MHA Moore and Smalley advises Woodley Equipment on acquisition

MHA Moore and Smalley has advised a Bolton-based supplier of veterinary laboratory diagnostic, human laboratory diagnostic and medical equipment on its purchase of a supplier of animal handling and medical equipment.

Woodley Equipment has three premises in the North West in addition to sales and distribution facilities in New York, USA. The company supplies veterinary laboratory diagnostic, human laboratory diagnostic and medical equipment to both the veterinary and human medical markets and employs around 75 staff.

The company has purchased J.A.K Marketing based in York. J.A.K, founded in 1995, supplies a range of products required by veterinary practices, from instruments and day-to-day consumables to sophisticated equipment. The company has a turnover of around £8.5m and employs around 40 staff.

The shareholders of Woodley Equipment were advised on the purchase by MHA’s Tax and Corporate Finance teams.

The support included financial and taxation due diligence advice as well as transaction advisory services related to the purchase of J.A.K Marketing shares.

The advisory team was led by corporate finance director, Simon Carruthers, alongside Robert Holgate, Sam Singleton and Hasan Hashmi.

Robert Holgate, associate director, said: “We are pleased that we have been able to support the completion of this deal, which will allow J.A.K to benefit from improved routes to market and additional expertise in the veterinary sector.

“We are looking forward to seeing our client Woodley Equipment continue its growth journey over the coming years.”

It added the acquisition will allow the shareholders of J.A.K to retire and is expected to provide growth for both companies by offering J.A.K’s products via Woodley Equipment’s additional routes to market both in the UK and overseas.

Mike Wickham, owner and director, Woodley Equipment said: “We’re delighted that we have been able to purchase J.A.K, an established and highly reputable company. The deal merges two strong veterinary supply companies which supply different product ranges, we share common values and a strong desire to supply the best product solutions to enable veterinarians to provide the best care to their patients.

“We believe J.A.K will benefit from Woodley Equipment’s routes to market and likewise. We expect both companies to experience sustained growth over the coming years.”

“We would like to thank the sellers for their transparency throughout the acquisition process and also MHA Moore and Smalley for their valued advisory support.”