LLANGEFNI: Huws Gray has steadily expanded its business through acquisitions and today announced that it has purchased Ainscough Building Supplies based in Wigan, Lancashire.

This latest acquisition takes the number of Huws Gray locations throughout North Wales, Shropshire and the North West to 31. The branch network, employing more than 350 people, covers a wide area  ranging from Pwllheli to Bolton and from Tywyn in mid Wales to Telford, with the head office located in Llangefni on Anglesey.

Huws Gray Managing Director Terry Owen welcomed the acquisition as he commented: "As a company we are always looking for opportunities to extend our branch network and firmly believe that Ainscough Building Supplies is a perfect fit for us in terms of location and business potential. Bringing Ainscough Building Supplies on board, alongside our existing locations in Burscough and Bolton, enhances and significantly strengthens our presence in Lancashire.”

Ainscough Building Supplies will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huws Gray and, in a first for Huws Gray, Terry Owen has confirmed that it will continue to trade under its current name. “Huws Gray believes that we need to continue to recognise Ainscough’s strong and long presence as a well-respected family concern in the area.

“As we look to further-develop our expansion strategy, we will be assessing any further acquisitions in the same manner,” said Mr Owen.

As part of that continuity, Joe Ainscough will remain with the company and is looking forward to the future: “I am pleased to be associated and working with Huws Gray, and am excited about its future expansion plans in the builders' merchant sector.

“Ainscough Building Supplies arose from a long-standing family tradition in the construction industry, dating back to 1902 – a tradition which has included house building, crane hire, plant hire, waste disposal, steel stockholding, scrap metal merchants and quarrying.

“This acquisition by such a forward-thinking, progressive and values-driven company as Huws Gray is the start of an exciting new chapter for Ainscough Building Supplies,” said Mr Owen.

Since 2008, Huws Gray has acquired William Roberts Timber Merchants based in Menai Bridge and Dolgellau, Chesworth Building Supplies, based in Tywyn, Gwynedd, Wrekin Building Supplies based in Telford, Monkmoor Building Supplies based in Shrewsbury, Bradshaw builders' merchants based in Bolton, and Burscough Building Supplies based in Burscough Lancashire, a depot at Mochdre, Colwyn Bay – formerly part of the Roger Haydock company.