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Ceva to take over Ideal Standard's logistics division
laura.haitstonel'arbi.co.uk CEVA LOGISTICS HAS confirmed it will be taking over the logistics for bathroom specialist Ideal Standard from the summer.
lb date, Ideal's subsidiary Edwards Logistics has handled the distribution of the firm's bathroom products.
As reported by CM, Ceva and Edwards have been in discussions over the deal since at least March and were due to discuss the matter with employee representatives from 1 April (CM 18 March).
Leigh Pornlett, Ceva Logistics UK and Ireland executive vicepresident, reveals that Ceva has reached an agreement with Ideal to handle its logistics out of Edwards' Rugeley, Staffs site.
Asked if this means that Ceva has bought Edwards Logistics, Pom lett says: "We've taken over Ideal's logistics. It had a separate division, which was Edwards Logistics, and it just came as part of the deal.
"We haven't targeted the business to buy it Ideal and I reached an agreement to do its logistics out of Rugeley: Edwards was a consequence of that."
He confirms that Ceva will take on Edwards' vehicles and staff and that Edwards' Rugeley site "effectively becomes part of Ceva".
Although Edwards Logistics is mainly seen as the in-house transport arm for Ideal, it does offer third-party logistics. Pressed about whether Ceva has taken over Edwards Logistics, Pomlett says: "It's quite a complex set of industrial relations and undertakings around it, so I can't go into too much detail, but in essence that's what we've done." He adds that the deal will go live in the summer, "we're just in the process of sorting out the finer details".
A spokesperson for Ideal Standard says: "We can confirm that there will be a transfer of Edwards Logistics' UK road transport business to Ceva Logistics. We can also confirm that Edwards Logistics has not been sold to Ceva, as it is still operational in other countries."
The spokesperson adds: "As consultations with employees are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."