10.03.2005

Ainscough acquire Vanguard

Ainscough Engineering services Ltd has purchased Vanguard Industrial Ltd from administrators KPMG. The company only went into administration at the end of February, but a deal was announced this morning.
Please register to see all images

Martin Ainscough and Phil Campbell of Vanguard and some of the Vanguard team

Vanguard Industrial Ltd was acquired by Pickfords and has since traded as Pickfords Vanguard, which is part of Allied International which is part of SIRVA the largest moving company in the world.

The business was run until two to three years ago by David Barras formerly of GWS crane hire which was acquired by Ainscough, Sound familiar? Where is David now one wonders?

The business specialises in the removal, packing, transport and reinstallation of plant and machinery, with an annual turnover of £15 million 160 staff and seven locations.

The sale guarantees 160 jobs, with some rationalisation of the branch network expected. As of today the business is still trading as Pickfords Vanguard but is now a division of the Ainscough Group.


Commenting on the sale of the businesses, Paul Flint, director with KPMG Corporate Recovery in Manchester, said, “This represents an excellent achievement - safeguarding over 160 jobs and fully justifying our strategy of a streamlined, short-term trade on. Completing two sales within five days reflects the amount of hard work and commitment given to this job by the KPMG team”.

We contacted Ainscough headquarters for a comment but with Martin Ainscough away this week, no one else was available for comment.

Vertikal Comment

This move provides a substantial boost to the Ainscough industrial moving business making them the clear market leader in this field.

It will be interesting to see how the company handles the integration of Vanguard into the group, one assumes that the Pickfords name will have to go, but will the Vanguard name remain? It is a long established business with a strong reputation.

The London branch is known to millions who travel into London on the A-40 and is also known as the company that had an RAF jet mounted on its roof for many years, making it an extremely well known landmark in the London area.