Bedford-based Zoedale Ltd has been acquired by OEM Automatic Ltd, part of the Swedish OEM International group.

Founded in 1976, Zoedale is a major specialist supplier of solenoid valves and valve actuators. The company has a strong focus on customer service and technical support and carries extensive stock at its Bedford site. The acquisition will allow Zoedale to broaden its product offering and sector expertise whilst remaining at its current UK site.

Corporate finance boutique fds Director Services acted on behalf of Tim and Barnaby Guest on the sale of their shares of Zoedale. Paul Trudgill, Corporate Partner and Russell Bainbridge, Associate, from Keebles provided legal support throughout the transaction.

Image from left - right: Russell Bainbridge, Tim Guest, Barnaby Guest, Paul Trudgill and Poonam Kaur

Poonam Kaur, Managing Director of fds, led the deal to a successful completion and said: “We were delighted to advise Tim and Barnaby on this transaction and realise the value of their company. OEM was the ideal home for the business, and we ensured that the transaction could be completed within a timely manner.”

Paul Trudgill said: “We were delighted to help Tim and Barnaby sell his family company to OEM-Automatic. It was a pleasure to see the success of Tim and his family over the years realised by the conclusion of the transaction, which will enable Tim to continue to work with the business while exploring other exciting opportunities.”

Tim Guest commented: “Although very competent in managing all areas of my business I've never actually sold a company before. Having fds on side to guide me through the process proved a no brainer. Poonam was very knowledgeable, professional, diligent and always just a phone call away.”

Richard Armstrong, UK Managing Director at OEM commented: “We are really excited about Zoedale joining the OEM Group. Because of the market synergy between OEM Automatic and Zoedale we can offer our UK customers a much broader range of products. Not only will we be offering more products, but we will also be utilising both companies’ technical expertise to provide the best solutions for their applications.”

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