Berendsen plc (formerly The Davis Service Group Plc) was a major British-based provider of textile maintenance services with headquarters in London. In September 2017 the French company Elis completed the acquisition of Berendsen.
Video Berendsen
History
Formation
The business was formed in 1920 as Godfrey Davis renting out automobiles. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1959. In 1987 it acquired Sunlight Services, a leading laundry business founded in 1900. In 1991 it sold most of its car dealerships (having already sold the car rental business) and the name was changed to Davis Service Group. In 1996 it acquired Spring Grove Services, another leading laundry business. In 2002 it bought Sophus Berendsen, a leading Danish laundry business for £426 million. Then in 2007 it bought the textile service business of Germany's Permaclean.
Renaming
On 31 July 2009 the company appointed Peter Ventress chief executive officer of Davis Service Group. The business was renamed as Berendsen plc with effect from 4 January 2011. In August 2015 the company appointed James Drummond Chief Executive Officer.
Takeover by Elis
On 18 May 2017 it was reported that the French laundry services group Elis had proposed a hostile takeover of Berendsen. This occurred after Berendsen's board repeatedly rejected cash and share offers from Elis, claiming the offers undervalued the company. On 7 June 2017 Elis reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Berendsen in a deal valuing Beredensen at about £2.2 billion. The transaction was completed in September 2017.
In December 2017 Berendsen Cleanroom Services was fined £1.2 million by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for breaking competition laws, after it was found "colluding" with rival company Micronclean Limited in a market-sharing agreement. Micronclean was also fined.
Maps Berendsen
Operations
The Berendsen Group is divided into four business lines:
- Hospitality
- Healthcare
- Workwear
- Facility (mats, washroom and cleanroom)
Key people
- Iain Ferguson, Chairman
- James Drummond, CEO
References
External links
- Corporate website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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