Joinery manufacturer Jeld-Wen UK Ltd has acquired the MDF mouldings manufacturing business of Hampshire-based SVL Building Products Ltd.
Under the deal, SVL has stopped manufacturing a wide range of MDF mouldings, which were distributed extensively through the trade from its Alton factory. At the same time a new MDF processing line, based on SVL technology, has been built at the Jeld-Wen site in Sheffield. Subsequently the Alton line was also relocated to the latter.
Jeld-Wen chief executive Steve Rowbotham described the acquisition as ‘a considerable investment’. He added: ‘We have acquired the technology and equipment from SVL because we believe that the process development achieved by Brian Tubb of SVL leads the world in the quality machining of MDF.’
He maintained that the transfer of mouldings production to Jeld-Wen had been seamless. ‘When [our new line] was fully operational, the transfer of the original line at Alton commenced. It was, therefore, possible to offer continuous service to existing customers during the transfer period and we are now positioned with a capacity at several times previous levels to fuel the growth of Carrsilk primed MDF mouldings for the trade through our national delivery service, which is also based at Sheffield.’
The mouldings equipment was installed in an existing factory and space was created through ‘rationalisation’, said Mr Rowbotham.
He said MDF mouldings complemented Jeld-Wen’s existing range of joinery products and were, in particular, a logical extension to its doorset operation. ‘We believe this to be the cornerstone of the doorset business’, said Mr Rowbotham.
