Bibby Distribution has bought Worcester’s Atchison Topeka in a deal that will add £26m to its top-line and see it move into the food ingredients supply market for the first time.
Iain Speak, chief executive of Bibby, says: "We saw the opportunity to offer an increased range of services to our customers whilst realising further strategic growth for our own business.
"This new sector of the business, providing bespoke logistics services to the food manufacturing sector, is a natural fit with our existing operations enabling us to offer a truly nationwide supply chain capability," says Speak.
Atchison Topeka will continue to trade under its established brand, with its 170 employees transferring to Bibby. MD Mike Philips and operations director Darren Cronshaw will remain with the business.
Phillips says: "We look forward to moving the business to the next level, which will now be possible as part of a larger infrastructure."
The acquisition includes two warehousing facilities in Droitwich and Worcester with a combined storage space of 150,000 ft2.
The deal is the first this year after a hat trick of takeovers during 2010, which helped the business to a third consecutive year of record trading.
