The purchase price has not been disclosed.
Trad Scaffolding was founded in London in 1971 and claimed to be the largest privately-owned scaffolding group in the UK.
It has approximately 450 employees and a turnover of about £45m a year. Its contracting business mainly focuses on the London and southeast markets. It also has a hire & sales business that operates through a UK branch network supplying all forms of access and scaffolding equipment.
The Trad Group will continue to operate from its current locations with Hayden
Smith as chairman, Des Moore as group managing director and Alan Skeats as group financial director.
In 2009 Altrad purchased Belle Group. In 2011 it bought Beaver 84 and NSG and then last year it added Generation Hire & Sales and MTD Scaffolding.
Altrad chairman Mohed Altrad, born in Syria of a nomadic Bedouin tribe, said that his latest UK acquisition provided a company that is strategically located for the convenience of the customers with a UK wide pool of expertise, while benefiting from the local knowledge and support.
Hayden Smith said: “Opportunities have been numerous over the years to sell the Trad Group but were never seriously considered as it would have led to changes in our successful management team followed by the loss of our long-established and well-respected identity. We did not want to suffer the same fate as the SGB brand.
“The Altrad Group offer made it very clear that they wanted the Trad Group but were very insistent that the team stayed intact long term to continue with our successful strategy of providing quality service and materials which is instrumental in both client satisfaction and retention.”
Altrad Belle UK managing director Ray Neilson, who has been assisting Dr Altrad the acquisitions, said: “This acquisition forms part of the bigger plan to provide the large UK market with products and services from Altrad who specialise in the manufacturing and sales of scaffolding, cement mixers and wheelbarrows, together with providing additional contracting services in the scaffolding sector.”
Altrad now has more than 80 subsidiary companies, mostly in Europe. The group is 78% owned by Dr Altrad, with the balance owned by his financial backers.
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