Insider Media Limited

Coventry-headquartered Education Development International (EDI) has bought South West company Sector Training in a deal worth £900,000. EDI's chief executive Nigel Snook says the move marks an "important point" in its plans to develop a presence in the further education college sector.

EDI provides accredited qualifications and assessment services. Its recent accounts reported a turnover of £28.3m with a profit of £8m. It has about 160 staff.

It has bought Taunton-based Sector Training, which provides strategic consultancy and specialist training services to further education colleges.

A total of £450,000 has been paid on completion of the deal.

But additional cash payments totalling £450,000 are to be made in stages over three years which is based on the transfer of business administration to EDI's Coventry head office. The sellers will also act as employees of EDI during the period.

EDI says the takeover will build its presence in the further education college market and "complements other actions taken by EDI in this area" in the past six months. This includes appointing Ioan Morgan, the former principal of Warwickshire College, as its further education policy adviser.

Sector Training's senior consultants currently work closely with college leaders and EDI's directors believe these links will provide the company with an "important opportunity to promote EDI's wider range of services to colleges".

EDI's chief executive Nigel Snook said: "Sector Training is highly regarded in the further education college sector and the principal consultant, Beej Kaczmarczyk, is well known and works closely with a large number of college leadership teams.

"The services provided by Sector Training integrate well with EDI's existing range, and the network of senior further education college contacts this acquisition brings marks an important point in our strategy to develop EDI's presence in this major area of the vocational education and training sector."

Sector Training was established in 2005 by the sellers, Zbignew "Beej" Kaczmarczyk, Jim Rawe and a partner who has now retired from the business.