Woodall Nicholson boosts blue light division

WOODALL Nicholson Group, the Bolton-based vehicle manufacturer has made a second acquisition in as many months after buying the assets of an insolvent firm.

Woodall Nicholson, which is backed by three North West investment firms, Enterprise Ventures, Mosaic Private Equity and RooGreen Ventures, has plans to grow from a £26m turnover business to a £100m turnover automotive group,

After a deal for Yorkshire firm Bluebird Vehicles in July, the company has snapped up the intellectual property and manufacturing assets of Irlam company Auto Electrical Services (Manchester) from administration.

The assets will be brought into Woodall Nicholson’s CM Specialist Vehicle Division which carries out conversions and modifications to blue and amber light fleet sector and public and private sector fleet operators across the country.

Woodall Nicholson Managing Director Geoff Hudson said: “We are delighted to add the AES offering to our automotive portfolio.  This acquisition will further enhance our leading position in the markets within which CM Specialist Vehicle Division operates, and will extend the range of products, services and expertise which we are able to offer customers.”

Since the acquisition of Woodall Nicholson the investors have helped the division increase the penetration of the public and private sector markets with significant investment in resources to increase its productivity and output.  

Woodall Nicholson Group is one of the country’s oldest coachbuilders and has been based in the region since the 1820’s. Today it has more than 200 staff at two sites in Westhoughton near Bolton and Rochdale.

It is expecting turnover to hit £30m this year. Woodall Nicholson has three divisions: Coleman Milne, the UK’s largest supplier of ceremonial vehicles to the funeral sector; Mellor, a supplier of accessible vehicles up to 35 seats and the CM Specialist Vehicle Division, which serves the emergency services sector.

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