Ireland's largest commercial removals company has moved into Britain, with a €6.5 million acquisition.

Beverly Smyth & Sons has bought Rentacrate Ltd from the support services group, Hays.

Beverly Smyth, which employs 90 people in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, operates the Beverly Smyth brand in Dublin and Nat Ross in Cork.

It has turnover of around €10 million. The company already runs a similar business, Hireacrate, in Ireland.

Beverly Smyth managing director Mr Niall Doris said: "This is a major strategic move for our company. We have been looking for some time to buy a business in the UK which would fit into our existing business."

Rentacrate is one of the largest suppliers of plastic boxes for commercial removals. It employs 50 people and has operations in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Livingston in Scotland.

"This acquisition transforms the scale of our business and provides great opportunities for growth, both in the UK and in Europe," said Mr Doris. Rentacrate has a base in Brussels and Beverly Smyth hopes to use this as a hub to grow its operations in Europe.

Mr Doris said the crate hire business was growing. "When the economy is good, you have businesses expanding while in more difficult times, they downsize. For us, there are opportunities in both environments."

Hireacrate accounts for roughly 15 per cent of the group's business.

Beverly Smyth, which is owned by Mr Doris and his wife, Sheila, is the oldest and largest removals company in Ireland. It was founded in 1846.