A maintenance engineering company in the Black Country has been acquired by a Yorkshire-based group. Halesowen outfit Network Catering Engineers has been bought by Bradford-based Airedale Group, a specialist in the installation and servicing of catering equipment.
Network Catering Engineers was founded in 2000 and specialises in servicing high-end catering equipment, including cooking platforms and microwaves and electrical and coffee machines. It now employs more than 90 engineers and carries out maintenance services for more than 60 chain customers.
All of the existing management team will remain in place and will be operating the business as normal.
Founder and managing director Tim Church said: "Airedale is a second-generation, family-run business employing over 350 people, including 200 plus service engineers. It has a proven track record of successful acquisitions in the kitchen maintenance space and it really understands our industry.
"We believe Airedale Group is the ideal home for us and all of the team are fully committed to the business for the long term."
The acquisition comes after investor Rubicon Partners bought a stake in Airedale Group last year.
Chief executive Rob Bywell said: "Rubicon's investment has given us the support to continue building a group of highly complementary brands that are leaders in their respective sectors. Network Catering Engineers enhances what was already an unrivalled national commercial kitchen maintenance platform and post-acquisition the group will employ a combined total of over 300 national service technicians."
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Solicitors at West Midlands law firm Thursfields advised the shareholders of Network Catering Engineers on the sale.
Director Philip Chapman said: "Network Catering Engineers had grown to an optimum size and it made great strategic and commercial sense to combine its strengths with a larger company to offer real scale in that marketplace."
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Law firm Schofield Sweeney advised Airedale Group on the deal.
