Fagan & Whalley acquires Alan R Jones

The deal will see RHA member Fagan & Whalley’s fleet of 170 vehicles and five operational sites – including a 200,000 sq. ft. warehousing and distribution depot in Blackburn – added to Alan R Jones’ 39 commercial vehicles, 40,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space, and strategically located distribution depot.

Fagan & Whalley said it was a “people-first operation” and had no initial plans to make changes to services from both companies. It said the priority in the earliest stages is on “ensuring teams across both organisations continue to receive the support they need to continue working effectively”.

“Valuable opportunity”

Speaking about the deal, business strategy director, Sam Fagan, said the move would assist with expansion into new locations, particularly in the south of the UK.

He said: “Following a period of continued growth and development, we saw this as a valuable opportunity to strengthen our geographical position and embark on the next step in our plans for expansion.”

“It will be beneficial to have additional strategic locations functioning in our network, and we’re looking forward to working with the impressive, stable, and diverse customer base that the Alan R Jones team has worked hard to develop over their 50 years in business.

“This move to develop our network and operations comes as a vital part of our wider business plans to orchestrate continual growth and expand into new locations, particularly in the South.”

“Obvious strategic move”

RHA board member, and former managing director of Alan R Jones, Ray Clegg, said: “It had become an obvious strategic move for the business to look at new opportunities, and when we had a discussion with the team at Fagan & Whalley, it was immediately clear that they put their people at the core of what they do, with a reputation that’s second to none, and I am truly delighted that Alan R Jones & Sons will now move forward into the future with new leadership and new opportunities to cement its status as a service-driven, people-led, award-winning organisation.”