The owner of Mellor Coachcraft and Treka Bus, Woodall Nicholson Group, has announced the acquisition of VCS Ltd, a specialist vehicle manufacturer. VCS Ltd will strengthen Woodall Nicholson Group’s customer offering within the emergency services sector. Together with Woodall Nicholson’s existing business CM Specialist Vehicle Division, this acquisition offers its customers a ‘more complete offering within critical and complex sectors’ such as the Police Service, Fire Brigade and both private and NHS vehicle requirements.
It is business as usual for all at VCS as the company continues to trade under the same name and will retain the existing 49 staff at the Bradford manufacturing facility under the remit of Joint Managing Directors Mark Kerrigan and Wayne Sullivan.
The business will benefit from the growth opportunities that Woodall Nicholson Group’s scale, broader customer portfolio and international operations will bring.
Frank Barrett, CEO of Woodall Nicholson Group, commented: “This is a fantastic addition to the Woodall Nicholson family and provides additional growth opportunity for the group and we’re delighted to add further expertise and resource to our existing skillset within the group.
“UK-based VCS Ltd is a long-established supplier to the emergency services focused organisations, both in the UK and internationally. Bringing tremendous experience in the design and manufacture of specialist vehicles to the group, VCS combines innovation, craftsmanship and technical excellence to supply and support quality deployed products to critical markets in the UK.”
Mark Kerrigan and Wayne Sullivan, Joint Managing Directors of VCS, commented: “Joining the Woodall Nicholson Group provides VCS with access to a huge pool of technical know-how across the varying product sectors, coupled with access to a significant increase in capacity to satisfy the demands of the UK blue light sector. We can now accelerate our agenda on lightweight ambulance construction and innovative designs. The electric vehicle development already existing within Woodall Nicholson is something that is very much on the VCS strategy for the UK’s first electric ambulance.
“We are extremely proud of what has been achieved at VCS over the past nine-and-a-half years and would like to pass on our gratitude to the entire team who have been an integral part of that journey. The Woodall Nicholson Group shares our passion for quality and growth in the specialist vehicle sector. We remain committed to the success of VCS and Woodall Nicholson and look forward to continuing our roles as Joint Managing Directors.”
