MIRA INFORM REPORT

 

 

Report Date :

18.01.2007

 

IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

 

Name :

LEO SCHACHTER DIAMONDS LTD.

 

 

Registered Office :

54 Bezalel Street, Diamond Exchange, Yahalom Building, Ramat Gan 52521

 

 

Country :

Israel

 

 

Date of Incorporation :

13.07.1981

 

 

Legal Form :

Private Limited Company

 

 

Line of Business :

Diamond cutters, processors, traders, importers and exporters.

 

RATING & COMMENTS

 

MIRA’s Rating :

Ba

 

RATING

STATUS

PROPOSED CREDIT LINE

41-55

Ba

Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.

Satisfactory

 

Status :

Satisfactory

 

 

Payment Behaviour :

Usually correct

 

 

Litigation :

Clear

 

 


name & address

 

LEO SCHACHTER DIAMONDS LTD.

54 Bezalel Street

Diamond Exchange, Yahalom Building

RAMAT GAN 52521 ISRAEL

Telephone  972 3 576 62 22

Fax            972 3 613 24 89

 

 

HISTORY

 

A private limited company, incorporated as per file No. 51-089213-6 on the 13.07.1981, continuing a non-registered business founded years earlier.

 

Subject was founded by the Late Leo Schachter and David Namder. It was originally registered under the name SCHACHTER & NAMDAR POLISHING WORKS LTD., which changed to LEO SCHACHTER LTD. on the 30.8.2005 and finally changed to the present name on the 24.7.2006.

 

During 2004 subject's shareholders decided to split their activities, and part of the activities were transferred to a newly established subsidiary MOSHE NAMDAR & CO. LTD.

 

 

SHARE CAPITAL

 

Authorized share capital NIS 1,000.00, divided into –  1,000,000 ordinary shares of NIS 0.001 each,

of which shares amounting to NIS 75.798 were issued.

 

 

SHAREHOLDERS

 

1.    LEO SHECHTER & CO. INC., of the USA, 50.51%, owned by the heirs of Leo Schachter, the Tenenbaum and Greenberg families, and Avraham Namdar.

2.    Moshe Namdar, 49.49%.

 

 

DIRECTORS

 

1. David Greenberg,

2. Eliot Tenenbaum,

3. Dov Tenenbaum,


GENERAL MANAGER

 

Asher Baharav

 

 

BUSINESS    

 

Diamond cutters, processors, traders, importers and exporters.

Almost all sales are for export.

 

Operating from owned premises in Yahalom Building, Diamond Exchange, Floor No. 22, 54 Bezalel Street, Ramat Gan.

 

Also operating from several plants and offices in South Africa, Botswana, Antwerp, Geneve, New York, Toronto, China and Hong Kong.

 

Having over 100 employees in Israel and several hundreds abroad.

 

 

MEANS

 

Financial data not forthcoming, but considered to be financially solid.

Subject owns a Site from DE BEERS. According to reports from February 2004, they are the largest receiver from a DE BEERS Site in volume of US$ 150-200 million per year.

 

There are 9 charges for unlimited amounts registered on the company's assets, in favor of local banks.

 

 

ANNUAL SALES

 

SCHACHTER & NAMDAR POLISHING WORKS LTD. sales were:


1998 sales for export reported to be US$ 238,000,000.

1999 sales for export reported to be US$ 373,000,000.

2000 sales for export reported to be US$ 476,000,000.

2001 sales for export reported to be US$ 394,000,000.

2002 sales for export reported to be US$ 441,000,000.

2003 sales for export reported to be US$ 417,000,000.

2004 sales for export reported to be US$ 434,000,000.

 

Subject's 2005 sales for export were US$ 418,000,000.

 

LEO SHECHTER Group 's estimated global turnover in 2004 was US$ 1,000,000,000.

 

 

OTHER COMPANIES

 

MOSHE NAMDAR & CO. LTD., 100% subsidiary, operates in the same line as subject.

 

MOSHE NAMDAR GEMS LTD.

SN ASIA ISRAEL LTD.

SHECHTER AND NAMDAR HOLDINGS LTD., a holding company.

OPTIBASE LTD., 7.65% held by Avraham and Moshe Namdar, developers, manufacturers, exporters and marketers of communication and multimedia software solutions. A public company, shares are also traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, with current market value US$ 51 million.

 

GAMBIT COMPUTER COMMUNICATION LTD., 18.3%, controlled by subject’s shareholders, investment and financial services.

ESCOPA LTD., controlled by subject’s shareholders, a real estate company,

Subject’s shareholders are also involved in other local and foreign companies in the diamonds, finance and investment areas.

EURO-SAT INVESTMENTS LTD., a public company, dealing in real estate, controlled by Avraham Namdar (36.2%) and Moshe Namdar (5.4%). Shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, with current market value US$ 10 million.

