- published: 11 Aug 2014
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The BSS Group plc is a British specialist distributor of heating, ventilation, plumbing, tools, pipeline, industrial supplies and mechanical services equipment based in Leicester. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the firm was acquired by Travis Perkins in December 2010.
The company was founded in the East Midlands 1899 as British Steam Specialties. It bought UBM Cadel (a leading plumbing distributor) in 1999, rebranded as PTS (Plumbing Trade Supplies). It went on to buy Pegler & Louden (a valve distributor) in 2003, A. Warren & Sons (an industrial products distributor) in 2005, Spendlove C. Jebb (a Northern Ireland-based distributor), Price Tools in 2006, Buck & Hickman (an industrial tools distributor) in 2007, Birchwood Products (a building products business) in 2008, and Direct Heating Spares, in 2009. The group's latest acquisition is UGS Ltd, a privately owned underground drainage merchants, purchased in February 2010. The BSS board accepted an indicative £553 million takeover offer from Travis Perkins on 28 May 2010, an acquisition which was completed on 14 December 2010 as BSS Group shares were delisted from the London Stock Exchange.