Laundry and textile rental specialist Fishers Services has agreed to sell its cleanroom division to an English firm for an undisclosed sum.

However the deal for Fenland Laundries, which trades under the Micronclean brand, to acquire the Livingston based cleanroom business still has to get clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The cleanroom arm, which employs 46, provides a range of garments and specialist cleaning services for businesses where employees have to work in sterile conditions.

Cupar-based Fishers said the transaction will allow it to focus more closely on its core business supplying the hospitality sector in Scotland and the north of England.

The West Lothian plant will act as a Scottish hub for Fenland which intends to retain all employees there.

Simon Fry, chairman of Fenland Laundries, said: “I’d like to welcome Fishers’ cleanroom team to the Fenland business.

“As a cleanroom laundry specialist we are focused on the laundry needs of the pharmaceutical, healthcare and manufacturing sectors and with the expert team at Livingston on board, I am confident that we will continue to thrive.”

The Herald: Fishers posts fall in annual revenues and profits

There has been no timescale set for the CMA to clear the deal.

Michael Jones, managing director of Fishers, said: “The Livingston team has been a credit to Fishers and I know they will go on to even greater success as part of Fenland Laundries, who share the same values as we do.

“Fishers is the market leading textile rental and commercial laundry company in Scotland and the North of England and we plan to concentrate on this as our area of expertise.

“We have a number of innovations in the pipeline for our core business and we look forward to unveiling these over the coming months.”

Fishers was established in Aberfeldy in 1900 and employs around 650 across its six locations in Scotland and a site in North Shields, Tyne and Wear.

It reported revenue of £34.8 million for 2014, down from £35.8m in the prior year. Pre-tax profits also fell from £5.1m to £4.3m in 2014.

At the time of posting its results in August Fishers said the reduction was because of a decision to pull-out of some tenders where price levels were too low. It outlined that it had seen around five per cent revenue growth to that point in 2015.

Since 2013 Fishers has been owned by its management and Cavendish Square Partners.