Howard Lee and Son Ltd, an industrial supply company with operations in Cradley Heath and Nechells, has been acquired by United Tooling Solutions (UTS), a subsidiary of Exeter-based Troy (UK) Ltd.

Founded in 1906 as a hardware and ironmongery shop, the Sandwell business supplies a wide range of industrial items including power tools, paint, nails, cleaning materials, security equipment and garden products. It was bought under the umbrella of its holding company, Kalem, and is one of three firms simultaneously acquired by UTS in a bid to expand into the West Midlands, North West and Scotland.

UTS is a leading industrial supplies and consumables distributor operating in a number of sectors, including manufacturing, precision engineering, oil and gas, aerospace, automotive and power generation. The other acquisitions were Barnes JB Ltd in Lancashire and ABT Machine Tools & Tooling Ltd in Glasgow. The purchases were made possible with a £10m funding facility from Shawbrook Bank.

Think Sandwell wishes Howard Lee and Son all the best for its future with UTS. To find out how our team can support your business expansion plans, visit our Business Services pages.