A GROUP of meat companies in Australia, owned by a former Okehampton resident, raised 94-million Australian dollars on day one of floating part of its shares on the stock market.
The Australian Hayes meat group owns plants and farms in Australia and is actively involved in the shipping of livestock to the Middle East. The group, headed by 57-year-old William Hayes who was born in Exbourne, is also involved in the export of Argentine beef and mutton.
Its decision to float part of its shares on the Sydney Stock Exchange was to allow the company to raise an estimated 50 million Australian dollars in capital, but it was oversubscribed on day one.
Mr Hayes left Devon in 1970. He was well known in the Okehampton area and played rugby for North Tawton in the 1960s.