A west Suffolk manufacturer has joined forces with a sister-company newly acquired by its parent group.

Bilco UK, which is based in Bury St Edmunds and produces speciality access products, was acquired in June last year by Amesbury Truth, a subsidiary of London-based Tyman plc.

In March 2017, the group also acquired Howe Green, which is based at Ware in Hertfordshire and manufactures access covers, to complement Bilco’s range.

And now, both Bilco and Howe Green have become part of Tyman’s ERA division, with James Fisher, who has been managing director of Bilco since October 2014, taking on the additional role of managing director of Howe Green.

He said: “I am excited that Bilco and Howe Green are now a part of the ERA family.

“Our routes to market are different to ERA and we will operate as a standalone business; however, there are obvious benefits to being part of a larger organisation.”

Based in the West Midlands and founded in 1838, ERA has evolved from manufacturing locks to becoming a specialist in the design and manufacture of window and door hardware and home security alarm systems.

Bilco was established in the US in 1926 and entered the UK market in 1989 with the setting up of Bilco UK & Europe in Bury St Edmunds.

The company mainly serves the commercial market with standard and bespoke access solutions including roof access hatches, ladders and smoke vents.

Howe Green, previously a family-owned and run business, started in 1983 to meet the demands of the supermarket sector for an easy and safe solution to accessing concealed services under Terrazzo flooring.

The product range has evolved to include floor, wall and ceiling access covers, hatches and panels and linear drainage.

James Fisher added: “The Bilco and Howe Green products are often specified in the same projects - the markets we serve and the people we work with are the same. We are both talking to architects, specifiers, contractors and facilities managers.

“Being part of the same group means that we can offer those building service professionals an even better service.”