Australia: The impending $850 million merger of two of the grain industry's biggest players, ABB Grain and Ausbulk, is starting to cut a swath through Ausbulk's senior management. A spokeswoman for Ausbulk confirmed on August 9 that at least four of Ausbulk's management team will be leaving the company as part of the redundancies flowing from its absorption into ABB Grain, The West Australian posted.

They are its deputy chief executive, Michael Nicolai, its grain marketing executive manager, Phil Pyle, its human resources executive manager, Ruth Gillies, and its corporate relations executive manager, David Thomas.

Mr Pyle and Mr Thomas will leave on September 30, the day the merger will come into effect provided it gets expected approval from grower shareholders at meetings scheduled for September 21 and provided the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission raises no major objections in its response expected this week. Mr Nicolai and Ms Gillies are due to leave on March 31.

11 August, 2004