Catercall retains five Nova engineers after overcoming challenging acquisition

Firm in a “very different position” from where it was immediately after takeover as technicians pledge their allegiance to new owner.

Five engineers from Nova Catering Repairs are set to remain with the business after its assets were recently snapped up by Catercall.

Their decision to carry on under the new ownership gives Catercall a combined engineering resource of nearly 30 engineers across the Midlands, London and South East.

The acquisition of Nova initially took place against what Catercall described as a “challenging backdrop”, with a number of Nova employees expected to leave the business and significant work required to transfer systems and operations following the administration.

But it said the position had since developed positively, allowing the company to expand its service network.

Together with additional Catercall engineering resources, the combined business now has seven engineers covering Birmingham and the West Midlands, supported by a further three engineers across the Central and East Midlands.

They form part of a wider Catercall engineering network that includes 28 engineers covering London and the South East of England.

Catercall said that retaining an experienced core of the Nova engineering team represents an important step forward following the initial uncertainty surrounding the administration.

Joe Rushton, managing director of Catercall, said: “The first couple of weeks following the acquisition were challenging and we were very open about that, particularly with our major customers. Our priority was not to make promises until we were confident that we had the people and infrastructure in place to deliver them.

“We’re therefore delighted that five of the Nova engineers have chosen to remain with the business. It gives us a strong core of engineers who already know Nova’s customers, equipment and operating area, backed by the much wider engineering and operational resources of Catercall.

“We now have seven engineers covering Birmingham and the West Midlands, another three across the Central and East Midlands and 28 across London and the South East. That puts us in a very different position from where we were immediately following the acquisition.”

Mr Rushton said the business had contacted a number of Nova’s major customers personally during the initial transition because it felt it was important to be completely transparent about the situation.

“We are now looking forward to going back to those customers with a much more positive message and demonstrating what the combined operation can offer,” he added.

The Nova name and customer relationships formed an important part of Catercall’s acquisition, and the business will continue to support existing and former Nova customers as the integration progresses.

Catercall said the immediate focus is now on re-engaging with customers, strengthening service coverage across the Midlands and combining Nova’s regional experience with Catercall’s broader engineering capability and infrastructure.

Mr Rushton said: “We didn’t acquire Nova simply for a name. We saw a business with strong customer relationships, experienced people and a good reputation in its market.

“The circumstances surrounding the administration created disruption, but we’re now beginning to see the business move beyond that period. There’s still work to do, but we’re genuinely excited about the opportunity ahead.”