One of the Bath area’s largest distribution firms has pledged to continue its rapid growth of recent years following its takeover by a regional heavyweight in the industry.
Shepton Mallet-based Framptons Transport Services has become part of leading South West distribution group Gregory through the acquisition of its parent company PF Holdings.
Framptons will operate as a stand-alone business unit within the distribution area of the privately-owned Gregory Group.
Framptons has an annual turnover of around £17m, employs 245 people and operates 60 vehicles providing high-quality transport services including contract distribution and UK and European pallet delivery. No jobs will be lost through the takeover, the firm said today.
It also operates more than 220,000 sq ft of warehouse space in Shepton Mallet.
Andrew Frampton, a member of the firm’s founding family, said: “Our company’s diversification in recent years from pure haulage into a highly complex warehousing and distribution operation has led to significant growth in both turnover and employment numbers.
“We hope to expand and improve on our offering to our customers and realise more opportunities.”
His comments were echoed by Gregory Distribution chief executive John Gregory, who said: “The Framptons business has a heritage and reputation which is similar to our own and we both share the same business ethos, so we will be keen to maintain the first-class standards already in place, and also to build on synergies between both businesses.”
Gregory Distribution managing director Andy Walker added: “Framptons has an excellent reputation for providing a highly professional, quality driven and innovative operation, particularly in the fast moving consumer goods sector. Being part of a larger group will provide the resources and dimensions to further develop our services to customers of both businesses.”
The acquisition, Devon-based Gregory Distribution’s fifth in two years, further expands its activities in the West Country. It operates from 22 sites stretching from Scotland to West Cornwall and has 550 trucks, 1,600 employees and an annual group turnover of £150m.
Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
