Epta buys Cold Service
1st July 2014
UK: Multi-national commercial equipment supplier Epta has acquired the Hampshire-based Cold Service Group.
The move is seen as positioning Epta as a national service provider, in line with the increasing demands of the retail industry. Already established in the UK with leading refrigerated cabinet manufacturer George Barker, together with an established contracting and service and maintenance business and natural refrigerant solutions and training, Epta sees important synergies between the two British brands, with growth opportunities for the entire Group.
Clearly delighted to announce the acquisition, just one year after merging fellow Italian manufacturer IARP with the Group, Sergio Chiostri, Epta’s chairman and managing director, commented: “This agreement expands our portfolio and aims to optimise the resources used, in the frame of an expansion plan that will integrate the skills and technological know-how of our two companies.”
Peter Grimes, chairman of Cold Service, added: “Both parties strongly sought this merger, built on a common value system centred on people, high-quality service and long-term development plans. The strength of a company like Epta represents an important competitive advantage for us, complementing our range and expanding our market share.”
Established in 1946, Cold Service is a well-known company specialising in the design, installation and maintenance of turnkey refrigeration and air conditioning systems. It comprises four divisions (commercial, local, central and distribution) and has contracts with such prominent clients as Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Greggs, Morrisons, One-Stop and Pret a Manger.
The company employs more than 100 refrigeration engineers located throughout the South of the UK from its head office of in Ringwood.
In addition to George Barker and Iarp, Epta also boasts the well-known European commercial refrigeration brands Costan, Bonnet Névé, Eurocryor, and Misa.
