First Choice bought by US parts supplier
UK: Cannock-based catering and refrigeration spares company First Choice has been acquired by PT Holdings, a global OEM parts distributor with operations in Chicago, St. Louis and Boston.
First Choice director John Whitehouse said the decision to sell the business, which was founded in 1999, was a difficult one but one which will benefit First Choice Group staff and customers.
PT Holdings is a worldwide OEM parts distributor with field service operations in Chicago, St. Louis and Boston. It is the parent company of Chicago-based distribution giant Parts Town, a $300m business.
First Choice Group will continue to operate under its existing brand with John Whitehouse as managing director and Carl Bate as director of procurement and and inventory management.
“John, Carl, and the First Choice team have built an extraordinary business,” commented Steve Snower, CEO of PT Holdings. “We are particularly excited about their focus on genuine OEM parts, manufacturer partnerships, and customer service. Perhaps most importantly, we respect and appreciate the integrity with which the business is run.”
The affiliation with PT Holdings will provide additional capital to expand inventory availability, improve technology, and further strengthen manufacturer partnerships.
First Choice will be moving into a new multi-million pound state-of-the-art building on Staffordshire’s exclusive Kingswood Lakeside site in May.
“We have deep respect for what Parts Town has done to improve OEM parts availability in the United States and are eager to partner with the entire PT Holdings team to continue to build First Choice’s market leadership in the UK,” said First Choice’s John Whitehouse.
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