Order management platform business Fresho has acquired ERP provider Nation Wilcox in what the company claims will establish it as ‘the market-leading technology platform for the UK foodservice sector.’
Fresho’s platform brings together ordering, picking, invoicing and payments into a single system, using AI to automate order capture and reduce manual administration for wholesalers and food service caterers across its markets.
Founded in Birmingham in 1978, Nation Wilcox serves primary and secondary wholesalers as well as cash and carry businesses across the UK through its ERP platform, in which it works across order management, stock control, logistics and accounting and more recently online ordering, AI and mobile apps.
Nation Wilcox will continue to operate as a standalone entity under its existing brand, with no changes to customer contracts, support arrangements or day-to-day operations. As part of this acquisition, Andrew Nation, who has led the business since 2004, will join Fresho’s board as a significant shareholder and play a key role in shaping the company’s next phase of growth.
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The acquisition forms part of Fresho’s longer term plan to accelerate the development of its AI capabilities and drive continued product innovation across its markets. Fresho’s goal is to modernise an industry that has historically been underserved by technology, bringing much-needed consolidation to a fragmented market.
Andrew Nation, managing director of Nation Wilcox, said: “Nation Wilcox has been at the heart of UK food wholesale for more than four decades, and finding the right partner for the next chapter of the business was a carefully considered decision. Fresho’s ambitions are the right fit for Nation Wilcox, and together the companies will be able to grow beyond the UK and become the premier supplier of IT systems to the food service industry worldwide. For our customers, this means access to the combined expertise of both organisations, with the continuity of the team they already know and trust.”
Jamie Foale, general manager UK & Ireland at Fresho, said: “I’d like to extend a warm welcome to the Nation Wilcox team as they join the Fresho group. Acquiring this prestigious company establishes us as the leading technology platform for food service in the UK, and combining their decades of experience with our own will help us better serve the market. We look forward to working with Andrew to continue the success of Nation Wilcox and ensure that their customers feel as supported and confident in the continued investment in the software as ever.”
