Wheelock Properties Explained

Wheelock Properties Limited
Type:subsidiary
Successor:Wheelock Properties (Hong Kong) Limited
Foundation:1923 (as Hongkong Realty and Trust)
Location City:Central
Location Country:Hong Kong
Key People:Douglas Woo (Managing Director)[1]
Area Served:Hong Kong
Industry:Real estate development
Parent:Wheelock and Co.
Owner:Wheelock and Co.

Wheelock Properties Limited and Wheelock Properties (Hong Kong) Limited are subsidiaries of Wheelock and Co. Wheelock Properties is a real estate developer and a former listed company in the Hong Kong stock exchange.[2]

Business overview

Wheelock Properties engages in the property development and investment operations in Hong Kong. It participated in a number of private housing estates including Bellagio,[3] Sorrento, Parc Oasis (via the subsidiary RDC)[4] and Parc Palais and owns certain investment properties including Fitfort.[5]

Before the privatization of Wheelock Properties, the company owned the 76% shares in Singapore-listed Wheelock Properties (Singapore). Both companies are privatized.

History

The predecessor of the business unit, Hongkong Realty and Trust Co., Ltd., was incorporated on 17 March 1923. It was renamed to New Asia Realty and Trust Co., Ltd. in 1995. In the same year was added as a registered Chinese name.

Hongkong Realty and Trust was a listed company since at least circa 1935.[6] It was reported that circa 1948, Hongkong Realty is majority owned by Marden and Co. already,[7] which the latter is the predecessor of the current Wheelock and Co. Marden-Wheelock was owned by Marden family until the 1980s., which it was takeover by Hong Kong ethnic Chinese business magnate Yue-Kong Pao, the maternal grandfather of the current (as of 2020) Wheelock Properties Managing Director, Douglas Woo.

As a listed subsidiary of the conglomerate Wheelock and Co., New Asia Realty takeover its own listed subsidiary Realty Development Corporation (RDC) in 2002.[8] [9] Both New Asia Realty and RDC also issued class B ordinary share until they were exchanged into class A ordinary shares in 2000.[10]

The listed company was renamed from New Asia to Wheelock Properties Limited in 2004.[11]

Wheelock Properties was privatized by its parent company Wheelock and Co. in 2010.[12] [13] At the time of privatization, Wheelock House in Hong Kong and Wheelock Place in Singapore are the main investment properties of the business unit.[14]

After the privatization, the business unit also do business via another legal person Wheelock Properties (Hong Kong) Limited. In 2016, sister company The Wharf (Holdings) bought a large portion of Wheelock House from the parent company Wheelock & Co. as well as from the chairman Peter Woo and his wife.[15] However, soon after the floor area of Wheelock House was injected to another sister company Wharf Real Estate Investment Company.

The parent company of the business unit, Wheelock and Co., remained as a listed company until 2020.[16]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wheelock - Board of Directors. Wheelock & Co.. 12 November 2020.
  2. Web site: Wheelock's Shares Surge on HKEX Exit Plan. 2021-02-26. www.yicaiglobal.com. en.
  3. Book: Interim Report 2002/03. Property Marking to Market Back to the Basics. Wheelock and Co.. 12 November 2020. 2.
  4. News: Property slump cuts profits at New Asia. 25 July 1995. 12 November 2020. South China Morning Post. Peggy. Sito. Hong Kong.
  5. Web site: 2011-07-18. Wheelock - The Company. 2021-02-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20110718035952/http://www.wheelockcompany.com/corporate/newasia.html. 2011-07-18.
  6. News: zh:香港置業公司派息. 9 February 1935. The Chinese Mail. zh-hk. HKPL MMIS.
  7. News: zh:香港置業公司股東特別大會. 3 December 1948. The Kung Sheung Daily News. zh-hk. HKPL MMIS.
  8. Web site: Joint Announcement. 18 December 2002. 12 November 2020. Wheelock and Co., New Asia Realty, Realty Development Corporation . Hong Kong.
  9. News: New Asia plan disappoints market. 19 December 2002. 12 November 2020. South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Ben. Kwok.
  10. News: Swire rules out change in share class system. 17 June 2000. 12 November 2020. South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Ben. Kwok.
  11. Web site: Change of Company Name. 6 September 2004. 12 November 2020. Wheelock Properties. hkexnews.hk.
  12. News: Wheelock Properties up 137pc on buyout plan. 29 April 2010. 12 November 2020. South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Sandy. Li.
  13. News: Offer for Wheelock Properties approved. 25 June 2010. 12 November 2020. South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Yvonne . Liu.
  14. https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2010/0421/ltn20100421274.pdf. Annual Report 2009. Management Discussion and Analysis . 21 April 2010. 12 November 2020. Wheelock Properties.
  15. News: Wharf (00004) to buy Wheelock House properties at HK$6.2bn. 15 March 2016. 12 November 2020. etnet.com.hk.
  16. News: Wheelock ends 57-year history as public company as shareholders approve HK$126 billion privatisation plan. 16 June 2020. 12 November 2020. South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Liu Yujing.