The Verder Group, a family-owned Dutch business specialising in the manufacture and distribution of industrial products has acquired in its entirety the 230-year-old, UK-based Fullwood Packo Group, and expert in milking machines, milk cooling and specialist products for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
This acquisition will strengthen the Verder Group’s position in the hygienic and food processing applications and industrial pump sectors. At the same time, it creates an exciting strategic opportunity for Verder’s investment arm – Pindustry – to enter the milking systems business with Fullwood’s technological capabilities and strong position in the European market. Together the new merged group will employ almost 1,500 people to serve customers worldwide.
“We are very excited to be adding Fullwood Packo to the Verder group of companies, ” the chief executive of Verder International, Andries Verder, said. “We feel we can support the Fullwood and Packo companies to grow and continue to succeed over the coming years.”
Founded in 1785, the Fullwood Packo Group developed over the years from a merchant trader to a producer of milking systems; milk cooling tanks; the production of high-quality products for the food and pharmaceutical industries; and surface treatment of stainless steel – nowadays being an international industry leader.
The Verder Group was founded by André Verder in 1959 and is now fully owned and managed by his son Andries. The group is active with own sales offices in 24 countries and has two divisions: Verder Liquids (industrial pumps) and Verder Scientific (laboratory equipment). Investment company Pindustry is closely related to the Verder Group and invests in Benelux-, UK- and German-based companies that develop innovative industrial products.
The compatible product portfolios of the companies, along with the similarities in family ownership and culture, make this an ideal cooperation for the future. Fullwood Packo’s departing group chairman, Richard Lancaster, said he was confident Mr Verder would take the business forward with the same attention to excellence it had striven to achieve throughout its long history.
The top-level change of ownership took effect from August 4, 2015, although at an operational level, it will be business as usual at Fullwood Packo.
For more information visit: www.fullwood.com or www.verder.com.
