New Acquisition: Sprint joins Airedale Group
The Airedale Group, the UK’s market leader in the design, installation, and maintenance of catering facilities, backed by Rubicon Partners, is pleased to announce it has acquired Sprint Refrigeration & Catering Limited (“Sprint”).
Founded in 1994 by David Ryan, Sprint has become a significant national player in the industry, with a strong client base and a well-deserved reputation for customer-centricity and project delivery excellence. Sprint specialises in services that include design, installation, and ongoing maintenance support, which perfectly align with Airedale’s own customer offering. The acquisition presents a highly strategic investment for Airedale Group and is expected to enhance the value proposition for the Group’s customers through the benefits of scale and technology.
Commenting on the deal, Ross Ryan, Director at Sprint said “This is a great opportunity to build on everything that the Sprint team has achieved. The support and investment available as part of the Airedale Group will help deliver our growth plans and see the business fulfil its potential.” Ryan goes on to say, “After extensive discussions over many months with the Airedale team it became clear that the two businesses have similar priorities and values, especially with respect to customer focus and a dedication to delivering exceptional results. We were also struck by their approach to businesses that have joined the Airedale platform, particularly with the retention of both culture and identity. We’re convinced that Sprint’s growth will only accelerate as a result of group synergies and the investment available.”
“With this acquisition, Airedale Group are demonstrating a continued commitment to broadening our offering, and to investing in unique propositions for the hospitality and food service sector,” said Rob Bywell, CEO of The Airedale Group. “With Sprint’s expertise in high growth sectors such as QSR and supermarket retail, coupled with Airedale’s resources in areas such as fabrication and our industry-leading pool of engineering talent, we can offer customers solutions that can’t be found elsewhere. Our strategy has been to become the definitive partner to the sector, and this is another huge step forward in that endeavour.”
Bywell continues, saying “Rubicon Partners’ investment in Airedale back in May 2021 provided us with the launchpad necessary to move the Group to the next level. Our philosophy is to continue to build a platform of highly complementary brands that are specialists and leaders in their respective sectors, but who also work closely together to increase overall customer value. ‘Better together’ is at the heart of our acquisition plan. With Rubicon’s backing, we have the capacity to make further investments both in our current operations and by seeking to acquire businesses, like Sprint and Network, that will broaden and enhance our service offer. We are absolutely delighted that Luke, Ross, and the Sprint team have agreed to join us, and that they are personally taking such a proactive, long-term role in moving our business forward into the future.”
“With the increasing pressures being applied to all operators in our sector from labour shortages, high inflation and soaring energy costs, the combined scale of Airedale Group will help not only insulate the business from some of these challenges, but more importantly, to offer an enhanced service to customers and invest in new initiatives to support sustainable growth.”
Luke Ryan and Ross Ryan will continue to lead Sprint as part of the Group, leveraging the benefits of being part of the broader Airedale family. As an indicator of their commitment, Airedale Group have renewed the lease at Sprint’s offices for another 10 years.
