Cleaning and security firm mops up Stoke rival
AM Support Services, the Lancashire-headquartered facilities management, cleaning and security firm, has acquired Stoke-on-Trent-based industrial cleaning company Cleanex Contract Services.
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will add around £1.4m in turnover to Morecambe-based AM Support Services as well as new specialisms, including heavy industrial, high level and confined space cleaning.
AM Support Services was advised on the deal by two Lancaster-based teams – CLB Coopers, who provided accountancy and corporate finance advice, and the mergers and acquisitions team at law firm Harrison Drury.
Since being founded in 2002 by Adrian Cresswell, AM Support Services has grown to employ 480 full and part-time staff on contracts in the North West, North East and Yorkshire.
The acquisition of Cleanex now gives it a foothold in the Midlands market and takes turnover to around the £8m mark.
AM managing director Adrian Cresswell said: “This acquisition could not have come at a better time as we have just won two major new contracts in the industrial sector. The specialist skills that Cleanex brings to the business will allow us to do so much more for our clients.
“For example, it can offer niche services like ice-blasting, cleaning in confined spaces and paint booth cleaning. It has some prestigious clients in the aerospace and automotive sectors and so takes us into a new arena.”
Brett Cooper, who led the team at Harrison Drury, said: “Adrian has built an award-winning business from scratch and it’s great to see it going from strength to strength.”
Jenny McCabe at CLB Coopers, said: “This acquisition will mean that Adrian and the team can take the business to the next exciting stage of its development.”
AM Support Services has clients in the manufacturing, shopping centre, financial and education sector. As well as its services in facilities management, cleaning and security, it also offers washroom hygiene services under its Pristine Washrooms division.
The CLB Coopers team was led by Jenny McCabe and Tony Whiteway. The Harrison Drury team was led by Brett Cooper with support from employment lawyer Sarah Cheetham.
