Bestway Wholesale has acquired DB Ramsden & Co Ltd, trading as Dee Bee Wholesale, as it continues to expand its regional footprint.
Dee Bee Wholesale is a long-established, family-owned independent wholesaler serving more than 1,400 retail and on-trade customers across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Founded in 1961, the business has been operating for more than 65 years and reported annual sales of around £57m in its last financial year.
It employs 87 colleagues across two depots in Hull and Grimsby.
Bestway said the acquisition forms part of its strategic growth plans and will strengthen its delivered wholesale capability, as well as its support for independent retailers, convenience customers and on-trade operators across the region.
The wholesaler said the deal brings together two entrepreneurial businesses with deep roots in independent wholesale and retail, at a time when retailers are looking for stable and well-invested wholesale partners.
Bestway Wholesale managing director Dawood Pervez said: “We are delighted to welcome Dee Bee Wholesale into the Bestway Wholesale network.
“Dee Bee is a long-established family business with more than 65 years of customer service heritage, loyal customer base and detailed regional knowledge across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
“This reflects our continued confidence in the future of independent wholesale and retail.”
Dee Bee Wholesale managing director Nick Ramsden said the deal marked an important milestone for the business.
“Bestway Wholesale is a business with significant scale, ambition and a strong commitment to supporting independent retailers and customers,” he said.
“I am confident that becoming part of the Bestway Wholesale network will create new opportunities for the business and bring long-term benefits for customers, colleagues and suppliers alike.”
Ramsden said it would be “business as usual” for customers, with Dee Bee’s team, service and local relationships remaining in place.
He added that customers would also benefit from Bestway’s pricing, promotions and wider product range as the business is integrated into the wider network.
Pervez said: “Both businesses share a long-standing commitment to customer service, independent retail and supporting local businesses.
“The acquisition reinforces our ambition, our confidence in the wholesale sector and our commitment to being the partner of choice for independent retailers and suppliers across the UK.”
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