Belgian industrial entrepreneur Guido Dumarey has finished his third acquisition this year, with the take-over of the British Woodall Nicholson group. That group comprises six specialist vehicle brands, from accessible transport and electric buses, over police cars and ambulances to ceremonial limos and hearses. Dumarey will continue the business with 367 employees.

The six companies, Coleman Milne, VCS Police & Special Projects, Mellor, Treka, Promech Technologies, and JM Engineering, are now integrated under the umbrella of Woodall Nicholson. According to local media, it follows the entry into administration of former parent WN V-Tech Holdings in November after “experiencing challenges” in its supply chain.

EVs and alternative fuels

Woodall Nicholson claims its expertise lies in EVs and alternative fuels, focusing on electrification and creating lightweight, fuel-efficient, low-cost vehicles. Coleman Milne, for instance, is a coachbuilder specializing in converting cars into funeral vehicles, stretched limousines, police vehicles, and other specialist vehicles. Regarding new powertrains, they convert a Ford Mustang Mach-E into a classic hearse and limousine in the so-called Etive Collection.

Mellor in Rochdale in the Manchester area and Treka in Brighouse are two (mini-)bus specialists producing bodywork for various minibus chassis like the Mercedes Sprinter or Iveco Daily, to mention two. VCS Police & Special Projects in Bolton and Bradford claim to be experts in front-line accident and emergency vehicles.

H2 burning engines

Dumarey’s intentions with the British Woodall Nicholson group are not detailed. He sees opportunities to push lightweight buses to more sustainable powertrains like hydrogen.

Former Punch Group, now renamed Dumarey Group, is developing hydrogen propulsion systems in Turin (Italy), like fuel cells and the H2 burning engine, as an environmentally friendly successor to the diesel engine.

Punch disappeared from all parts of the Dumarey Group to avoid confusion with the Punch Powertrain company, based in Sint-Truiden (Belgium), that Dumarey sold to Chinese investors.

Strong market position

In the press release, Guido Dumarey says: “This is an exciting acquisition for us. The Woodall Nicholson businesses have a strong market position and a disruptive product portfolio, as is evident in their robust order book. We’re eager to collaborate with their talented teams to continue delivering innovative mobility solutions. This marks a significant step toward our commitment to shaping a future where environmentally conscious transportation is accessible to all.”

The Woodall Nicholson acquisition is Dumarey’s third this year. Last October, he bought the ZF transmission plant near Lyon, which produces transmissions for buses, trucks, and industrial vehicles, with a yearly turnover of €110 million. ZF Bouthéon employs more than 300 people and is now called Dumarey Powerglide Bouthéon. It will continue to deliver to ZF until 2027.

ZF wanted to sell the factory near Lyon because it expects that transmission for ICE-powered commercial vehicles will be phased out in the coming years. Dumarey still sees a future because of his plans to use hydrogen in combustion engines.

In June, Dumarey announced that he was taking over the Italian branch of the German multinational Vitesco Technologies. This Italian branch specializes in developing and producing electrification technology for vehicles.

The Dumarey Group has operations and subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, China, and the UK and employs some 3 000 people today.