MAJOR growth is planned at a food ingredients company which has been acquired by a neighbouring chemicals group.

Airedale Chemical Holdings Group has boosted its presence in the food and beverage sector with the acquisition of Skipton-based ingredients supplier Rigest.

Meanwhile, Skipton-based architects group Bowman Riley has sold its specialist healthcare division in a move designed to drive future business development.

Rigest, which was founded in 1993 to supply food and drink manufacturers with food acids, preservatives, flavourings, sweeteners and contract manufacturing, will form the new ingredients division of the Airedale Chemical Holdings Group, which includes Cross Hills-based based chemical manufacturer Airedale Chemical and private label chemical manufacturer Airedale Solutions, which supplies blue chip companies and supermarkets.

Airedale, which has 150 employees, said it pursued the acquisition of Rigest to create an immediate and established presence in the food and beverage industry.

Richard Chadwick, group chairman, said: “Our acquisition of Rigest provides us with even greater potential in the ever-expanding and increasingly competitive food and beverage industry.

“Rigest is a well-known and trusted ingredients distributor within the sector and that goes a long way in the food and drink industry.”

Martin Leighton, who will head up the division as managing director of Rigest, added: “This move will give even greater added value to the Airedale group’s existing and potential customer base. We will continue to distribute ingredients predominantly to leaders in food and drink manufacture which is a sector renowned for demanding proven and trusted suppliers and distributors. "

The deal creates a £55 million turnover business .

Following the takeover, the group is projecting that Rigest will grow by 100 per cent this year and development plans will begin with expansion of the product range.

Bowman Riley Architects Limited and Bowman Riley Healthcare Limited are now operating as two wholly independent companies following the sale by Bowman Riley Architects of its majority stake in the healthcare business which was established in 2011 to cater for the specialist needs of the healthcare sector in designing health and social care developments .

Bowman Riley Architects shares have been acquired by Gary Shuckford, who has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare sector and can support future business development.

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The sale follows detailed inter-company discussion into ways to attract the further investment necessary for the expansion of the healthcare business and its subsidiary, Bowman Riley Innovate Limited.

Bowman Riley Architects, which was established more than 45 years ago in Skipton and the healthcare business will continue to work closely together wherever possible.