Verder Group new owner of Fullwood Packo Group
The Verder Group, a Dutch family-owned business specialising in the manufacture and distribution of industrial products, acquired in its entirety the 230 year old UK based Fullwood Packo Group, experts in milking machines, milk cooling and specialist products for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
This acquisition will strengthen the Group’s position in the hygienic and food processing applications and industrial pump sectors. At the same time, it creates an exciting strategic opportunity for Verder’s investment arm ‘Pindustry’ to enter the milking systems business with Fullwood’s technological capabilities and strong position in the European market. Together the Group will employ almost 1.500 people to serve our customers worldwide.
“We are very excited to be adding Fullwood Packo to the Verder group of companies. We feel we can support the Fullwood and Packo companies to grow and continue to succeed over the coming years.” Andries Verder, CEO Verder International.
Founded in 1785, the Fullwood Packo Group developed over the years from merchant trader to producer of milking systems, milk cooling tanks, production of high quality products for the food and pharmaceutical industries and surface treatment of stainless steel, nowadays being an international industry leader.
The Verder Group was founded by André Verder in 1959 and is now fully owned and managed by his son Andries Verder. The Group is active with own sales offices in 24 countries and has two divisions: Verder Liquids (industrial pumps) and Verder Scientific (laboratory equipment). Investment company Pindustry is closely related to the Verder Group and invests in Benelux, UK and Germany based companies that develop innovative industrial products.
The compatible product portfolios of the companies along with the similarities in family ownership and culture make this an ideal cooperation for the future. Departing Group Chairman Mr Richard Lancaster of Fullwood Packo and the former shareholders are confident that Mr Andries Verder will take the business forward with the same attention to excellence the business has striven to achieve throughout its long history.
The top-level change of ownership takes effect from today, 4th August 2015, although at an operational level, it will be business as usual.
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Notes to editors:
The Fullwood Packo Group is active in three main trading sectors organised into two divisions, milking under the Fullwood brand, and cooling and industrial both under the Packo brand. More specifically the group has expertise in all the following areas: dairy, industrial processing equipment for use in the food and pharmaceutical sectors, stainless steel centrifugal pumps and surface treatment of stainless steel. The group employs over 600 people in 10 companies worldwide supported by an international network of dealers and distributors.
The family owned Verder Group employs 850 people worldwide and is organized into two divisions: the Liquids division offers an extensive range of positive displacement pumps and mixing solutions, the Scientific division offering high tech laboratory and analytical equipment. With own trading and production companies in 24 countries, the Verder Group is represented on four continents. In addition to the wholly owned distribution network, Verder products are sold through a network of independent distributors in a wide range of countries worldwide.