Due to substantial expansion, Acme outgrew the offices that they had purchased back in 1976. In 2003, Acme expanded into a second office on Whitebirk Industrial Estate, fitting out a brand-new showroom and sales office in the process. Acme’s head count had increased to around 65 in 2003 and the original offices on Whitebirk simply […]

In the late 90’s, the public sector centralised a lot of procurement, giving local & county councils increased buying power on behalf of schools, colleges and other council-run departments. Acme grew relationships with councils and joined new purchasing frameworks, which channelled equipment-replacement sales into Acme. These frameworks are still an important part of the Acme […]

In 1989, the conservative government of the time issued new legislation aimed at breaking up spiralling brewery estates. Breweries had bought up tens of thousands of independent pubs nationwide and the market was becoming dominated by brewery owned and brewery tenanted pubs. There were concerns over lack of competition and inflating prices in the industry. […]

The investment from Pentland Group dramatically changed the financial reach of Acme. Acme were able to hold more stock and receive bigger shipments, enabling us to achieve economies of scale that we never had before. Through this, group relationships with manufacturers grew, and this eventually led to Pentland Group establishing a new catering distribution company […]

Pentland Group started life as an independent shoe store based in Liverpool in 1932. Today, they are a £3.2bn turnover investment company, responsible for brands such as Speedo, Berghaus & Mitre. Pentland chose to invest in Acme at the same time as making other investments in brands throughout the world, including Reebok, Ellesse & Kickers. […]

The brewery boom of the late 70’s and 80’s meant that pubs everywhere were being fitted with ice machines, bottle coolers and glasswashers. Jim Hurley, Acme’s co-founder, noticed that some glasswasher detergent providers were offering glasswasher equipment on low monthly rentals. Landlords and business owners were used to renting various equipment and it got Jim […]

Acme began supplying catering equipment to businesses in the late 1970’s. This was largely in demand to an increase in drinking and dining out, with the British public enjoying more and more time in pubs, with drinks and basic meals becoming popular. It got to the point in 1981 where Acme realised that our catering […]

Air conditioning became much more commonplace throughout the 80’s & 90’s. Office blocks, retail outlets and public buildings all started to require it, and Acme was perfectly placed to deliver. Acme started installing what are now known as ‘split systems’ in this period, with wall-mounted and ceiling-mounted cassettes becoming more common. Based on refrigeration technology, […]