18.12.2014

Louisville Ladder and Lyte team up

US based Louisville Ladder and UK based Lyte Industries have announced a distribution agreement between the two companies.

From January Kentucky based Louisville Ladder will sell its products in the UK through Wales based Lyte.

Lyte was established in 1947, has been manufacturing aluminium access equipment for over 65 years with the manufacture of glass fibre ladders and steps being added to the range in the 1980's. Louisville Ladder was established in 1946 and is one of the largest manufacturers of ladders in the world, with additional manufacturing facilities in Mexico and Canada.

Louisville has been on the acquisition trail recently and acquired Lite Products of Mississauga, Canada, in June, following the formation of a strategic alliance in late 2013. In March it acquired Century Industries’ Attic Ladder production facility in Arkansas.

Vertikal Comment

This agreement provides Louisville with a good channel into the UK and Irish markets, and follows Werner Ladders acquisition of Youngman in August. While the two companies are indicating that this alliance is purely a sales and distribution accord, the announcement also mentions the benefits of assuring a continuity of supply.

While Lyte is keen to make it clear that this partnership is purely a distribution agreement, one assumes that if it works out well, the two companies will develop an understanding that in the case that Lyte’s owners ever decide to sell, it will talk with Louisville first. Lyte has revenues in the region of £9 million.