White Light and ELP strike partnership
- Details
ELP B&E will continue the full service broadcast and events wet hire business it currently operates. The partnership commences on 6 January 2020 and reverses the position announced in November 2019 of the cessation of ELP B&E at the end of 2019. It will pave the way for the acquisition of ELP’s lighting rental business by WL during 2020.
ELP B&E staff and premises in Manchester will be retained, along with the equipment stock. Additional staff, equipment and operational resources will be added from within the WL organisation, bolstering ELP B&E’s strength and ability to meet client needs. During the early months, fulfilment and despatch will continue from ELP’s base at Cardington Studios with a transfer to WL’s Wimbledon premises taking place later in 2020.
ELP Rigging Services will supply specialist rigging equipment and services to the strategic partnership and will continue to operate as the in-house rigging supplier at the Cardington and Millennium Studios.
Initially, the strategic partnership will continue to trade as ELP B&E until such time as WL acquires the business activities of ELP B&E. Key personnel involved in the strategic partnership are Darren Fletcher, Matthew Smith and Robert ‘Sinbad’ Dunne from ELP B&E along with Andy Hook and Ian Charlampowicz from WL.
“I am hugely delighted that WL has stepped forward to take up the ELP B&E mantle,” says Ronan Willson, ELP B&E founder and director. By joining forces with us, the future for staff, clients and the business has been secured. So many brilliant people have contributed so much in time, energy and creativity to build ELP B&E. I am very happy to know that the ELP ethos will continue. “WL is the perfect partner to re-launch and strengthen the ELP B&E brand. My colleagues, John Singer, Tim Williamson, Hadleigh Liddle, and the warehouse team at Cardington will remain involved for several months to implement a gradual handover. I too will play my part to make sure we do not ‘drop the ball’ or forget what we owe to our clients.”
(Jim Evans)
