WINSTANLEY, the Pershore-based specialist metal fabrication and engineering company, has been taken over by Transcal, the Scottish transport seating firm. No redundancies are involved.

The deal will double Transcal's rail revenue – from a projected £5.5m to £11.5m – and establish the company as the leading rail refurbishment specialist across the UK. Privately-owned Transcal, which is headquartered in West Lothian, is renowned for its rail interiors design and manufacturing work and has worked for a number of franchises in the past five years, including First Great Western and East Midlands Trains.

Mr Robert Aitken, Transcal’s founder and managing director, said: “This is an important deal both for Transcal Rail and for our new colleagues at Winstanley. It puts us in a leading position to grow the enlarged group through a pipeline of rail franchise refurbishment across the UK network. In the past year we have worked closely with Winstanley on a number of projects, and we learned that both companies share a similar ethos on quality, design innovation and attention to detail. This gives us a sound basis for the business combination.”

The takeover of Winstanley expands Transcal’s design engineering capabilities within the rail and defence industry sectors. The deal is expected to transform sales for the group, almost doubling it from £14.5m in 2015 to a projected £27.5m next year. All Winstanley staff at its Pershore works will

be retained.

Mr Rod Smith, Winstanley's outgoing major shareholder, is retiring as managing director following the deal. He said: “The Transcal acquisition makes great strategic sense for the two businesses. I am delighted for Winstanley to join the Transcal group of companies. Our joint strengths make a most

compelling offer to rail and defence sector customers. This investment is good news for the future of Winstanley and its skilled workforce.”