Hygiacura acquires NCE Group to bolster technical FM with £6M catering business
What's the deal? UK integrated facilities management platform Hygiacura has acquired NCE Group, a specialist commercial catering equipment and kitchen design business with operations in Leeds, Nottingham, and Stroud.
The deal brings three regional brands — Northern Catering EquipmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Walker Catering Supplies, and Prospect Catering Design — under the Hygiacura umbrella. Together, they generate roughly £6M in annual revenue and employ 21 staff.
The acquisition adds commercial kitchen design, catering equipment supply, installation, and project delivery to Hygiacura's existing services in cleaning, grounds maintenance, and property support. NCE Group's customers span healthcare, education, hospitality, contract catering, and the public sector.
Founder Mo Romanowicz exits after leading NCE Group for a decade. Existing teams stay in place, and the brands will keep trading under their current names.
Why now? Hygiacura is building a broad-based FM platform through acquisitions, and catering equipment is a sector it says it "intends to grow significantly." Group chief executive Sacha Jakovljevich cited strong overlap with Hygiacura's existing customer base in healthcare, education, and the public sector — and flagged further deals in the pipeline.
What could go wrong? Integrating three small regional businesses into a larger platform always carries execution risk. Retaining specialist talent and preserving the customer relationships that made NCE Group attractive in the first place will be key. Hygiacura also plans to appoint additional senior leadership, which could disrupt established ways of working.
The signal: The deal reflects a broader trend of FM platforms using acquisitions to add technical self-delivery capabilities rather than relying on subcontractors. As public sector and healthcare clients increasingly demand integrated service offerings, platforms that can bundle hard and soft FM under one roof hold a competitive edge — expect more bolt-on deals in niche FM verticals.
Read more: fmj.co.uk
