The Wrexham-headquartered business, which also has bases in Birmingham, Liverpool, Preston, Manchester, Leeds and Middlesbrough, now becomes part of First Compliance Group, a compliance, training and regulatory safety specialist within the ventilation and specialist cleaning sectors.

Founded in 2004, Duct Hygiene has customers across the education, retail, healthcare, leisure and sports sectors, providing kitchen, ventilation and extraction cleaning services which help customers comply with food safety regulations and their Building Safety Act obligations. The company also provides fire damper inspection, testing and compartmentation services.

The value of the seven-figure deal has not been disclosed, whilst the new owners have confirmed that Duct Hygiene’s team of 50 will remain in place. An investment programme will also commence in the coming months.

Ben Wood, chief executive at First Compliance Group said: “Duct Hygiene is an established brand within the compliance sector and their track record is widely respected. The business perfectly complements our existing portfolio of compliance and training services.

“Vitally, the deal also enhances our vision to provide a national offering to our new and existing clients and we’re looking forward to moving the business forward in the months ahead. It’s a hugely exciting deal for us.”

Phill Brooks, managing director of Duct Hygiene added: “Becoming part of First Compliance Group is a perfect fit for us as we mark our 20th year in business. We share the exact same vision for creating genuine value and putting customers and their interests first when it comes to their cleaning, inspection, and regulatory commitments.

“It’s an exciting deal and I’ve got no doubt that we will grow and prosper.”

Mr Wood added that First Compliance Group, which also owns specialist business Insuraclean, plans to establish a new training academy before the end of 2024 as it attempts to play its role in addressing the growing skills gap across the sector.