Linwood Strong group acquired by Leightons

The deal, which was completed in August, is reported to have increased the group's annual turnover by around 15 per cent. It brings the total number of Leightons practices up to 38, which includes the group's 10 franchises. Under the terms of the agreement, the five Linwood Strong practices located in the South East in Epsom, Sutton, Worthing and Brighton, will undergo a gradual transformation into Leightons branches. Linwood Strong managing director Tony Stevens has been co-opted onto the group's board of directors in an advisory role for 12 months. Leightons managing director Neale Pugh said this week that it was too early to predict what changes the Linwood Strong practices would face. 'We have purchased a successful company, and we are certainly not in any hurry to start making too many changes. Linwood Strong has a very loyal patient base, and so any new developments will be over a period of time,' he said. Mr Pugh added that the buy-out was a 'natural progression' which had resulted from the establishment of a successful working relationship between the two companies. 'Richard Leighton and Tony Stevens have known each other for a long time, and they share a similar ethos as to how they present themselves to the public. 'We have been talking to Tony Stevens for some time about acquiring his business, and geographically it suits us very nicely to take over these practices,' he said.