Crosbys Catering Equipment acquires John Dodds
A leading Newcastle-based catering company has announced the acquisition of a local family business.
Crosbys Catering Equipment, a specialist supplier to the restaurant, bar and catering industry, has acquired the business of John Dodds of Gateshead – a long-established catering equipment supplier based in Team Valley, Gateshead.
John Dodds was founded in 1965 to supply the retail meat trade with consumables and machinery, and gradually grew to supply the catering industry with equipment for the manufacture, cooking, hot and cold storage of foodstuffs and surrounding steel benches, sinks and other work surfaces, along with smaller sundry items such as tableware and furniture. Its customer base includes local authorities, large organisations, schools, hospitals, prisons, care homes, hotels, restaurants and takeaway outlets.
With the advent of online sales, the need to carry large stocks at the firm’s operating base decreased, and keener margins were required to compete in the digital environment. During the company’s development, the family had also been building a property portfolio in the commercial and rental holiday sectors, which has since grown to become a full time commitment.
This led the directors of John Dodds to decide between relocating to premises more suited to their needs, or to find a partner to take their business forward, enabling the family to concentrate on consolidating their property investments. As a result, the company entered into discussions with Crosbys, and a sale was agreed.
Crosbys director Roger Crosby said: “John Dodds is a well respected, third-generation family-run business which has a remarkable 50 year history and we are delighted to welcome its sales and engineering staff on board with us for what promises to be a very successful future.
“We had been looking to expand our range and variety of activities within the catering trade following our recent move to bigger premises in Brough Park Way, and after discussions with the Dodds family it became clear that the areas we cover between our two companies would be a good fit.
“This acquisition will undoubtedly further strengthen our offering to the industry, and it will be business as usual for all customers of John Dodds and Crosbys as we look forward to our continued growth and development together.”
John Dodds director Nigel Dodds said: “We had reached an appropriate time for a change in direction at our company, and we believe that we have found the ideal outcome with Crosbys. Our well-established presence in the supply and maintenance of equipment and sundries will complement their operation well, bringing with it years of expertise from our own sales staff and engineers who will join Crosbys to form an even stronger team for the years ahead.”
Crosby was advised throughout the acquisition process by John Hammill of commercial law firm Square One Law.
Ian Gilthorpe, senior partner at Square One Law, said: “I am pleased that Roger is delighted with the service John has given him through the acquisition process, and we look forward to working with the business as it expands.”
Crosbys is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and supplies crockery, cutlery, specialist catering equipment, paper and janitorial supplies to more than 2000 customers in the North, including bars, restaurants and hospitals, as well as a series of London restaurants and Michelin establishments across the UK and overseas. The company also project manages custom design kitchen projects as part of its service, and runs a specialised van-based sales facility called Chef 7, which takes catering products from the warehouse directly to time-strapped chefs in their kitchens.
For further information about Crosbys, visit www.crosbys.co.uk or tel: 0191 228 4800
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