Hat-trick for the blades
It follows on the heels of the recent acquisitions of Hardy UK and HMK, with the group developing into a major force in the supply of precision shaving and fleshing blades to machinery manufacturers and tanneries worldwide and the deal further extends the Sheffield group’s presence in the leather industry and is its third acquisition in a little over two years.
With a history of precision manufacturing in the South Yorkshire region stretching back over 130 years, Arkote is the global market leader in the manufacture and supply of industrial machine knives to the tobacco and leather industries.
Having been acquired in 2002 by its US-based distributor, Fi-Tech Inc., Arkote has since continued its proud heritage and extended its focus to the leather industry. Products are supplied across the globe to some of the world’s largest machinery manufacturers and tanneries from its facilities in Sheffield, Liverpool and Congleton.
Arkote’s Managing Director Peter Oxspring commented: “This deal is a really exciting moment for us, combining two of the strongest brand names in the global leather blade producing industry. Zanogen will be an excellent fit within the Arkote group.
BHP Corporate Finance’s team of Kevin Davies, Declan Savage and David Forrest acted as lead advisors to Arkote and Fi-Tech on the acquisition. Kevin Davies, director, said: “This is yet another great addition to the Arkote family, and a fantastic growth story for the region. The management team at Arkote and Fi-Tech have built a group that is the industry leader in its specialist niche and it’s been a pleasure helping them on the journey.”
Peter Oxspring added: “We are immensely proud of building one of the largest leather blade producing groups in the world, and this transaction was a logical and natural next step in its evolution. We were once again delighted to have BHP Corporate Finance on board through the process. Their pragmatic approach and “can-do” attitude was, as always, invaluable in getting a challenging process to a successful conclusion.”