WEMS expands with Smart acquisition

STOCKPORT-based energy management specialist WEMS International has Wilmslow firm Smart Energy.

WEMS, headed by former Styles & Wood chief executive Ivan McKeever, makes a wireless energy management system which it says can help customers shave energy costs by 30%.

Smart Energy supplies and installs energy management systems and was attractive to WEMS because of its work in the restaurant and automotive sectors.

WEMS director Mr McKeever said: “Smart Energy has a real synergy with WEMS and we firmly believe that it is a perfect fit as we look to grow our business further. The restaurant and automotive industries offer significant potential and play a substantial role in our growth plans as we look to strengthen our own client-base in these areas.”

WEMS said it had grown its workforce by over 60%, creating 30 new jobs, in recent months. It has a turnover of £11m which it plans to double in the next three years.

Smart Energy’s Darren Wilson said: “WEMS International is a company that we’ve admired for some time. We’re absolutely confident that this is the right move for Smart Energy and our existing customers as they will benefit from the continued development of energy saving technology and the high levels of customer service that WEMS International prides itself on.”

WEMS International was advised on the acquisition by Philip Treanor of Manchester law firm Pannone.