TPi October 2012

business & market news

Valve specialist announces subsea acquisition

gas, LNG and processing industries. This strategic acquisition enhances the group’s core capabilities and will further strengthen its global positioning. The group operates from manufacturing sites in Gloucester and Huddersfield, UK, as well as Chennai, India, with seven service centres in the Middle East and Far East, together with 14 international sales offices. Recent major contract wins in the Middle East, China and Brazil will see group sales in excess of £100mn for fiscal year 2012. In a separate recent transaction, Severn Glocon Group acquired specialist butterfly valve manufacturer Leeds Valve from Flow Group, a division of Wärtsilä.

Severn Glocon Group, with director Bernard Bentley continuing to lead his management team. Severn Glocon Group’s chief executive, Maurice Critchley, believes there is a synergy between the two businesses and that the acquisition will bring mutual benefits. “In 40 years of trading, LB Bentley has built an enviable reputation for the quality and integrity of its products,” Mr Critchley explained. “The business has a good fit with Severn Glocon Group and our intelligence-led engineering ethos. We expect to grow and develop LB Bentley’s business with the help of our well-established global infrastructure and routes to market.” Severn Glocon Group is a major manufacturer of specialised control and choke valves and a provider of valve aftermarket services for the oil and

Valve engineering specialist Severn Glocon Group has acquired LB Bentley Ltd for an undisclosed sum, as it seeks to diversify its offering and make inroads to the subsea market. LB Bentley designs and manufactures small bore subsea valves for the global oil and gas industry, as well as high-pressure filters and desiccant dryers, also for a worldwide market. The firm’s core business is in patented valves, including rotary gate valves, for ‘Christmas tree’ and wellhead applications. It has expected sales of £22mn in fiscal year 2012. In the friendly deal, Severn Glocon Group acquired all intellectual property rights, the firm’s 154 employees, and its 60,000ft 2 facility in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. The company will operate as a stand-alone division within

Severn Glocon Group – UK sales@severnglocon.co.uk www.severnglocon.com

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Tube Products International October 2012

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