ECMOD Award winner in the “Best Business to Business mail order
organisation in the Warehouse, Materials Handling, Packaging”
category Rapid Racking has been acquired by France-based Manutan
Group. Manutan, which also owns commercial and industrial
supplies catalogue Key Industrial in the UK, said this latest
acquisition was in line with its strategy to “consolidate
its position as European leader”. Manutan Group is a
distance seller of industrial and office equipment and computer
consumables. It operates in 20 European countries through 23
subsidiaries and in the year 2006/07 achieved turnover of
€448.8 million (£337.7 million).
Rapid Racking, which offers more than 1,200 storage and accessory
products, services more than 80,000 UK customers through its
direct sales force, catalogue and website.
A spokesperson told Catalogue/e-business that the
decision to sell the business was taken by its main shareholder,
Helen Aylward Smith, who felt it was “time to move on and
let someone else take Rapid Racking to the next level of
development”.
John Cummings and Mark Hobbs, the incumbent directors, will
remain with the business as joint managing directors and will
report directly to the Manutan head office in Paris. There are no
planned changes to the Rapid Racking brand identity. The
spokesperson added that all 100 Rapid Racking employees will
remain in place at the current premises in Kemble,
Gloucestershire.
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