Australia's improving foreign ownership record


November 10, 2008

Australia has long had a terrible foreign ownership record, but it has improved a little in recent years. Additionally, here are lists of foreign companies generating more than $200m, Who owns our biggest resource projects? and Foreign government investment in Australia



87 Australian companies generating more than $200m a year offshore

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


A

ABB Grain: generated revenue of $1.1 billion in the year to March 2008, with an increasing share coming from exports.
ABC Learning: world's biggest child care company with big UK and US operations
Alumina: 40% stake in Alcoa bauxite/aluminium JV
Amcor: US, European, NZ, Asian paper
AMP: NZ operations
AGL: NZ gas assets
Ansell: global condom and glove sales
ANZ: NZ and increasing investments in Asia
Aristocrat: global poker machines sales, especially US and Japan
Ausenco: the engineering and port services company has just bought two global businesses.
Austal: the Perth-based ship builder lifted revenues by 15% to $626 million in 2007-08 with the majority coming from offshore contracts.
AWB: monopoly Australian wheat exporter
AWE: emerging oil exporter which generated $821m in 2007-08 and a profit of $264m.

B

Babcock & Brown: investment banking and global investments
Babcock & Brown Infrastructure: Powerco in NZ and North Western Energy corp in the US
Babcock & Brown Capital: controlling shareholder in Irish telco Eircom
BHP-Billiton: Escondida, Canadian diamonds, US copper etc
Billabong: global surf and street wear sales
Boart Longyear: drilling services company recently transplanted from US to Australia
Boral: US bricks, tiles, flyash, Asian plasterboard
BlueScope Steel: old BHP Steel business
Bradken: just bought US-based Americast business which has revenues of more than $300 million.
Brambles: Chep pallets and record management business.

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C

Centro: large US property assets
Challenger Infrastructure Fund: purchased big UK infrastructure assets in 2005 for $630 million.
Coogee Resources: controlled by the Martin family and Babcock & Brown with oil production from Monatan filed in the Timor Sea expected to start in December 2008.
Crown: global casino operations
Cochlear: medical implants/bionic ear
Commonwealth Bank: NZ and limited Asian operations
Computershare: global share registry businesses
CSL: international blood products
CSR: sugar and aluminium

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D

Downer EDI: growing infrastructure and engineering contracts in south-east Asia

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F

Fairfax Media: New Zealand publishing
Felix Resources: emerging coal miner
Flight Centre: travel services
Foster's: struggling global wine business and dwindling beer operations

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G

Goodman Fielder: food group which used to have Kiwi billionaire Graeme Hart as the largest shareholder with 20%
Goodman International: large industrial property management around the world
GPT Group: expanding European interests through unhappy joint venture with Babcock & Brown since divorcing Lend Lease
Graincorp: with AWB losing its export monopoly, it's export revenues are likely to rise in the years ahead but total revenue was more than $800 million for the latest half.
Gunns: Tassie tree exports

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I

IBA Health: projecting up to $400m in revenue for 2008 after big UK isoft acquisition which is struggling.
Incitec Pivot: booming chemical and fertiliser business which just bought Dyno Nobel explosives business.
Iluka Resources: mineral sands exporter
Insurance Australia Group: NZ and UK insurance operations

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L

Lend Lease: UK property and Bovis construction
Liberman family: property, banking

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M

Macquarie Airports: large interests in European airports
Macquarie Group: world's biggest infrastructure owner plus global trading and big property investments
Macquarie Infrastructure Group: world's biggest tollroad company
Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group: big UK and US operation
Macquarie Media: Taiwanese and US media operations
Michell family: Adelaide based wool and leather giant with revenues of $560m
Mincor: emerging nickel exporter now generating more than $300m a year
Mirvac: expanding US property assets
Mt Gibson: small WA iron ore miner which generated a 2007-08 net profit of $113 million on revenues of $432 million

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N

NAB: UK banking
Newcrest Mining: gold exports
Nufarm: NZ chemicals business, plus recently acquired US and UK operations

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O

Orica: Worldwide explosives business
OneSteel: steel exports and operations in 10 countries after Smorgon takeover
OZ Minerals: $6 billion base metals giant formed after merger of Zinifex and Oxiana with mines in Australia, Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines

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P

Paperlinx: European paper operations

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Q

Qantas: airline business
QBE: various insurance operations

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R

Resmed: booming sleep disorder products company with global sales pushing $1 billion
Rip Curl: global sales now approaching $700m

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S

Sanger Australia: meat exporter with revenues of more than $500m a year
Sims Group: UK and US metal recycling although CEO is now based in New York
Sonic Healthcare: burgeoning US and European pathology business
Spotless Group: US plastics manufacturing and UK services business
Suncorp: New Zealand insurance and banking operations

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T

Telstra: New Zealand international operations
Teys Family: run a meat processing business with the Packers that turns over $1bn a year
Toll Holdings: NZ rail and Asian logistics
Transfield: US engineering services
Transpacific Industries: large investments in New Zealand waste disposal market
Transurban: US tollroad operations

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U

United Group: booming engineering, mining services and facilities management company

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V

Valad Property Group: $2 billion acquisition of European property group Scarborough in 2007 has put it into the big league
Visy: US paper
Village Roadshow: cinemas/film production

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W

Wesfarmers: coal exports
Westfield: US, NZ and UK shopping centres
Westpac: NZ operations
Woolworths: NZ operations
Worley Parsons: 73 offices in 33 countries for engineering project management

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