MBO for Vickers Laboratories

Vickers Laboratories, a UK manufacturer of specialist chemicals, has been acquired in a management buyout for an undisclosed sum.

Vickers Laboratories, a UK manufacturer of specialist chemicals, has been acquired in a management buyout for an undisclosed sum. Three members of the company’s current management team – Steve Foster, operations director; Phil Constantine, operations manager; and Paul Bottomley, quality and supply chain manager – have acquired the business from the current majority shareholder, Julian Driver. They aim to grow the business by finding new product niches.

Driver has been involved with the firm since 1976 and now wants to take some time off to pursue other interests. Since 2003 profit levels have increased by more than 20%. Current turnover is ￡2.25m.

The new management team emphasises that it is ‘business as usual but with some changes’ for the Pudsey based business, which employs 22 people.

All three participants in the MBO have been with the company for more than 20 years and have played a major part in its success. Foster, the new managing director, joined V