First Peninsula Marine has announced the sale of Polymarine, supplier of adhesives, cleaners, paints, spares and accessories for the manufacture, care and repair of inflatable boats and RIBs, after it was purchased by Anglo Adhesives & Services Ltd.
After establishing Polymarine over 30 years ago and growing it into a successful export business, Polymarine directors Richard Wilkinson and Michael Capper are retiring and subsequently sold the full share-holding of the company to Anglo Adhesives & Services Ltd.
Trading since 1905, Anglo Adhesives is a well-established adhesive manufacturing company with a highly-equipped plant in Leicestershire. Specialising in solvent-based adhesives it services diverse market sectors, such as construction, shoe manufacturing, signage and POS, Art and Craft, Education and more. The marine industry was an obvious sector for the company to explore, using its in-house capacity and expertise.
Charlotte Davey, Managing Director of Anglo Adhesives, said: “Polymarine is a well-respected worldwide business, and its products, alongside its customer-based model, have many synergies with our business. The acquisition highlighted the growth possibilities in the international global market and one of our targets is to expand the existing range to open it up to a wider audience.”
The aim is to evolve Polymarine using the same research and processes that has always been central to Anglo Adhesives – its customers.
“We are learning constantly from our end-users – we will involve our customers and work with them to make the products that they need available to them – we see it as a two-way connection,” Charlotte continued.
“Polymarine will retain its strong historical brand and we will explore further opportunities and potential within the business and its products. I believe this will lead to natural organic growth in the business, and will open up new markets and possibilities.”
“The production and assembly of renowned Polymarine products is moving to our Leicestershire facility, where we have well-appointed technical expertise and manufacturing processes in place to continue providing the high quality products that customers require,” assured Charlotte.
“Using our current resources – commercial, technical, dispatch, sales, customer service, and financial – will benefit our customers. We will never lose sight of our customer service – our customers are so important to us. We like to know our customers and we like our customers to know about us, and that will always continue.”
Utilising Polymarine’s strong marine distribution network is a top priority for the future.
Charlotte continued: “We strongly support the network that Polymarine have spent many years building, developing and nurturing. My team is very engaged with the business and, using our various strengths, expertise and knowledge, we will work collaboratively to increase output and stock holding and therefore decrease lead times.”
Charlotte acknowledges that Polymarine’s outgoing Directors Richard and Mike have been instrumental in the acquisition: “I would like to thank both Richard and Mike – the transition has been smooth and I am grateful for them sharing their experience – their wealth of knowledge has been invaluable. I wish them both well in their well-earned retirement!
“From our point of view it is very much business as usual, and the quality of our products will always be key. Now is the time to build on Polymarine’s success and take it to the next level!”
