Company News in Brief

Welpac, supplier of DIY and garden hardware products to retailers, deepened pre-tax losses from pounds 248,000 to pounds 648,000 in the six months to July. Palma Group, maker of knitted products, said because of its large short-term debt it would not recommend a dividend. It yesterday reported worsened pre-tax losses of pounds 405,000 ( pounds 180,000) for the six months to 26 July.

Sea Containers is selling its facility that makes marine container refrigeration machinery in Singapore to Carrier Corporation for dollars 19m.

Yeoman Investment Trust is in talks with its advisers to try and get proposals to shareholders with a view to extending the life of the trust beyond the end of this year.

Berisford International is restructuring its financial obligations in respect of RCI, its 45 per cent- owned associated coffee trading company. RCI's bankers are advancing a dollars 45m term facility to Berisford repayable by 31 March 1993 on the same terms as the present secured bank loan to RCI.

NFC is buying Transports Pujos and Transports Martin, two French distribution companies, for pounds 5.5m. The companies specialise in the distribution of long and short-life chilled products and provide overnight distribution services for manufacturers, retailers and restaurants.

Sidlaw Group's oilfield logistics joint venture company, Supplylink International, has paid pounds 2m for Gerlach Offshore from the Royal Nedlloyd Group. Gerlach is a Dutch oilfield logistics service company.

Carnaud Metalbox's US subsidiary is buying Anchor Hocking Packaging, the North American closures business of Newell Corporation. Anchor supplies primarily metal and some plastics closures to the food industry from three production sites in the US and one in Canada.

Intercare Group has acquired PJ Burns, trading as Castle Pharmaceuticals, for pounds 426,000. Castle is a wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical products based in Lovedean, Hampshire.