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- Foresight has invested £12 million into Automotive and Industrial Consumables Limited (“AIC”) to support its management buyout and accelerate growth.
- AIC is a leading importer and distributor of automotive, electrical and industrial consumable products, supplying over 6,100 products to over 5,500 customers across the UK, Europe and the USA.
- The investment will support the next stage of growth, including investment in sales and marketing alongside product and geographical expansion.
Leeds, 17th September 2026: Foresight Group ("Foresight"), a leading regional private equity and real assets investment manager, has announced a £12 million investment into Automotive & Industrial Consumables Limited ("AIC" or the "Company"), a leading importer and distributor of automotive, electrical and industrial consumable products. The investment will support a management buyout and accelerate the Company's next phase of growth.
Based in Leeds, AIC serves the automotive aftermarket, electrical installation, construction and general industrial sectors. AIC has built a leading market position through long-standing supplier relationships, broad product availability and high levels of customer service. The Company has a diversified customer base, recurring demand and established international sourcing capabilities. The investment will support the next stage of AIC's development, including further investment in sales and marketing, website optimisation, product expansion and enhanced use of data and AI-driven analytics.
The management buyout will be led by the existing senior management team, headed by Prakash Patel, Managing Director, Jake Bury, Finance Director, Neil Hodson, Sales Director and Raj Patel, Procurement Director. Foresight will work closely with the management team to help accelerate growth, increase market share and drive operational improvements.
As part of the investment, Andrew Wakelin will join the business as Chair. Andrew brings more than 35 years' experience in industrial distribution, most recently as Group Operations Director at Aspen Pumps, a private equity-backed industrial distributor. He has significant expertise supporting operational improvement and growth, including international expansion.
Prakash Patel, Managing Director of AIC, said: "The management team has been driving the business for many years and is excited to take this next step. With Foresight's backing, we can invest behind a clear growth strategy, strengthen our market position and unlock opportunities that were previously out of reach."
Richard Ralph, Investment Director at Foresight Group, commented: "AIC combines many of the qualities we look for a strong management team, highly recurring revenue, excellent cash generation and a market-leading position from which it can grow further. We believe there is significant opportunity to accelerate growth through entering new product and geographic markets, and are excited to support Prakash, Jake, Raj and Neil as they deliver the next chapter of the business's development."
This represents the fifth investment in the last twelve months for Foresight across Yorkshire and the North East and we continue to back ambitious businesses across a diverse range of sectors, from engineering and technology to consumer and business services. Our recent investments include Alan Wood & Partners, Connective3, Federal and Envoke, whilst continuing to strengthen our existing portfolio through bolt-on acquisitions completed by RS Industrial Services and Eden Mobility.
By working collaboratively, Foresight provides much more than investment, sharing operational insights, guidance and helping management teams make strategic connections. We are passionate about enabling founders and management teams to build resilient and prosperous companies that have a positive impact on their local communities.
