Smiths puts £70m tag on Vent-Axia

VENT-AXIA, the disperser of smells from toilets, kitchens and bathrooms, has been put up for sale by aerospace and engineering giant Smiths Group with an expected price tag of about £70m.

The Surrey-based company employs 500 staff and is the market-leading brand of ventilation fans, followed by Xpelair. Venture capitalists are known to be looking at the business, put up for sale as part of an expected £1bn disposal programme of non-core assets.

Smiths, which merged with TI Group in January 2001, wants to focus on its aerospace and medical devices divisions and has already sold about £300m of assets this year. It is expected to sell other industrial products and sealing solutions businesses.