INTERIORS firm Southerns has been bought out by its Leeds-based namesake, following a large investment from Yorkshire businessman Steve Parkin.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see Mr Parkin own a significant minority stake in the new group, which comprises of Southerns (Yorkshire), Southerns (Bolton) and Ralf Capper Interiors Ltd.

The new group will have a combined turnover of £17.5 million and a list of clients, including Carillion, Bunzl and a number of Russell Group Further Education establishments, including the University of Leeds.

The acquisition comes after strong growth from the Southerns business and goes a long way to fulfilling the business’ aim of doubling its turnover in the next two to three years.

Mr Parkin said: “I’ve known Andy Kendall-Jones for many years, and I’ve always admired the strength of his business.

"They have an enviable list of clients and have an extremely strong new business pipeline.

“I’ve been approached by dozens of businesses over the years, looking for investment.

"However, with Southerns, I was the one to proactively approach Andy and his team."

Mr Kendall-Jones, founder and principal of Southerns, said: “We’ve grown Southerns into a well-respected and trusted business.

"With Steve’s investment and business expertise, we’ve been able to accelerate our considerable organic growth, through the acquisition of Southerns (Bolton) and Ralph Capper Interiors Ltd.

"Both Southerns businesses share heritage, customer base and values.

"The new group will be stronger together, expand our client base and promote shared expertise and knowledge, providing added value for our clients."

The new group will have a total of 70 employees across its sites and will have a national network of customers and contracts.

The deal brings the two businesses back together, following their split in 2006.