Hozelock, a leading supplier of pond and gardening equipment, has been acquired by precision spraying specialist Exel Industries.

The acquisition sees one of the leading French firms in agricultural, industrial and consumer spraying, joining forces with Hozelock, to create a formidable proposition in the market for gardening-related products.

“It is unsurprising, yet flattering, that a business the scale of EXEL Industries would wish to bring Hozelock on board," said Hozelock CEO David Algar.

"We’re confident that our horticultural expertise, technical innovation and knowledge of our customers’ requirements will provide a perfect fit to Exel’s own considerable heritage and commercial ambitions and it all points towards an exciting future for Hozelock."

Exel Industries is a technology specialist in precision spraying for agriculture and industry. It employs approximately 2,800 people in 24 countries, on five continents. The group posted a turnover of €525 million for the 2011-2012 financial year.

Guerric Ballu, Managing Director of Exel Industries, added: “We welcome Hozelock Group into Exel Industries with great pleasure.

"The strong reputation of its brand names, its large distribution networks and the wide variety of its supply are important factors in continuing our growth in consumer markets. That’s why this acquisition is fully consistent with our strategy which allows EXEL Industries to keep a profitable and long term growth in our three markets.”

For further details on Hozelock’s range of products go to www.hozelock.com