Performance door merger cleared by OFT

On 14 September 2012 the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) cleared the acquisition by Laidlaw Interiors Group Limited of Timbmet Door Solutions Limited. The parties are each active in the manufacture and supply to building contractors of non-domestic performance doors.  Performance doors offer differ from domestic doors by dint of properties such as fire-resistance, soundproofing, high security and/or x-ray protection.The OFT considered the scope for the acquisition to give rise to unilateral effects in the supply of performance doors, focusing on the closeness of competition between the parties. The parties submitted an analysis of bidding data showing the rivals to which each had lost tenders in recent years. The OFT accepted that this evidence demonstrated that the parties were not close competitors, and would continue to face a wide range of effective rivals post-acquisition.RBB worked with Eversheds and Laidlaw Interiors Group throughout the investigation.  The OFT decision is available here.