Autobar / Provend Group Ltd

OFT closed case: Completed acquisition by Autobar Group Limited of Provend Group Limited.

Affected market: Automated vending machines

No. ME/5195/11

Found not to qualify

The acquisition was completed on 30 August 2011. The administrative deadline for the OFT to make a decision in this case is 21 December and the statutory deadline is 13 January 2012.

On the basis of the information available to it, the Office of Fair Trading has decided that the now completed acquisition of Provend Group Limited does not qualify for investigation under the mergers provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 (the Act), because neither the UK turnover test nor the share of supply test in section 23 of the Act is met. A relevant merger situation has, therefore, not been created.

Published 20 December 2011