Adlington firm Proseal acquired in £220 million deal

Adlington-based Proseal – a leading provider of tray sealing technology to the food industry – is set to be acquired by USA company JBT Corporation.

JBT, based in Chicago, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the company for around £220m, subject to regulatory approvals.

Founded in 1998 Proseal designs and manufactures an extensive range of manual, semi-automatic and fully-automatic tray sealing machines, conveyor systems and sealing tools for the food industry and employs 350 staff in Adlington with additional facilities in Richmond, USA and Melbourne, Australia.

With operations in America, Australia and a network of 14 global distributors, Proseal has seen significant growth and marked its 20th anniversary last year (2018) by winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade. The company received the honour in recognition of its outstanding continuous growth over the last six years.

The management team – led by founders Steve Malone and Robert Hargreaves – will remain in place and the Proseal brand will also be retained.

Commenting on the deal, Steve Malone stated: “We are delighted to announce that Proseal is to become part of JBT, which will significantly enhance our global presence. This deal will ensure Proseal’s continued growth and success through access to JBT’s global sales and service network, enhancing our customer support overseas as well as growing our business into new markets.”