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THREE’S COMPANY AS WILKY PASSES ON BUSINESS BATON
03-12-2007
Farnborough has gained three flourishing new companies following the restructuring of The Wilky Group to focus on the commercial property sector.
The sale of Wilky’s Farnborough–based contract bathroom sales division, now trading as Wilky Bathroom Solutions, completes the planned realignment of the family-owned Group, which has been closely associated with Rushmoor for nearly 60 years.
All three former Wilky businesses - the others are steel stockholding and piling - are thriving as independent companies. They continue to operate from Wilky-owned Stake Works at Invincible Road.
Wilky also retains a strong local presence with Westmead House in Farnborough, which offers flexible office space for small and medium-sized businesses and the Aldershot Centre for Health development, the UK’s biggest primary health care centre. “We intend to continue playing our full part in Rushmoor’s commercial life,” said Wilky chief executive Malcolm Young.
The first business sold was the steel division, which became Beverley Steel Ltd in 2006 after a management buy out by Jim Beverley. Since then, Jim has continued to supply galvanised steel tubing, rails and fittings, for uses such as safety barriers, storage racking and trolleys.
Another management buy out this year saw Wilky Foundations Systems become Neil Foundations Ltd. New owner Neil Miller was MD of the company for three years before the buy out, during which it gained Investor in People status and membership of the leading trade body ASUCPlus. He said: “The MBO was conducted on a very friendly basis - Wilky made every effort to sell the company to me rather than an outside investor.
“The Group provided a solid platform for us to become a major player in the region, starting a significant investment programme which has seen us acquire new equipment and vehicles. Allowing us to operate from the same premises facilitated a seamless transition and we continue to receive support and advice from the Group.”
The contracts division, which supplies major house builders, has been bought by Plumbing Imports, part of a Yorkshire-based group that imports, manufactures and distributes bathroom products. The deal creates a nationwide sales platform for the Farnborough business.
The Wilky Group has retained ownership of the Wilky Bathroom Centre in Guildford, the area’s largest specialist retail bathroom showroom. The other property interests include operating heritage buildings in Guildford, Leatherhead and Fareham as Parallel Business centres, as well as specialist property fund management and third party loan management subsidiaries.
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