Haden Freeman buys UK engineering business PICME

UK engineering and consultancy company Haden Freeman Limited (HFL) has completed the acquisition of the Process Industry Centre for Manufacturing Excellence (PICME) from the Chemicals Industries Association (CIA).

HFL believes PICME will complement its portfolio of engineering and business support to the process industries and sees it as a growth business that will operate independently within the HFL group.

Established by the Chemical Industries Association in 2001 with financial backing from the UK Department of Trade and Industry, PICME was designed to help manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and rubber to improve their competitiveness and efficiency. It has since built a list of blue chip clients and mid-sized companies.

Commenting on the deal, Michael Glass, chief executive of PICME said: 'Haden Freeman will allow us to further build our capacity and continue to deliver outstanding results and significant returns for clients. We are passionate about instigating change that will last. We work with our clients at all levels particularly bottom up. We transfer our skills and develop fresh attitudes through our industry expertise, team development and process facilitation. Our clients tell us this is what is different about us and what they like.'

PICME will continue to deliver its government-funded productivity improvement programmes and to develop its existing partnerships.