Chargemaster, the U.K.’s largest supplier and operator of electric vehicle (EV) charging points, has acquired GB Electrical, a national specialist contractor that has expanded into the installation of charging points across the U.K. over the past two years.
GB Electrical employs approximately 70 specialist staff nationwide The company said this number will grow following the acquisition, in line with the expansion of the EV charging point market.
To date, Chargemaster has used a number of external subcontractors for its installation work and this move will enable it to increase its capacity and quality of installation service through GB Electrical to accommodate the growing market. The acquisition also allows Chargemaster to offer its customers a unique, value-for-money, end-to-end proposition together with the highest level of service quality, says the company.
Chargemaster is the only charge point supplier that controls the value chain from charge point design to the installation and commissioning of the units. It designs, develops, manufactures and now carries out installation in-house of its charging points. From start to finish, the processes are controlled to ensure the customer has a unified service.
David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, commented, “We are delighted to be able to offer our customers a seamless end-to-end service. GB Electrical has many years of experience in the EV market and offers a national footprint enabling us to provide the highest level of service while offering customers unrivalled value for money.”
Terry Pickering, managing director of GB Electrical, added, “We have been working with Chargemaster for some years now and, as market leader, we have been impressed with the reliability of their equipment and the ease of installation. This deal means we can benefit from being part of a leading U.K. firm, both financially and from an administrative point of view. We’ve been impressed with the help and commitment by sales and back office staff, and I’m excited that my entire workforce has a guaranteed future with the company due to its unique market position.”
He concluded, “We can now focus on growing our geographical scope to ensure that every customer gets the best possible service by using us.”
Over the past year the market for electric vehicles has grown very significantly and Chargemaster sales have more than doubled. The EV charging market is expected to continue to grow strongly to match these increasing car sales. As the leading provider of charging equipment in the U.K. (with an estimated 60 percent U.K. market share), rapid growth is expected.
