Stax Trade Centres has announced the acquisition of Edinburgh-based wholesaler D F Wishart for an undisclosed sum.


The purchase gives Stax a base from which to better service Scottish customers, as well as providing the opportunity to expand its own brand Supa and grow its garden products business.

The Edinburgh site, which includes an 85,000sq ft warehouse, will be run by Wishart sales and marketing director George Gardner. No redundancies will be made and the business will continue to trade under the Wishart name.

Commenting on the acquisition, Stax chairman Eddie Brady said: "Wishart are a 'perfect fit' with the Stax Group. We have been looking at how we could support Scottish retailers for a number of years. Wishart gives us that long sought after presence in Scotland and provides a platform for the expansion of Supa in that area.

"It will enable us to strengthen our product offer especially in gardening, and gives us better logistics to service the Scottish retailers and garden centres who are already buying from Stax.

"We have recently become a preferred delivered supplier to over 1,300 N.M.B.S. members who will also benefit from this. Wishart also has a similar ethos to Stax in that it is a well-established family run company with strong values.

"On a personal level I am delighted that part of the Stax group will now be operating from my home town and am looking forward to spending more time north of the border. I would also like to welcome the current employees of Wishart to the Stax group."

Ex-Wishart chairman Kenneth Paterson-Brown added: "We are very pleased that Stax has acquired the business and will take it forward for the benefit of both the customers and the staff and we wish them the very best for the future."

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