Subject’s shareholders are also involved in other local and foreign companies in the diamonds, finance and investment areas.

 

 

BANKERS

 

Known to all local bankers. Working with:

Israel Discount Bank Ltd., Diamond Exchange Branch (No. 080), Ramat Gan.

Bank Leumi LeIsrael Ltd.

First International Bank of Israel Ltd.

 

 

CHARACTER AND REPUTATION

 

Nothing unfavorable learnt.

 

Subject’s officials refused to disclose any details.

 

According to the report published by the Israel Supervisor on Diamonds in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, subject was ranked 2nd in the 2005 list of Israel's largest polished diamonds exporters. Subsidiary, MOSHE NAMDAR & CO. LTD., was ranked 3rd largest. Until 2004, all activities were under the joint company SCHACHTER & NAMDAR, which was ranked 2nd largest in 2004 after L.L.D. DIAMONDS LTD.

 

Subject enjoys excellent reputation in Israel and world wide.

 

In 1995 it was reported that subject’s shareholders acquired 2 floors (21st and 22nd floors- total of 2,300 sq. meters) in the Yahalom Building, in consideration of US$ 10 million. Part of the area was rented, the rest used by subject.

 

In July 2003, it was reported that subject will own 49% in a new diamond processing plant in Canada.

 

In February 2004 subject announced a structural change in the SCHACHTER & NAMDAR Group and the establishment of a subsidiary MOSHE NAMDAR & CO. LTD, that, in order to maximize potential where each party will focus on different markets. In practice, that brought to a split between the activities of the Namdar Brothers, Moshe Namdar (in subsidiary) and Abraham Namdar.

 

It was also reported that subject is operating to strengthen its global activities in addressing the fast emerging Chinese market, and by strengthening the "Leo" diamonds brand in the American, British and Italian markets.

 

In February 2004, it was reported that subject will establish a partnership with WILLIAM GOLDBERG DIAMONDS of the USA.

 

In May 2005, it was reported that the SCHACHTER & NAMDAR Group acquired a 3,000 sq. meters plot in central Tel Aviv, for a sum of US$ 15 million. The plot is designed for 18 story building, for residential and commercial purposes.

 

According to a report from November 2006, the diamonds branch is on the verge of a significant recuperation after the deep crisis it got into, the worst one for decades, which affected the profitability of Israeli diamond businesses. World sales towards Thanksgiving Day grew by 10% comparing to 2005. That already led to a rise in rough diamonds.

 

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the local diamonds branch managed to stabilize the total volume of export of cut diamonds during 2006, a year that witnessed many local and global challenges, and end in the same level as 2005. In rough diamonds a decrease was noted, due to marketing motives, and as high prices made the trade in rough diamonds less attractive.

 

Total (net) export of cut diamonds from Israel in 2006 reached US$ 6.610 billion, a mere decrease of 1.5% from 2005 (US$ 6.709 billion). Exports (net) of rough diamonds were US$ 2.701 billion, a 23.2% decrease from 2005 (US$ 3.517 billion, which was a 20.6% increase from 2004).

 

Import of rough diamonds (net) also fell in 2006 by 11.4% (from 2005) to US$ 4.709 billion, while import of cut diamonds (net) increased in 2006 by 3.3% reaching US$ 4.025 billion.

 

The USA is the main market for Israel’s export of cut diamonds (around 60%). The secondary markets are Hong Kong (15%), Belgium (7%), Switzerland (5%) and the UK (2%).

 

 

SUMMARY    

 

Good for trade engagements.

 

 

 

 

 


 

RATING EXPLANATIONS

 

 

RATING

STATUS

PROPOSED CREDIT LINE

>86

Aaa

Possesses an extremely sound financial base with the strongest capability for timely payment of interest and principal sums

Unlimited

71-85

Aa

Possesses adequate working capital. No caution needed for credit transaction. It has above average (strong) capability for payment of interest and principal sums

Large

56-70

A

Financial & operational base are regarded healthy. General unfavourable factors will not cause fatal effect. Satisfactory capability for payment of interest and principal sums

Fairly Large

41-55

Ba

Overall operation is considered normal. Capable to meet normal commitments.

Satisfactory

26-40

B

Unfavourable & favourable factors carry similar weight in credit consideration. Capability to overcome financial difficulties seems comparatively below average/normal.

Small

11-25

Ca

Adverse factors are apparent. Repayment of interest and principal sums in default or expected to be in default upon maturity

Limited with full security

<10

C

Absolute credit risk exists. Caution needed to be exercised

Credit not recommended

NR

In view of the lack of information, we have no basis upon which to recommend credit dealings

No Rating

 

 

 

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