Bodycote International, the British heat treatment and coatings company, has acquired six businesses in the UK, Ireland, Turkey and Brazil for a total consideration of £25m, as part of its strategy to expand into emerging economies. 

The UK businesses consist of Prova, a pharmaceutical testing laboratory in Camberley, Foodscan, a food analysis and microbiological testing laboratory in Glasgow, and County Durham-based Norpath, a food and consumer products testing business. 

The remaining businesses are Brasimet, a Brazillian metallurgical testing company, County Cork-based Consult-us, and a 60 per cent equity stake in Turkish heat treatment group ISTAS.

The six acquisitions have combined net assets of £10.9m and forecast sales of £31.8m. 

Bodycote also announced the sale of Espoo, its coating plant in Finland, which it had purchased in May 2001.