Quarrying specialist Singleton Birch has been bought by one of the oldest independent suppliers of lime products in the USA.
Mississippi Lime Company has made the transatlantic acquisition of the 212-year-old North Lincolnshire business, in an undisclosed deal. The Melton Ross operation employs more than 150 people, and it is a move described as “powering the next phase of Singleton Birch’s growth” - with net zero lime extraction being piloted - while forming a key part of the purchaser’s strategy.
Part of HBM Holdings, Mississippi Lime Company is family-owned and headquartered in St Louis, Missouri, and is a leading global supplier of high-calcium lime products and technical solutions. It operates the largest lime facility in the Americas and mines some of the purest limestone reserves in the world. It has set its stall out to drive growth, innovation and sustainability through geographic expansion, new products and technologies.
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Paul Hogan, president and chief executive of Mississippi Lime Company said: “For more than 115 years, Mississippi Lime has been focused on meeting the evolving needs and priorities of our customers. That focus has served our customers, our employees and our business very well. Our approach is to grow by finding businesses that represent a good cultural fit for us and can complement what we already provide to customers. Singleton Birch is a great fit and we are delighted to welcome them to the Mississippi Lime family today.”
The Singleton Birch brand will be retained, with the management team, led by chief executive Richard Stansfield, remaining in place at the 212-year-old entity.
“Singleton Birch has done tremendous work and we are grateful that Richard and the leadership team will remain in their roles leading that business”, said Mr Hogan. “This acquisition is about growth, and we do not anticipate reducing the number of jobs at Singleton Birch as a result of this transaction.”
Singleton Birch’s largest shareholder was the charitable trust named after Katherine Martin, the wife of founder William Singleton Birch’s grandson, Lionel Martin. He used the family business to help him fund his passion for cars and went on to found Aston Martin The buy-out has triggered “an impactful contribution to the three charities that it benefits” - the NSPCC, RSPCA and Barnardo’s.
Mr Stansfield said: “Being part of the Mississippi Lime family will enable us to invest more and power the growth of Singleton Birch. We’re delighted to have a partner for the next stage in our development that shares our culture and values.”
Recent years have seen specialist divisions in chemicals and energy spawned as operations have diversified, with anaerobic digestion a key interest. It is now working with Oxford University tech spin-out Origen on Net Zero plans that could link into wider carbon capture proposals for the Humber region. Origen also enjoys a collaboration with a US firm, 8 Rivers, on decarbonisation technology.
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