Suffolk windowmaker A&B Glass has completed the acquisition of Kent-based Sheerframe fabricator FineLine from the Elliott Group of Companies.

The move consolidates A&B's position as one of the leading independent trade and commercial PVC-U window suppliers in the South of England.

This is the third acquisition by A&B Glass and follows the successful purchase of Thetford-based Asset Manufacturing early last year.

A&B plans to invest and develop the FineLine site, trading under the same name, from its Stroud premises in the Medway towns.

Says A&B MD, Dave Barrett, ‘FineLine is a well-established and respected business in its own right. As one of the most successful and innovative divisions of the Elliott Group Ltd, it was an extremely attractive acquisition proposition. Elliott Group's strategy of focusing on its core volumetric buildings business gave us the ideal opportunity to make the purchase and strengthen our supply base in the lucrative South East replacement windows market.’

Fineline has been manufacturing Sheerframe windows since the late 1980s. Like Asset its major strength lies in the specification sector where it has completed major supply only and supply and fit contracts from many London Boroughs and other social housing providers.

The A&B Glass Group has manufactured over one million PVC-U frames since it was first set up by Ray Byford in 1982. The company quickly established a reputation for providing high quality products and excellent service to a network of installers throughout South East England. It manufactures from a 90,000 sq ft plant in Sudbury, Suffolk and, in addition, from its 27,000 sq ft site at Thetford. The latest acquisition is expected to take A&B Group turnover to £28 million in 2007.

For Sheerframe systems company L.B. Plastics, Director David Strang welcomed the acquisition:

‘The A&B Glass Group is a superbly managed business. There is a perfect synergy in the deal which takes A&B further into the South East commercial sector. The expansion of Asset since their acquisition by A&B gives a clear indication of the scope that exists for increased Sheerframe sales for FineLine within the A&B Glass fold.’

Source

Glass Age