A WELL-known Bolton company has announced a new acquisition. Laundry and household cleaning specialists ACDO - in their 80th year of trading - are the new owners of the Little Lever-based Brightmills Chemical Company Ltd. Brightmills, which is in Fearneyside, has manufactured household and janitorial products for the UK industrial sector since 1930.

ACDO Managing Director Brandon Pilling said today that it was a case of one family firm acquiring another and the same ethics would apply in the expanded business.

The deal would not result in job losses and the hope was that expansion would result in an increase.

ACDO, which is in Mallison Street, Astley Bridge, currently employs 60 people and there are 13 at Brightmills where managing director Jack Glen started work in 1964.

He and his family have run the business since the early 1980s and he will be retained as a consultant.

Operations Director David Pilling, Brandon's 34-year-old brother, will be in charge of manufacturing on both sites.

Mr Brandon Pilling said: "The new venture provides a prime opportunity for two, like-minded, family-run Bolton-based businesses to maximise shared resources and to develop new opportunities in a growing number of dynamic market sectors.

"The new combined business venture will give ACDO access to an exciting new manufacturing capability and warehousing facility at the Little Lever site while the existing Brightmills business is afforded the benefits of ACDO's excellent distribution channels and sales and marketing support."

ACDO products include washing powders and the Glo White range of laundry aids now exported around the world.

Twelve months ago the company announced a joint venture with German manufacturer Delta Pronatura to launch the now established Dr Beckmann Rescue range of cleaning products.

Brightmills' product portfolio includes the Spring Dawn brand, a comprehensive range of specialist industrial cleaners.

"We are confident we can get a lot of new business out of this deal," Brandon Pilling added.

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