Exova Group has snapped up a specialist testing firm which counts AB InBev, Muller Foods, Dairycrest and Carlsberg among its customers.

However the stock market listed Edinburgh company would not reveal the sum it has paid for Western Technical Services (WTS), which is based at Bridgwater in Somerset.

WTS has developed a patented non-destructive system, called Accusense, which identifies leaks in heat exchangers that are used extensively in dairy and beverage production.

Along with that it provides inspection, repair and testing of a wide range of manufacturing equipment.

The business was founded in 1995 and has around 400 customers.

Abbreviated accounts for WTS show it made a retained profit of around £114,000 in the 12 months to July 31 this year and had shareholders’ funds of more than £392,000.

The two main shareholders were Richard Rossiter and Thomas Werner, according to the most recent annual return for WTS available at Companies House.

Paul Barry, European managing director for Exova said: “Acquiring Western Technical Services brings new, proprietary capabilities to our existing non-destructive testing business and supports our strategy to provide both a wider range of services to existing customers and access to new markets.”

Exova provides a wide range of testing services to a variety of industries around the world.