10.05.2006

Lloyds British acquires Rota Handling

Lloyds British Testing, the lifting equipment specialist is acquiring the goodwill and assets of Rota Handling of Dudley, from managing director Ian Payne, for an undisclosed sum. The deal is due to be completed tomorrow, May 11th.

Rota, is a leading supplier of lifting and handling solutions provider to the international steel, water, rail, aerospace and construction industries. It will be integrated into Lloyds British Testing and be known as the Lloyds Rota division. Clients include British Airways, Severn Trent Water, BAE Systems and the Environmental Agency.

The business, which currently has revenues in the region of £1 million, will be moving its administrative base and key personnel from Chapel Street in Netherton to Lloyds British’s West Bromwich site. Ian Payne will become general manager of Lloyds Rota and the division’s engineering services will be available nationwide through Lloyds’ network of 10 service centres in the UK.

Lloyds’ has annual revenues in excess of £17 million, the addition of Rota Handling takes the number of employees to around 300.
Lloyds British Testing’s chief executive, Ian White said: "This is our first acquisition since we returned to private company status in February of this year. Lloyds has always been an organisation with a strong acquisitive history, and this is set to continue. Our strategy is to boost customer service through a complementary mix of organic growth and skills acquisition in relevant markets.
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(L-R) Ian Payne - MD Rota, Steve Reece -manufacturing director and Ian White -CEO of Lloyds British

"Bringing Rota Handling under the Lloyds umbrella is excellent news for our existing customers as well as Rota’s. The deal will allow us to reinforce our expertise in lifting and handling solutions and develop our products and services to benefit all those who do business with us.”

Added White: "It is our intention to consider further niche acquisitions over the next twelve months. The Lloyds long term aim is to build an international lifting equipment engineering group of companies and we are exploring new avenues of business all the time."