Aqualla acquired by FM Mattsson Mora Group

Co Down bathroom supply business Aqualla has been acquired by FM Mattsson Mora Group, a leading supplier of kitchen and bathroom taps in the Scandinavian and Netherlands markets.

The acquisition will see both Aqualla and Adamsez brands sit alongside the established brands of FM Mattsson, Mora Armatur, Damixa and Hotbath which are already under the FM Mattsson Mora Group umbrella.

The takeover comes after the Newtownards based company, which employs 37 people, reported a 30% growth in 2020, seeing revenues rise to £7.6 million.

In response, Aqualla said it will continue to operate as a free-standing business unit supported by the FM Mattsson Mora Group, retaining its current management team led by founder Steven Allaway and sales director Noel Daly.

The acquisition will enable Aqualla to bring new innovative products to the market, bolstering its current portfolio through access to in-house design and manufacturing facilities. This will also allow the company to offer an increased choice to customers in their home market as well as giving them the opportunity to export their brands and products to the Nordics and across Europe

Managing director, Steven Allaway, said despite having ‘no plans to sell’, the acquisition was a ‘a huge step forward’ for the business.

“When we were approached by the Group about joining forces, we were poised for a period of exciting new opportunities with both the Aqualla and Adamsez brands and experiencing rapid expansion,” he said.

“We had no plans to sell, but the cultural and strategic fit between the two businesses was clear from day one and we believe there could be no better long-term home for Aqualla and our people.

“By working with the Group going forward, we are excited to be able to offer new, innovative and unique product ranges to our existing customers, as well as take advantage of the Group’s in-house design and manufacturing capability to further extend our own capabilities.

“We feel that this is a huge step forward for our business, indicative of our continual endeavour to provide first-class service and quality products to meet the needs of our customer.

“We are looking forward to offering some of the best products designed and manufactured in Europe.”

Noel Daly, sales director at Aqualla said: “By working with the Group going forward we will be able to offer our customers an even wider range of products, including some of the finest available in Europe, and offer our highly valued team myriad opportunities personally and professionally to continue developing and growing Aqualla and Adamsez in GB, North and South of Ireland and beyond.

“We will be continuing to invest in Aqualla and accelerating our growth plans, including adding more people to our team to support the growth.

“FM Mattsson Mora Group values parallel our own with a commitment to growth through a customer centric approach and focus on company culture.”

Fredrik Skarp, CEO of FM Mattsson Mora Group, said: “The acquisition of Aqualla is a very clear and exciting step in our growth strategy and establishes us in the UK and Ireland which is one of the largest bathroom markets in Europe.

“At the same time, we are taking a historic step by expanding our product portfolio beyond taps. I have been extremely impressed by the strength of Aqualla’s customer focus and dedicated employees so am very much looking forward to continuing the journey with them as part of the group.”

In 2019 FM Mattsson Mora Group generated sales of more than SEK 1.4 billion from its companies in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Benelux, Germany and Italy and had over 500 employees.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you