JCT600 approached by OFT

YORKSHIRE car retailer JCT600 has been approached by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) following its acquisition of £200m turnover Sheffield-based Gilder Group.

Bradford-based JCT600 bought Gilder Group for an undisclosed eight figure sum earlier this year.

John Tordoff, chief executive of JCT600, said: “Following the recent acquisition of the Gilder Group by JCT600, we have been approached by the OFT who have the authority to investigate mergers and acquisitions in the UK. 

“We are currently providing them with the information they have requested in order that they can conclude their routine investigation as soon as possible. 

“We are firmly of the view that the acquisition has not lead to a substantial lessoning of competition.”

The acquisition took the business to a total of 50 dealerships. It also increased JCT600’s workforce from 1,350 to more than 1,800 with all jobs being retained and JCT600’s turnover jumped to more than £850m.

Today, it has been announced that JCT600 has jumped 38 places to be ranked at number 61 in the latest Sunday Times BDO Top Track 100, the annual league table that ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the biggest sales, and is published this weekend.

Two other Yorkshire-based companies Kelda and Keepmoat feature in the table, and together the three firms employ 8,100 people, have combined sales of £2.7bn and profits of £623m.