Denmark based cleaning and specialised services company ISS Group has regained pole position in France by acquiring Lyon-based Klinos, the sixth largest cleaning company in that market.

Klinos has 8,000 employees and a 2000 turnover of approximately DKK 1 billion (£80m). Over half the business is general cleaning, followed by specialised industrial, food and transport services. The majority owner is Akila, controlled by Philippe Foriel-Destezet, chairman of Adecco and non-executive director of Securitas AB following Akila's sale of its French security group Proteg to Securitas in 1998.

The purchase of Klinos makes ISS France the largest national organisation in the ISS Group, with 40,000 employees and an annualised turnover exceeding DKK 4.7 billion (£380m), and comes on top of the acquisition of Abilis last year.

Richard Byatt