A Black Country security products manufacturer has been bought out by a London-based group.
Willenhall outfit Guardian Lock and Engineering Company has been acquired in an undisclosed deal by Banham Security.
Guardian, which was founded in 1982, is one of the largest independently owned lock manufacturers in the UK and trades three brands - Imperial, Benton and Worrall - from its 20,000 sq ft factory.
It will continue to be run as an independent company post-completion of the deal as part of the Banham Group with incumbent director David Bate remaining at the helm.
Mr Bate has been with Guardian since its inception and now leads a team of 50 staff.
Banham was founded in 1926 and is one of the largest providers of home security systems in London and the South East and is currently run by the fourth generation of the Banham family.
The company has worked with Guardian for more than two decades and collaborated on the production of several of its locks.
Mr Bate said: "This is a very proud moment in Guardian's history in joining the Banham Group and being part of one of the most iconic security providers in the UK.
"We have worked very closely with Banham for many years, almost since our own beginning, and we have always had a long and trusted relationship with them.
"Having built up Guardian over the last 40 years in Willenhall, we are very proud of everything that we have achieved and the benchmark we have set for British lock manufacturing.
"This partnership with Banham marks the start of a new phase in our company's established history and we look forward to the wealth of opportunities that lie ahead."
Banham's executive chairman Charles Hallatt added: "We have worked with David and his team for many years and have a wonderful collaborative working relationship that has been integral to Banham's success.
"This is an exciting development for Banham and we look forward to working more closely with Guardian to combine our expertise and continue to lead the way in our industry."
