Jarrow-based UTS Engineering has expanded with the acquisition of a specialist attachment manufacturer for mobile plant machinery.
Established in 1998, Ulrich, which has a £5m turnover, designs front-end attachments for wheeled loaders, tractors, excavators and telescopic handlers for customers including JCB, Volvo, Cat, Bell, CNH and Liebherr.
The Buckinghamshire business, employing 15 staff, has strong synergies with UTS group company, LCR, based in Hull, which offers a 65,000 sq ft facility. LCR has been a supplier to Ulrich for a number of years.
UTS was established in 2001 by managing director, Shaun Sadler and employs in excess of 250 staff, the majority of whom are based at the company’s design and manufacturing facility at the Bede Industrial Estate, Jarrow.
"Ulrich is highly respected in its sector for the quality and innovation of its products," said Sadler. "It has an exceptional management team, headed by Jim Hopkinson, who founded the business in 1998.
"Amongst its customers are some of the world’s most iconic brands such as JCB and Volvo and it operates in a wide range of industries, including aggregates, recycling and forestry, as well as supplying organisations such as the Environment Agency, the Ministry of Defence and the US Army."
Jim Hopkinson, managing director at Ulrich Attachments Ltd, added: "We have a very good reputation in the market, not least due to our exceptional design capabilities and we have a strong order book.
"However, we remain very ambitious and to grow the business further we really need to step up our export activity, where we see great opportunities."
Matt Collen, partner in the corporate and commercial team at Sintons, alongside senior associate Emma Pern, completed the deal on behalf of UTS.
Collen said: "This is a very significant acquisition for UTS, which is again clearly stating its ambitions as a fast-growing player in this sector.
"By defying the economic conditions to make this acquisition, UTS has placed itself in a strong position to go forward and take advantage of further opportunities. As the long-standing advisors to Shaun and his team, we are very pleased to support them in completing this deal."
