Ingredients supplier Bako Group Limited (Bako) has acquired manufacturer James A.S. Finlay (Holdings) Limited (Finlay’s Foods) for an undisclosed sum.

Finlay’s Foods was founded in 1976 and currently manufactures and supplies ingredients to the bakery and general food industry. The company is based in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, with its customer base extending across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well as the wider UK, Europe and Asia.

Bako, an organisation within the bakery supply chain, was founded 60 years ago and is reportedly owned by over 694 shareholders, all of whom are bakers. It has depots in Preston, Durham and Wimbledon, and employs 312 people across all three sites. Finance house Oghma Partners acted as financial advisor to Bako on the acquisition.

Bako CEO, Mike Tully, said: “This acquisition opens up new markets for us in Northern Ireland and beyond, offering significant growth opportunities. Finlay’s Foods has established a strong presence and loyal customer base, which we intend to build upon and expand.

“By integrating Finlay’s Foods’ product line with our own, we are able to diversify our offerings and enhance our competitive edge. Their expertise in bakery products complements our current portfolio and opens up a wide range of cross-selling opportunities.”

Patrick Gracey, sales director of Finlay’s Foods, said: “We are excited that Finlay’s Foods is now part of the BAKO Group. Finlay’s have had a long-standing relationship with Bako both as a customer and supplier for over 20 years.

“This is a natural evolution that benefits both companies and will enable us to build on our customer focused approach, facilitating the delivery of more choice opportunities and benefits to our loyal customer base.”