), Europe (Italy, France, Spain , Belgium, Holland, Germany , Denmark, Sweden, Austria, UK ) , Asia and Pacific Regions ( Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand),Southeast Asia (India , Thailand , Singapore, Vietnam) and the Middle East. There is also a company called Qingdao D&D forklift division.