ONE of Ashford's most successful businesses has changed hands in a multi-million pound deal.

VIP Heinke, Britain's leading makers of seals and gaskets, has been acquired by a consortium. It includes Close Brothers Private Equity Limited and the management team of West Midlands's industrial group Grove Industries, which has a reputation for growing and developing manufacturing businesses.

VIP Heinke, established in 1820, moved to Cobbs Wood, Ashford, from London in the early 1960s. It makes seals and gaskets mainly for water and gas pressure pipes. A sister factory in Huntingdon produces custom-made rubber mouldings and extrusions. The company employs more than 200 and its turnover last year was £12 million.

Grove Industries' non-executive chairman David Grove takes a similar role at VIP Heinke, with Rod Lister, chief executive of United Polymers Group, another rubber and plastics business already in the Grove Industries stable, as a director.

Mr Lister said: "The VIP Heinke business mainly supplies the rail and water industry sectors, where there is going to be a rapid and sustained increase in maintenance and infrastructure spending. VIP Heinke is a quality business and we believe that this market growth will combine with our knowledge and experience in the rubber and plastics sector to create an excellent future for the business."

David Grove said: "The plan is for our team to use their management skills and knowledge and expertise of the plastics and rubber business to add value, and to benefit from economies of scale."