Jobs saved in clean technology company acquisition

YORKSHIRE-based MSS Clean Technology has been bought by Environmental Engineering, securing the jobs of all 12 staff including the management team.

MSS Clean Technology, established in York in 1982, specialises in the design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of laboratories, cleanrooms and controlled environments. It operates worldwide and has a blue chip client base within the pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare and electronics sectors.

The business was placed in the hands of joint administrators Andy Clay and Rob Sadler of Begbies Traynor in York in February and continued to trade while ongoing contracts were brought to completion and a buyer was sought for the business as a going concern.

Last week, a sale was completed to a new company IMCO, part of Environmental Engineering.

Environmental Engineering specialises in the design and installation of bespoke engineering solutions, principally to the highly-regulated food and pharmaceutical industries. Established in 1991, the company has undergone significant growth during this period. MSS will continue to trade under its original name.

Andrew Walker, partner at Irwin Mitchell in Leeds, provided legal advice on the deal supported by colleagues in the firm’s corporate, real estate, IP/IT and employment teams; and Matthew Brown of law firm DWF acted on behalf of the joint administrators.

Dave Irwin, partner at Leeds-based Sentio Corporate Finance, advised the purchasers.

Joint administrator Rob Sadler said: “With its valuable IP and brand, we were confident that a buyer would quickly be found for MSS. As part of Environmental Engineering, the business and its staff and management have a more secure future. With its strong reputation for outstanding design capabilities and quality of service, Environmental Engineering provides an ideal fit, enabling MSS to grow.”

Richard Asquith, chairman of Environmental Engineering, said: “Having worked together on major design and installation contracts in the past, we believe that Environmental Engineering and MSS have a good understanding of the respective strengths of one another and the acquisition provides a natural extension of both the capabilities and market position of the combined business.”