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METALS testing business Stewart Group has been sold for £146m.

The Knowsley company, which has offices and laboratories across the globe, has been bought by ALS Group, the testing business owned by Australian chemicals giant Campbell Brothers.

Stewart tests samples of metals and ores for mining companies who need to find out how much of a particular metal or mineral there is in a particular mine. Much of its work is in the copper mining industry, but it also tests precious metals, including gold.

It has 900 staff worldwide, including more than 100 in Knowsley, and has 26 laboratories in North America, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Stewart Group managing director John Notman-Watt led a management buyout of the company in 2006, backed by Close Brothers Private Equity .

He said: “I would like to thank CBPE Capital for their support in the development of Stewart Group.

“The acquisition by ALS is an excellent outcome for Stewart Group and its employees. The strategic fit between ALS and Stewart Group will accelerate the development of our combined integrated service proposition, enabling us to provide a wider service offering to customers on a global scale and we are all looking forward to the future with ALS.”

Greg Kilmister, Campbell Brothers’ managing director, said: “The acquisition of Stewart Group will provide ALS with the opportunity to expand our existing geochemical services into new and emerging geographies.

“The metallurgical facilities in Canada will allow us to accelerate the development of a global metallurgical business, following the acquisition of Ammtec last year.

“The Inspection and Analysis Division creates a new business stream for ALS, and will benefit from ALS’s broader global footprint and client relationships.

“We look forward to working with the Stewart Group team to build on their specific capabilities through ALS’s global network, and expect that the combined operations of ALS and Stewart Group will present staff with enhanced career opportunities.”

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