ISS Group has acquired the activities of the ICS Group, a specialist company providing food hygiene services to approximately 2000 hotels, restaurants, pub chains and other food sale outlets in the United Kingdom.

Based in High Wycombe, ICS employs 32 people and has a turnover of around £1.4m. The acquisition of ICS will enhance ISS's capability in providing comprehensive food hygiene services, such as deep cleaning of kitchen extraction and ventilation systems.

The executive partners of ICS, Malcolm Cooper and Jonathan Spencer-Jones, will join ISS and continue to develop its activities within ISS Food Hygiene Ltd.

ISS has also completed the purchase of more than 95 per cent of French cleaning company Klinos SA, which is consolidated in the ISS accounts as of this month.

With 8,000 employees and a 1999 turnover of £76m Klinos is the sixth largest company in the French cleaning market. This year the turnover is estimated to be approximately £82m. Most of Klinos' business stems from general cleaning services. The balance of the turnover comes mostly from specialised services within the industry, food and transport sectors.

Anna Lagerkvist