Crowley Acquires Wicks and Wilson Limited
Frederick, Maryland, USA and Basingstoke, UK – Christopher Crowley, president of The Crowley Company, announces the acquisition of key competitor Wicks and Wilson Limited. Based in Hampshire, England, Wicks and Wilson manufactures and distributes the Scanstation-brand microfilm, microfiche and aperture card scanners. States Crowley, “This purchase will allow us to broaden our microform offering, strengthen our international presence and ensure that we continue to be at the forefront of microform capture technology.” He continues, “Wicks and Wilson is a company with a strong industry reputation and excellent R&D, fitting very well into our business model. It was an honor to be given first look.” Wicks and Wilson owners, Bob Randall and Ian McMinn, note that once the decision to sell had been made, contacting Crowley was an obvious choice. “We’ve been competing against each other for years,” notes Randall, “and Crowley has earned our respect. It was important for us to select a company which would continue to nurture the business started in 1973.”
ASSIMILATING THE PRODUCT LINE
In 2003, Crowley purchased Mekel Technology, manufacturer of the world’s first microfilm and microfiche scanners. This move added manufacturing capabilities to the one-time Mekel distributor and opened the door for significant growth. Today, the Mekel product line is considered to be a premier digital scan product, suitable for converting very high-volumes of images. The brand also carries an entry-level device which processes fiche, film and aperture cards in a single unit at an affordable price. The addition of the Wicks and Wilson “Scanstation” brand gives Crowley another quality product line. “Just as we did with the Mekel Technology brand of products,” says Crowley, “we will keep the Wicks and Wilson name. Both of these brands are well-known within the archival preservation and service bureau industries for their quality, performance and dependability.”
CROSSING THE POND
Headquartered in Maryland with a manufacturing facility in California, The Crowley Company’s new UK site will be the platform for international growth, says Crowley. “Our Mekel brand is sold worldwide, as is the Wicks and Wilson brand. Having offices on two continents will allow us to take the next step in our expansion of services and technical support by allowing us to create production efficiencies and to solidify an international network of partners.”
Crowley Vice President of Sales, Matthew McCabe comments that “I and several others on the Crowley staff have represented Wicks and Wilson scanning equipment in the past. It’s a product line we know well and one that we’re very comfortable offering alongside the Mekel Technology range of products. Wicks and Wilson offers a progressive scanner range and is very well-known for its reliability, performance and advances in scan technology.”