On a Date with Border Timbers Limited (BTL)
Dating is a critical stage to any investor considering to take a position on any asset class even shares.
#1. History,
1924, Timber plantations set up by the British South Africa Police Company (BSAPC) in the Imbeza area near Mutare.
1946, BSAPC expand the timber plantations into the Chimanimani area.
1953, Charter Sawmill established.
1979, Renfee, Border Eastern Forest Estate and Forestry Management Services (FMS) combine to form Border Timbers (BTL)
Plantations in the Imbeza area taken over by FMS
BTL is listed on the ZSE and Anglo American Corporation (AAC) becomes major shareholder.
1981, BTL opens up regional markets in South Africa and Botswana.
1995, Border Timbers International is founded as an exporter of quality furniture and sold off 9 years later.
2000, portions of BTL estates are listed for the land redistribution program.
AAC offloads its stake in BTL to Radar Holdings a once ZSE listed construction focused firm
2012, Radar sells off its controlling stake to Rift Valley Corporation (RVC).
RVC’s main shareholder is the von Pezold family led by Heinrich von Pezold.
Heinrich von Pezold is German national.
Prior the Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) had signed a Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) with Germany.
The BIPPA meant to protect business properties of Germans.
2015, BTL and von Pezold family win a USD 125 million settlement at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) aganist the GOZ.
The GOZ violated the BIPPA by taking portions of the land owned by BTL and von Pezold.
2016, BTL placed under judicial management due to choking debts exacerbated by loss of its underlining asset (land).
2022, According to the recent Emergency General Meeting (EGM) BTL is preparing to exit judicial management.
#2. Operations,
BTL is into the growing, milling and manufacturing of timber from managed plantations.
It operates within 3 divisions namely,
° Forestry
° Sawmilling
° Pole treatment
Forestry Division
5 estates are operated with 2 close to Mutare
° Imbeza
° Sheba
Chimanimani
° Tilbury
° Charter
° Sawerombe
Estates focus on silviculture (growing and cultivation of 
), harvesting, log deliveries to sawmills and fire risk management.
Sawmilling Division
2 sawmills are operated at Sheba and Charter.
The mills have the capacity to process 300,000m of saw logs yearly.
The sawmills are designed to cut both pine and eucalyptus saw logs.
Cut logs are made into rough sawn timber.
Pole Treatment Division
BTL operates a pole treatment plant at Nyakamete Industrial site in Mutare.
The treated poles are used for a number of applications including transmission and fencing.
#3. Customers,
BTL attracts industries that utilize timber in Zimbabwe and regionally such as,
• Fixed line operators (Telone)
• Power utilities (ZESA)
• Construction
It has developed export markets in Nambia, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.
#4. Competitors,
1. Wattle Company
The marker and marketer of packaged branded charcoal used for barbeques VESTA.
It operates a fully integrated timber production business from plantations.
2. Allied Timbers
The largest timber resource base in Zimbabwe.
#5. Shareholding,
BTL is a subsidiary of Rift Valley Corporation.
RVC operates two other units Northern Tobacco and Tobacco Processing Zimbabwe.
#6. Pitch,
BTL is preparing to exit judicial management and start trading on the ZSE in the not so distant future with ZSE Team having already undertaken a tour of operations.
Peter Lewis Bailey the judicial manager is satisfied with the management competencies.
Infrastructural projects being pushed by Southern African governments would likely benefit the firm.
Each week will be on a DATE with a company listed on the ZSE with Martin Mataga Twitter @MartinMataga.
The purpose of this thread is to assist investors to have a minimum appreciation of listed firms.
Disclaimer: Do not misconstrue this thread as investment advice. DATE companies before you buy their shares.
