An Italian insulation materials specialist has expanded its operations in the European beverage dispensing equipment market after buying a company in Leicester.

L’Isolante K-Flex Insulation, which provides insulation materials for refrigeration, air conditioning, chemical and industrial uses, has bought BevEx.

The manufacturer of beverage dispensing products for the UK and European markets was bought by L’Isolante’s Lancashire division for an undisclosed sum.

This is the first acquisition by the group in this market and is part of its strategic development plans to reach more customers.

L’Isolante has more than 1,000 employees providing its products and services across India, Turkey, Russia, the US and Iran. Its UK business operates from Lytham St Annes.

BevEx was created in 2003 and currently has annual sales of more than £1.5 million from clients such as Daniel Thwaites and InBev.