Stork says break-up of company is an option

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch company Stork NV VMFN.AS said on Wednesday a break-up of the industrial systems and services group is an option after private equity firm Candover (CDI.L) withdrew its bid for the company on Monday.

A break-up of the company is not an official policy, a Stork spokesperson told ANP-Reuters, but "now that we are confronted with a new reality, it is an option".

Candover withdrew its bid of 47 euros per share or 1.5 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in total as shareholder LME, an Icelandic investment group owning more than 43 percent of Stork shares, declined to sell its shares.

Shares in Stork traded down 0.1 percent at 5 a.m. EDT at 45.32 euros after touching a high at 45.90 euros.

Last month LME, made up of Icelandic food processing equipment firm Marel Food Systems (MARL.IC), bank Landsbanki Islands LAIS.IC and Eyrir Invest, said it was interested in all of Stork and not just its food systems business.

Marel had previously made a failed attempt to buy Stork's food systems unit, which makes meat and poultry processing equipment.

Dutch union FNV Bondgenoten said in a statement its members would strike at Stork plants on Friday if Stork did not withdraw its policy of considering a break-up of the firm.

The union also said it asked bankers from ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, and NPM Capital to look at ways to prevent a split-up of Stork.