Dutch distributor buys Britain’s WYKO Holdings Ltd.

Industrial Distribution staff -- Industrial Distribution, 10/30/2006 6:24:00 AM

The ERIKS group nv, a sealing and industrial plastics distributor based in The Netherlands, has acquired one of Britain’s largest industrial distributors for $264 million.

The Dutch company bought WYKO Holdings Ltd., a privately held supplier of industrial goods and services based near Birmingham, England. The move positions ERIKS to make a bid for a leading share of Europe’s MRO and OEM markets, the company said in a statement.

WYKO’s annual sales are expected to top $457 million this year. The company employs more than 2,000 people, with 90 percent of its sales coming from Great Britain.

ERIKS, which supplies mechanical engineering components and technical and logistics services, had sales of more than $570 million last year. Earlier this month, ERIKS’ U.S. division, ERIKS USA, bought Oklahoma-based Turpen & Associates, a distributor of sealing technology, industrial plastics and bearings.