Lupton Fawcetts – Business Expansion
Lupton Fawcetts offices in Leeds have undergone a major refurbishment. Apia Regional Office Fund, asset-managed by Warner Estate, is investing £3m to modernise the 80,000 sq ft building. Law company Lupton Fawcett is the main tenant. The company acquired the business of Lee & Priestley in September 2012, as part of its ongoing expansion.
Design By Front Acquired
Design By Front, the Belfast-based developer of Typecast, a browser-based tool for designing Web pages with Web fonts, has been acquired by US-based font design company Monotype Imaging for £3.2m. Avingtrans to sell industrial division – Proceeds to be invested in further growth
Avingtrans is to sell its industrial division to Japan-based Kuroda Precision Industries for £13.45m. Avingtrans believes the sale will enable it to focus on its two core sectors through its remaining divisions in aerospace and energy and medical, which together contributed revenues of £32.2m and earnings before interest and tax of £1.8m in the year ended 31 May 2012. The industrial division contributed revenue of £11.8m.
Kaye-Dee Marking Solutions acquires Kingsway Print
Sheffield-based Kaye-Dee Marking Solutions, which distributes printing machines, has acquired Kingsway Print after securing £100,000 of funding from HSBC. The buyout will allow Kaye-Dee to expand its customer base and support its strategy to become a specialist pad printing company. It is relocating to larger premises in Sheffield.
CFH Ltd has bought has acquired Print For Business (PFB)
Somerset print and mail company CFH Ltd has bought the shareholding and assets of a rival in Berkshire. The Radstock-based business has acquired Print For Business (PFB) in Slough for an undisclosed sum. PFB is to remain the trading name of the Slough company.
PFB provides additional volume in terms of transactional mailing in both public and private sectors, as well as other strategic document mailings including electoral work, which is a growth area for CFH.
This is the second acquisition CFH has made in the last 12 months, the first being FST in Livingston, Scotland which is now integrated fully and successfully into the group. They continue to seek further acquisition of transactional mail companies in other areas of the UK.
Oilennium acquires Petrofac London-based training company Oilennium is looking to expand after being bought by Scottish-based multinational Petrofac in an undisclosed deal. Petrofac has an annual turnover of £36.4m and employs 270 Staff.
Unicorn Group acquires Molten distributorship – Company Growth
The Unicorn Group, based in Kent has acquired the Molten distributorship in the UK and Ireland for all the brands ball products and sports accessories. As part of the deal and to ensure a smooth transfer of operations, Bob Hope, the current owner of the Molten UK and Ireland distributorship, is to assist the Unicorn Group in a consultancy role for an initial period.
T P Jordeson & Company – Management Buyout
T P Jordeson & Company, a York-based timber exporter, has been acquired by sales director Oliver Tompkin and operations manager Ben Scarborough, who become joint managing directors. The business was acquired from majority shareholder Mark Briggs and shareholder David Edwards. The company has a £13m turnover which has grown by 10% in the 12 months to November 2012.
Investment in Tazio, new joint venture
Accelero Digital Solutions, a Bridgend-based software company, has expanded its product base through an investment in Tazio, a business which has developed a digital interviewing system. Tazio will trade as one of several joint ventures backed by Accelero.
Emergency Response Services Acquired – Company Growth - Rebranding
Huddersfield-based Emergency Response Services has been acquired by healthcare and waste service provider SRCL, part of the US based Stericycle Group, for £4.85m. SRCL have an annual turnover of £86.6M
Dealer Auction Acquired – Company growth
Manheim has acquired Leicester-based Dealer Auction, one of the UK's largest trade-to-trade vehicle remarketing channels, for an undisclosed multimillion-pound sum. The two founders of Dealer Auction, Clive Colyer and Gavin Smith, will remain at the helm of the business. They will remain as joint managing directors reporting directly to John Bailey who will take up a position of chairman on the Dealer Auction board.
Stanley Gibbons acquires US collectibles business
Hampshire based Stanley Gibbons, which specialises in the retailing of collectable postage stamps and similar products, has conditionally agreed to acquire the assets of Stampwants.com Inc trading as bidStart, a US collectibles business, for 1 million dollars.
Buy As You View acquired - business expansion plans
Bridgend-based Buy As You View, a retail and consumer finance business, has been acquired by private equity investor Rutland Partners, for £33.1m. Rutland Partners plans to expand Buy As You View, which has 550 members of staff and 75,000 customers. The funding will support the development of new technology and services. Turnover £71.8m.
Lab3 acquired – expansion of products and services – Potential new roles
Scientific laboratory supplies distributor Lab3, which is based in Bristol and Northamptonshire, has been acquired by US business VWR International. Lab3 already distributes VWR products in the UK. The acquisition will enable VWR to expand its portfolio of technical services and custom kitting/assembly services in the UK, potentially creating new jobs.
Lock Inspection Systems acquired – international expansion
Lock Inspection Systems, a Lancashire-based metal detection equipment manufacturer, has been acquired by US company Illinois Tool Works, as part of an international expansion strategy. Lock employs 130 staff and operates in the UK, USA, France and the Netherlands. Turnover in 2011 was £13.5m.
Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group
www.theukknackgroup.co.uk
