International law firm Pinsent Masons has advised A.F. Blakemore & Son Ltd (A.F. Blakemore), on the acquisition and associated fundraising, of fellow SPAR wholesaler Capper & Co Ltd. A.F. Blakemore will now begin the process of merging the two organisations’ SPAR wholesale and retail operations.

West Midlands based A.F. Blakemore announced the purchase of the South Wales business today. The acquisition will take the turnover of the combined organisation to £1.1billion.

A.F. Blakemore’s 5,572 employees and the 2,418 employed by Capper & Co will forge a combined workforce of 7,990 people and create the largest SPAR wholesaler in the UK, serving 1,096 SPAR stores.

Capper & Co will trade as a separate division of A.F. Blakemore & Son, with Capper Chairman, Bill Capper and Managing Director, Robert Upton, joining the main A.F. Blakemore board of directors.

A.F. Blakemore’s Group Managing Director, Peter Blakemore said: “This is a great opportunity to bring two long established, family-owned businesses together and allow us to move forward in the growing UK convenience store sector.”

The Pinsent Masons team was led by corporate partner Andrew Hornigold assisted by Emma Callow, Emma Metcalfe (corporate), Kate Featherstone (tax), Alice Broadfield, Andrew Holmes (banking), Joanna Lawson-King and Rebecca Phillips (property).

Andrew Hornigold commented, “This deal signifies a significant gear change for A.F. Blakemore. The firm has had a continuous expansion programme and the deal will see the creation of a group with a £1.1 billion turnover and the formation of the single largest SPAR franchise in the country. The acquisition will allow A.F. Blakemore to move forward in the rapidly growing UK convenience store sector. We wish all parties involved all the best moving forward.”