A Bristol design and product development consultancy has been acquired by global medical device and contract manufacturing group SteriPack for an undisclosed sum.
Kinneir Dufort (KD), which was founded in 1977 and is based on Host Street in the city centre, said the move would create new opportunities for the business. The company said its 85-strong team, led by existing KD directors - Kerry Briggs, Sam Reeves and Craig Wightman - would remain unchanged. Current chief executive Merle Hall will assume a group research and development (R&D) role.
SteriPack said the addition of KD to the group would expand its design and development capability, creating a European R&D "centre of excellence" and reinforcing its global footprint.
Ms Hall said: “By joining the SteriPack Group, we are able to accelerate the next stage of KD’s journey, creating new opportunities for both our team and our business by increasing our expertise and, through our work, making a difference to an expanded client base. We’re delighted to be joining forces with a business that shares our culture, values and purpose."
According to KD, its takeover by Steripack will "further strengthen" the Bristol company's capability in healthcare and medical device design and development. The business will will continue to offer its range of product design and development services, it added.
SteriPack, which manufactures products for the medical and pharmaceutical sector, was founded in Ireland in 1994. Earlier this year the company was acquired from its US owner in a deal backed and led by London-based private equity fund Inflexion.
The company said the funding from Inflexion would support the business to continue to scale globally and would mean it was "well placed" to undertake further acquisitions.
Andrew McLean, chief executive of SteriPack, said at the time: “We’re very proud of our strong growth record and are keen to build on it to take SteriPack even further as we become even more valued partners to our customers through expansion of our capabilities and geographic footprint. Inflexion’s presence in our core markets of Europe, Asia and the US as well as its extensive M&A experience make it the ideal partner to support our future international growth.”
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