Rentokil Initial Regulatory News (RTO)

15 Mar 2007 07:02

Rentokil Initial PLC15 March 2007 15 March, 2007 RENTOKIL INITIAL DEVELOPS ITS TROPICAL PLANTS BUSINESS TO GEAR UP FOR GROWTH IN WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS MARKET Rentokil Tropical Plants, the world's largest provider of plants, replicafoliage and flowers for commercial environments, today announces a new globalbrand name, Ambius, and a development programme for the business. By the end of 2007, Ambius, which grew revenues by 4.1% to £106.6m in 2006, willhave a single global brand, greater market profile and additional revenuestreams through the expansion of its product range. The new brand will beofficially launched on 19 March. The UK will be the first market to experiencethe brand, followed by launches in 15 other countries across four continents. The new brand name will better reflect the company's extended service portfoliowhich will build on the company's 21 years' experience of designing, installingand servicing interior plants. The expanded product portfolio, to become available in all markets, will includethe provision of ambient scenting, corporate artwork and other products thatimprove workplace environments and employee well being. For instance, in the UK,the brand will shortly launch a range of 'acoustic artwork' which not onlyenhances office environments visually, but also dampens background noise in openplan offices, together enhancing the workplace for employees. The launch of the Ambius brand name is part of a programme to focus brandswithin the Rentokil Initial organisation on their core strengths. Today, theRentokil brand is focused on pest control, Initial is focused on cleaning andfacilities, and City Link is focused on parcel delivery. Doug Flynn, Chief Executive Officer, Rentokil Initial, comments: "This newinitiative will deliver a powerful and consistent brand presence, and introducea wider range of services to maximise its potential. In particular, Ambius willtarget those large scale international organisations which operate acrossborders. This is a market leading business and today's announcement is anotherexample of our company investing for growth." Jeff Mariola, Managing Director, Ambius, said: "As the market leader, Rentokilremains a strong brand for pest control but its association was not right forthe expert design and servicing of plants and other products which have provenbenefits in enhancing workplaces. "Fuelled by growing demand and interest in products that create harmoniousenvironments, we will begin offering these additional services to our 80,000+customer base. "A new global brand identity, that reflects our wider portfolio and accommodatesfuture growth, will help us to build on our market leading position in the USAto create an equally strong company in Europe." As part of the brand and product enhancements, Ambius will launch the division'sfirst global website (www.ambius.com), which will provide tailored country sitesin local languages under the umbrella of a global landing page. The brand willalso be directly communicated to customer audiences through the company'sparticipation in key events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Ends About Ambius Ambius is the world's largest single provider of plants, replica foliage andflowers for commercial environments. Ambius also offers a broad range ofproducts and services including ambient scenting, and artwork which can helpimprove employee productivity, reduce absentism and boost morale in theworkplace. Ambius is a division of Rentokil Initial plc (LSE: RTO). For more information, visit the new Ambius website at www.ambius.com. For further information, please contact: Malcolm Padley, Rentokil Initial, Corporate Communications - 020 7866 3027/07788 978 199 Tom Williams, Brunswick - 020 7396 5361 / 07834 502 361 Lexis PR Sara Barrow - 020 7908 6481/07771 520336 Jessica Gooch - 020 7908 6447/07970 152155 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange