2017 Company Mergers And Acquisitions

M&A Deals 2017

List of company mergers and acquisitions that took place in the UK in 2017

UK M&A Activity October to December 2017

Shell agrees deal for residential energy supplier First Utility

Thu, 21/12/2017 In a move that could challenge the household energy Big Six, Shell has announced that is buying energy and broadband provider First Utility. Serving around 825,000 homes, First Utility has a 3% market share of the UK residential energy market. This deal builds upon a preexisting relationship: Shell supplies wholesale gas and electricity to First Utility, and in 2015 a licensing agreement between Shell Brands International and First Utility enabled them to operate in the German household energy sector under the Shell brand. Following this acquisition, Shell Energy Europe Limited would continue to supply wholesale gas and electricity to other energy retailers in the UK and Europe. The deal also includes First Utility's German subsidiary, First Utility GmbH.

Holdcroft Motor Group strengthens portfolio in Greater Manchester

Thu, 21/12/2017 Holdcroft Motor Group has added three more dealerships to its portfolio with the acquisitions of Oldham Hyundai, Oldham Mazda and Stockport Hyundai from Vantage Motor Group. The deal takes Holdcroft's number of sites to a total of 25 and its turnover to £420m.

Silverfleet Capital acquires Riviera Travel

Thu, 21/12/2017 European private equity investor Silverfleet Capital has acquired Riviera Travel. Established in Burton-on-Trent in 1984, Riviera offers a portfolio of escorted tours and cruises to 50 countries. The business focuses on the over-55s market and serves over 118,000 holidaymakers each year.

Puratos seals sweet deal for Fruitapeel

Thu, 21/12/2017 Fruit and confectionery sauce manufacturer Fruitapeel has been bought by Belgian food producer Puratos. Based in Lancashire, Fruitapeel supplies ingredients to high profile brands across the retail and foodservice sectors, employing 70 people.

Bournemouth Airport bought by Regional & City Airports

Thu, 21/12/2017 Regional & City Airports (RCA), the airports management division of Rigby Group, has completed the acquisition of Bournemouth Airport from Manchester Airports Group for an undisclosed sum. Bournemouth Airport currently offers flights to 22 destinations across Europe, with 700,000 passengers using the airport in 2016. A base for Ryanair and TUI, the airport supports 900 full time equivalent jobs and contributes approximately £24m to the local economy. This acquisition is the fourth of its kind for RCA, which also owns Norwich, Exeter and Coventry Airports. With the deal it grows its workforce to 600 people, and expands its catchment and network in the South of England as it bids to build a credible alternative to the major London airports. Day-to-day management of the 200 acre Aviation Business Park adjacent to the airport will be handled by Rigby Real Estate.

Apollo Global Management invests in Haydock Finance

Thu, 21/12/2017 Private equity investor Apollo Global Management has agreed to buy a majority stake in Haydock Finance. The Blackburn-based asset finance provider offers hire purchase and finance lease funding to business customers in the UK. The existing management team, led by chairman Jon Wilkinson, managing director Steve Worrall and credit and risk director Ian Barr, will continue to run the business.

IMI to buy US manufacturer for £148m

Wed, 20/12/2017 IMI plc has announced that it is buying Bimba for £148m, a market leading manufacturer of pneumatic, hydraulic and electric motion solutions. Bimba has an extensive distributor network that primarily serves the industrial automation market in North America. It will be integrated into IMI Precision Engineering, nearly doubling the size of the division.

Jacobs completes multibillion-pound deal for CH2M

Wed, 20/12/2017 Jacobs Engineering Group has completed its acquisition of CH2M, creating an entity with a combined turnover of £11.2bn. Jacobs is one of the world’s largest providers of technical, professional and construction services. Its combination with CH2M particularly enhances its position in infrastructure, including water and transportation, as well as nuclear and environmental services, in which CH2M has a strong record of managing large-scale remediation programs for government and industrial clients. Going forward, Jacobs is to streamline its operating model into three global lines of business which are: Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear (ATEN); Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities (BIAF); and Energy, Chemicals and Resources (ECR).

Merkle buys B2B marketing agency DWA

Wed, 20/12/2017 Dentsu Aegis Network’s performance marketing agency Merkle has expanded its B2B digital media and marketing capabilities with the acquisition of DWA. DWA applies expertise in ad-tech, real-time insight and management decision support to a range of integrated, global media including programmatic, search, social and demand generation. The company serves a number of enterprise clients including Cisco, Oracle and Salesforce. Its 150+ employees will join Merkle’s High Tech and B2B division.

Property manager Rockspring bought by German counterpart

Wed, 20/12/2017 Rockspring Property Investment Managers has been bought by German counterpart Patrizia Immobilien, bringing together assets under management worth approximately €40bn. Rockspring specialises in the acquisition and management of commercial property across the UK and mainland Europe. It has a client base of more than 120 institutional investors and employs 110 people in seven offices across Europe. Its fund brands, including Rockspring TransEuropean, Rockspring PanEuropean and Rockspring Hanover, will be unaffected following the closure of the deal.

Metals Testing Company acquired by Element

Wed, 20/12/2017 Element Materials Technology has reached an agreement to acquire Metals Testing Company, a provider of non-destructive testing (NDT) services and related chemical processing based in the US. MTC primarily serves the aerospace industry, with a unique service focused on titanium critical rotating parts. Element is a world leader in aerospace testing services with 44 dedicated laboratories in the Americas and Europe, including an NDT facility in Sheffield.

Digital ID acquires The Smart Card Store

Wed, 20/12/2017 South Manchester-based ID card company Digital ID has acquired The Smart Card Store. Established in 2006, The Smart Card Store supplies smart ID cards to a number of large clients in the UK, including BP, Dixons, McDonalds, Microsoft, the NHS and Tesco. The business will retain its team and office in Hove.

EasyJet takes over Air Berlin assets

Wed, 20/12/2017 EasyJet has confirmed that it has acquired the operations of Air Berlin at Berlin Tegel Airport. The deal encompasses leases for 25 aircraft, as well as an offer of employment to Air Berlin’s flying crew. Adding to its existing base at Berlin Schönefeld, the acquisition makes easyJet the leading airline to and from Berlin.

Management complete buyout of TheBusinessDesk.com

Wed, 20/12/2017 TheBusinessDesk.com has had its own M&A news to report this week with the announcement that group editor Alex Turner and commercial director Lee-J Walker have completed a buyout of the website's owner, Regional Media Services. Entrepeneur Mark Hales, who bought the business in 2013, has retained a minority stake but steps back from day-to-day involvement.

Barnsley FC announces new owners

Tue, 19/12/2017 The owners of Barnsley FC, the Cryne Family, have announced that the football club has agreed to a takeover by a consortium led by Chien Lee of NewCity Capital and Pacific Media Group owners Grace Hung and Paul Conway. The club's new majority shareholders also lead a group which purchased 80% of OGC Nice in June 2016; in their first year in charge, the club finished 3rd in France's Ligue 1 and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history. Moneyball pioneer Billy Beane is also investing in the club. The Tykes are currently struggling in the Championship, placed 20th.

Speedy Hire boosted by access platform acquisitions

Tue, 19/12/2017 Speedy Hire has spent over £21m on the acquisition of two specialist access platform companies, Prolift Access and Platform Sales & Hire. Headquartered in Taunton, Prolift manages a fleet of approximately 770 access platforms and employs 72 people, while PSHL is based in the Midlands and manages 850 access platforms with a workforce of 64 people. The two companies recorded turnovers of £7.9m and £9.3m respectively in the last financial year.

Sedgwick to acquire Cunningham Lindsey

Tue, 19/12/2017 Sedgwick Claims Management Services has agreed to buy Cunningham Lindsey, a global loss adjusting, claims management and risk solutions firm. Cunningham Lindsey provides support to businesses, insurance companies, brokers and policyholders covering all aspects of the risk management lifecycle, including pre- and post- loss. The business employs 6,000 people across 600 offices in 60 countries worldwide.

Unilever sells household names to KKR for £6bn

Tue, 19/12/2017 Unilever is selling its margarine and spreads business, including brands Flora, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Stork, to private equity giant KKR. The £6bn sale follows a wide-ranging internal review prompted by a failed takeover attempt by rival Kraft earlier in the year. KKR has said that it will utilise its global network and operational expertise to help the business grow while remaining committed to Unilever's responsible sourcing policies, including the goal of using 100% sustainable palm oil by 2019. The deal is expected to close mid-2018.

Tanat-Jones finds new home with Brand Vaughan

Tue, 19/12/2017 Brand Vaughan has acquired fellow Brighton & Hove estate agents Tanat-Jones & Company. Established in 1989, Tanat-Jones is one of the city's oldest independent agencies.

Sound Technology bought by Midwich Group

Tue, 19/12/2017 Sound Technology, a leading UK distributor of musical instruments, professional audio and lighting equipment, has been bought by Midwich Group. Midwich Group provides AV, professional video, broadcast, and lighting equipment to the trade markets, operating across nine countries in Europe and Australasia. Sound Technology will continue to operate from its office in Letchworth Garden City, retaining its workforce and market approach.

Owner of Westfield shopping centres bought in £18.5bn deal

Mon, 18/12/2017 French property group Unibail-Rodamco is buying the owner of Westfield shopping centres for $24.6bn (£18.5bn). Westfield Corporation has 35 shopping centres in the UK and US while Unibail-Rodamco has 71 sites across Europe. The deal creates a global property leader with $72.2bn (£53.8bn) of Gross Market Value (GMV) spread across over 100 assets in 13 countries. The 56 shopping destinations that Unibail owns represents 84% of its combined GMV. This news is the second major deal involving shopping centre owners to emerge in a week, following the announcement of Hammerson's £3.4bn offer for Intu.

Thales seals €4.8bn deal for Gemalto

Mon, 18/12/2017 Thales Group and Gemalto have announced they are to merge, creating a world leader in digital security. Gemalto has accepted a cash offer of €4.8bn, which represents a premium of 57% on the company's closing price as of 8 December, just days after rejecting a €4.3bn offer from Atos. Thales will combine its digital assets with Gemalto in a new global business unit that will represent c. 20% of pro forma group revenues, amounting to €3.5bn. The deal makes Thales one of the top three players in digital security worldwide. Over the last three years Thales has invested over €1bn in connectivity, cybersecurity, data analytics and artificial intelligence, particularly in the acquisitions of Sysgo, Vormetric and Guavus. This deal sees another 15,000 employees welcomed to the group's ranks, with no plans for redundancies.

Air surveillance innovator on Thales Group's radar

Mon, 18/12/2017 Thales Group has acquired Cambridge-based startup Aveillant, a pioneer in holographic radar technology. Holographic radars provide an alternative in the air surveillance market by establishing a complete picture of total air space volume. This technology can be used to allow drones to detect, track and classify very small, moving targets such as UAVs.

Aldomak acquires The Handmade Meringue Company

Mon, 18/12/2017 The Handmade Meringue Company (HMC) has been taken over by confectionery manufacturer Aldomak for an undisclosed sum. Having already been a manufacturer for HMC, Aldomak expects to improve its margins with this deal.

Walt Disney buys Murdoch's Fox for £39bn

Thu, 14/12/2017 Walt Disney has confirmed that it is buying 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets for $52.4bn (£39bn). The deal gives Disney control of numerous popular entertainment properties including X-Men, Avatar and The Simpsons, as well as several subsidiaries including FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Regional Networks, Star India and Fox's interests in Hulu, Sky plc, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group. Fox will spin off Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News, Fox Business, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network to its shareholders. This deal vastly expands Disney's international reach; Sky serves nearly 23 million households in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy, while Fox Networks International has a presence in 170 countries and Star India reaches 720 million viewers across the globe each month.

Fox has confirmed that it still intends to complete its full takeover of Sky after its bid was referred to the Competition and Markets Authority in September. This deal is expected to close in June 2018, whereupon it will transfer under the control of The Walt Disney Company. Current Disney CEO and chairman Robert Iger is to stay in his role until 2021.

Arthur J. Gallagher acquires Gatehouse

Thu, 14/12/2017 Arthur J. Gallagher has bought internal communication and employee engagement agency Gatehouse Consulting for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition grows Gallagher’s offering and global footprint as it seeks to build a full service communication consultancy. Gatehouse joins Gallagher Communication.

Stagwell Group invests in Forward3D

Wed, 13/12/2017 US investment firm Stagwell Group has bought performance marketing agency Forward3D Group. Forward3D is based in London and runs digital marketing campaigns across search, content, display and social using industry-leading linguistics, data science and technology. The company serves an international client base, running campaigns in 50 languages across 20 search and social platforms.

Broker Network acquires Thompson & Richardson

Wed, 13/12/2017 Broker Network has broadened its regional footprint with the acquisition of Thompson & Richardson in Lincolnshire. Thompson & Richardson controls £27m gross written premiums (GWP) and is focused on commercial lines insurance business. It operates from offices in Boston, Grantham, Lincoln and Sleaford and employs 75 people.

IMImobile buys Healthcare Communications

Wed, 13/12/2017 Global cloud communications provider IMImobile has bought Healthcare Communications UK. Healthcare Communications is the pioneer of SMS text appointment reminder services in the UK. It is estimated that one in 10 outpatient appointments are missed and that this costs the NHS around £750m a year. Healthcare Communications' services are used by more than 4,000 NHS staff across 140 organisations every day. IMImobile is a cloud communications software and solutions provider that enables companies to use digital technologies to communicate and engage with their customers. Healthcare Communications will retain its name and management team following this deal.

Fast-growing Integrity360 seals deal for Metadigm

Tue, 12/12/2017 Ireland's largest cybersecurity firm Integrity360 has bought IT security specialist Metadigm for an undisclosed sum. Integrity360 is a rapidly growing business; in 2016 the company's turnover increased from €24.5m to €37.5m and it announced plans to hire for 150 positions over the next two years. The Metadigm acquisition forms part of its buy and build strategy. Metadigm provides consulting, prevention, detection and remediation services to clients including the UK Government, and is expected to log a turnover of £3m for 2017.

Apple confirms Shazam acquisition

Tue, 12/12/2017 Apple has confirmed that it is buying British music recognition app Shazam. Founded in 1999, Shazam began as a service whereby users could phone a number while a song played and receive a text message with the name and artist. The more recent app has been downloaded over a billion times. Shazam is one of only a handful of British startups to ever reach a $1bn valuation. It recorded a turnover of £40.3m last year.

Mazars acquires RCL Consultancy and launches new employee benefits business

Tue, 12/12/2017 Mazars has strengthened its financial planning offering with the acquisition of RCL Consultancy from The Embark Group. The deal adds another £300m of assets under management to Mazars Financial Planning's books, taking it to over £1bn AUM in total. At the same time, Mazars has also announced that it is to launch a new employee benefits joint venture called 'Vested' with The Embark Group, combining the two companies' activities in the UK Employee Benefits Consulting (EBC) sector. Vested will be 51% owned by Embark and become part of The Embark Group, with the remaining 49% owned by Mazars.

Sewell Group acquires Illingworth & Gregory

Tue, 12/12/2017 Sewell Group has acquired Huddersfield-based construction company Illingworth & Gregory (I&G), a specialist in maintenance and refurbishments in the health and education sectors. I&G primarily operates in West and North Yorkshire and has recently completed redevelopments of St James's University Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary and £3m of projects across the University of Leeds estate.

Quickline acquires Yorkshire broadband provider

Mon, 11/12/2017 Superfast broadband supplier Quickline has acquired CLANNET, an internet provider based in Selby, North Yorkshire. CLANNET was established in 2002 by Nick Hall and Dean Welbourn in order to provide a broadband service to nearby village Biggin, expanding since to cater to over 1,000 customers throughout the Vale of York. Geographically, 90% of North Yorkshire still remains without a proper broadband service.

Third time lucky in Ladbrokes Coral-GVC talks

Mon, 11/12/2017 Ladbrokes Coral and GVC have reached agreement on the terms of a proposed merger that values Ladbrokes Coral at up to £3.9bn. This latest offer is the third time this year that GVC has held talks over a tie-up with Ladbrokes; previous negotiations have broken down due to disagreement over how to value the companies, an issue exacerbated by regulatory uncertainty in the gambling sector. As it stands, the deal would create an entity worth £5.7bn, making it one of the world's largest betting companies.

Headlam Group buys tile supplier Domus

Mon, 11/12/2017 Headlam Group, Europe's largest distributor of floorcoverings, has completed a £35.4m deal for Domus, a specification consultant and supplier of hard surfaces for construction and refurbishment projects. Domus provides premium ceramic tiles and engineered flooring, encompassing engineered wood, luxury vinyl tyles (LVT) and laminate for both the residential and commercial project markets. The company will continue to operate as a distinct business unit with the same senior management team under long-serving MD Jon Newey. Headlam is a £700m turnover group made up of 62 wholly-owned businesses in the UK and Europe each operating under their own brand.

ANS Group bolsters cloud app offering with Webantic acquisition

Mon, 11/12/2017 Cloud services provider ANS Group has bought Webantic, a cloud transformation and development specialist based in Manchester. This deal improves ANS Group's end-to-end managed service offering, allowing customers to not only migrate and manage their applications, but develop next generation digital business applications in the public cloud.

Hammerson to buy Intu for £3.4bn

Thu, 07/12/2017 Retail property manager Hammerson, owner of the Bullring in Birmingham, is to acquire smaller rival Intu for £3.4bn. The deal will create the UK's largest property company, worth £21bn. Intu owns the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, and will provide Hammerson with exposure to two of Europe's fastest growing economies in Ireland and Spain. The enlarged group will be called Hammerson plc and will be led by CEO David Atkins and CFO Timon Drakesmith. Shares in Intu jumped by nearly 19% with the news, while Hammerson's fell by 3%.

Alliance in Partnership acquires The Contract Dining Company

Thu, 07/12/2017 Alliance in Partnership has acquired rival education catering specialist The Contract Dining Company in a bid to expand its reach in the South East. Established in 2004, The Contract Dining Company provides catering services to 53 schools in Kent, delivering over 8,000 dinners a day. It employs 230 people and will retain its management team, including founder Anne Winn, on the completion of this deal.

Wabtec acquires turbocharger business Melett

Thu, 07/12/2017 Melett, a UK-based supplier to the turbocharger aftermarket, has been bought by Wabtec Corporation, a provider of products and services for freight and transit rail and other industrial sectors with revenues exceeding £30bn. Melett has operations in the UK, continental Europe, North America and China and provides turbochargers and repair parts to customers in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Shaw Trust takes over Prospects Group

Thu, 07/12/2017 National charity Shaw Trust has acquired Prospects Group, a £90m turnover provider of skills, education, care and support in sectors ranging from children's services and justice to education and employment. Combined, the group will have a workforce of over 3,200 staff and a turnover of £250m.

Toys "R" Us to close 26 UK stores

Wed, 06/12/2017 Toys "R" Us plans to close 26 of its UK stores as part of a restructuring plan. The closures will begin in spring 2018 and will result in the loss of 800 jobs. The loss-making company says that the warehouse-style stores it opened in the 1980s and 1990s are too big and expensive to run in the current retail climate. In future it will focus on smaller interactive stores and its website.

AFH Financial Group buys J W Wealthcare

Tue, 05/12/2017 AFH Financial Group has continued a recent acquisitions spree with the purchase of J W Wealthcare, an advisory business based in the South East. The deal adds approximately £300,000 of recurring revenue to the business and sees head of the firm John Walpole join AFH as an adviser.

iomart acquires web hosting firm Sonassi for £16.5m

Tue, 05/12/2017 Sonassi has been bought by AIM-listed cloud services specialist iomart for £16.5m. Sonassi delivers high performance, secure and scalable solutions for complex, high traffic websites using Magento and Oro technology. Founded in 2008, Sonassi originally built websites based on the Magento eCommerce application but has since developed its own operating system called MageStack, engineered specifically for Magento and OroCommerce.

Cineworld considering £2.7bn move for Regal Entertainment

Mon, 04/12/2017 Cineworld has announced that is looking into a potential £2.7bn deal with the second largest cinema chain in the US, Regal Entertainment. The United States remains the world's largest cinema market, although China is expected to overtake it in the next couple of years.

DPA Microphones acquires Sound Network

Mon, 04/12/2017 DPA Microphones has bought Sound Network, a UK-based pro audio distributor with whom it has worked for 20 years. DPA's decision to buy Sound Network was prompted by the retirement of founders Pete Wandless and Ralph Dunlop. The company's workforce will remain otherwise unchanged, as will its distribution arrangements with manufacturers that include Meris and Sony Pro Audio.

CH&Co and Concerto Group announce merger

Mon, 04/12/2017 CH&Co Group has announced that it is to merge with event caterer Concerto Group. Following its acquisition of Harbour & Jones in June, this latest deal lifts CH&Co's turnover above the £300m mark, and means it will now provide catering at 750 sites and employ more than 6,200 people across the UK and Ireland. Concerto currently runs contracts at venues including Old Billingsgate in London and the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, as well as managing food and drink at Apex Hotels London. Chief executive Adam Elliott will continue to run the business.

Hachette UK buys Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Thu, 30/11/2017 Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP) has been bought by Hachette UK for an undisclosed sum. The indie publisher specialises in social and mental health sciences and will join John Murray Press. JKP has 50 staff split between offices in King's Cross, London and Philadelphia in the US. The publisher has recorded year-on-year revenue growth since it was founded 30 years ago.

Avis Budget UK acquires ACL Hire

Thu, 30/11/2017 Avis Budget UK has bought ACL Hire, a family-owned vehicle rental company based in West Lothian, Scotland. ACL Hire specialises in commercial vehicles rentals and has won several awards for the quality of its service. The move improves Avis Budget's van offering to customers in Scotland and throughout the rest of the UK.

PwC agrees to buy CRM specialist cDecisions

Thu, 30/11/2017 PwC has agreed to acquire cDecisions, a UK-based Salesforce consultancy. Founded in 2009, cDecisions is a leading player in the Salesforce customer relationship management (CRM) implementation market, specialising in financial services. Following the acquisition of Outbox in 2016, PwC's own Salesforce team has achieved significant growth and now sits within a digital and customer transformation practice of more than 350 people. cDecisions' entire team will join this division when the deal completes.

Coex Partners bought by TP ICAP

Thu, 30/11/2017 TP ICAP has purchased Coex Partners Limited, an independent agency broker. With offices in London, Paris and New York, Coex provides trade and execution services in listed derivatives and OTC foreign exchange to hedge funds, asset managers and other clients. It will be incorporated into TP ICAP's Institutional Services division, which provides pre-trade information, market intelligence and intermediation to clients. The deal is worth £7.1m, with additional performance-related payments available over the next four years.

Arjun Infrastructure Partners buys Enviromena Power Systems

Thu, 30/11/2017 Enviromena Power Systems, a leading clean energy project company based in the UAE, has been bought by Arjun Infrastructure Partners (AIP). Enviromena has installed more than 17,000 solar systems and has over 175 MW of power plants in operation across the Middle East and North Africa, with a further 500 MW in the pipeline.

Zoopla Property Group acquires Dutch firm Calcasa

Thu, 30/11/2017 Zoopla has bought Calcasa, a Dutch provider of residential property market analysis. Calcasa's automated valuation model (AVM) is integrated into the Netherland's top 10 lenders and has a 10+ year track record in the country's mortgage and real estate markets. The company will continue to operate as a standalone brand with its current academic team of 15. Calcasa's combination with Zoopla Property Group creates the largest residential property database in Europe and builds upon Hometrack's leading position in the UK and Australia as an international property data platform.

Markel International completes acquisition of ECIC

Thu, 30/11/2017 The Prudential Regulation Authority has given Markel International the green light to complete its acquisition of EC Insurance Co. ECIC provides a wide range of insurance products for contractors and affinity groups across the UK building services sector. It will be incorporated into Markel's national markets business.

Entrust Datacard acquires Trustis

Thu, 30/11/2017 Entrust Datacard has acquired Trustis, a specialised managed service provider of public key infrastructure and cloud cryptographic solutions based in Thatcham. The deal enables Entrust Datacard to grow its localised presence and portfolio of solutions to address the new security challenges created with the rise of digital transformation and the internet of things (IoT), particularly in the European regulatory landscape.

GE Healthcare buys bioprocessing startup Puridify

Thu, 30/11/2017 GE Healthcare has acquired Puridify, a bioprocessing startup that is developing a nanofibre-based platform purification technology for biopharmaceutical production. Puridify's technology will improve productivity in the process development phase and small-scale manufacturing of a variety of biopharmaceutical applications. GE Healthcare will help to commercialise Puridify's FibroSelect product as part of its existing range of bioprocess purification products. Puridify's team of 17 will continue to work at its research hub in Stevenage.

BioEden sold in pre-pack deal

Thu, 30/11/2017 Huddersfield-based stem cell firm BioEden has been acquired out of administration. KPMG has facilitated a pre-pack sale that transfers all of the company's assets to a new entity, BioEden Holdings Limited.

YO! Sushi finds raw talent in Canadian sushi chain

Thu, 30/11/2017 YO! Sushi has agreed to buy Canada's Bento Sushi for £59m. The two firms recorded a combined £175m in sales over the last 12 months, making the group one of the largest sushi companies in the world outside of Japan. Bento Sushi was founded in Toronto in 1996 and is North America's second largest sushi chain with over 600 restaurants. As well as the 20 million portions it serves each year, Bento also supplies sushi to 1,700 partners, including supermarkets.

Izico Food Group acquires veggie meal maker Goodlife Foods

Thu, 30/11/2017 British vegetarian meal manufacturer Goodlife Foods has been acquired by Dutch ready meal maker Izico Food Group. This latest acquisition aims to build on the foothold Izico found in the UK market with the purchase of Daloon Foods in 2015. Goodlife Foods has 25 years' experience producing vegetarian products for both the retail and foodservice channels in the UK.

Vernacare buys Synergy Health Healthcare Consumable Solutions

Thu, 30/11/2017 Vernacare has acquired Synergy Health Healthcare Consumable Solutions (HCS) from STERIS plc for an undisclosed sum. Vernacare is the UK's market-leading provider of single-use infection prevention systems to the healthcare sector, employing 180 people in the UK and abroad. Its products are sold to more than 50 countries and used by around 94% of NHS Trusts. HCS meanwhile manufactures products for wound care and surgery, as well as hygiene wipes under the market-leading brands of Conti and AZO. HCS will come under the Vernacare brand.

Victoria weights business overseas with Keraben deal

Thu, 30/11/2017 Victoria plc has made a second push into Europe's hard flooring market in as many months with the takeover of Keraben Group for £246.5m. The Spanish business manufactures branded ceramic floor and wall tiles that it sells to a combination of wholesalers, retail groups, independent stores and DIY chains across mainland Europe, North America and the Far East. As part of the deal, Keraben's management team are financially incentivised to run and grow the business as part of Victoria for a minimum of three years. This latest acquisition means that the majority of Victoria's earnings are now generated from outside the UK.

Quotient Sciences acquires Pharmaterials

Wed, 29/11/2017 Drug development specialist Quotient Sciences has acquired Pharmaterials, a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO). Founded in 2000, Pharmaterials specialises in small molecule drug products for oral and inhaled delivery which it develops at a 48,000 sq ft facility in Reading. The deal strengthens Quotient Science's formulation and manufacturing services operations in the UK as well as its new Translational Pharmaceutics platform, formed out of SeaView Research and QS Pharma which it acquired earlier this year.

Thousands of jobs lost as P&H Group goes under

Wed, 29/11/2017 The P&H Group has collapsed with the immediate loss of 2,500 jobs. The group employed 3,400 people and includes Palmer & Harvey McLane, the UK’s largest delivered wholesaler to the UK convenience market, and P&H Direct, which provided product delivery services to independent retailers and food outlets. Currently 450 employees of the wholesale business have been retained to assist the administrators in managing the activities of the business to an orderly closure. The administrators are continuing to explore options for a sale for other subsidiaries: P&H Direct Van Sales, P&H Sweetdirect and P&H Snacksdirect. Palmer & Harvey was the fifth-largest private company in the UK with almost a century of history.

Ludlow Wealth acquires Whyte Sharp

Wed, 29/11/2017 Following the completion of a management buyout with backing from Mobeus Equity Partners in June, Ludlow Wealth Management Group has acquired Scottish counterpart Whyte Sharp. The deal sees owner Gary Whyte retire while business partner David Watson steps up to run Whyte Sharp's St Andrews office as a standalone operation. Ludlow Wealth advises clients across the UK and has more than £850m of assets under management.

Feather & Black in administration

Tue, 28/11/2017 The furniture retailer Feather & Black has gone into administration, putting 120 jobs at risk. The company has the same owners as Multiyork, which fell into administration last week. The administrators say Feather & Black has been hit by the slowdown in consumer spending and was no longer able to meet its ongoing liabilities. The business will continue to trade while a buyer is sought.

K-Bro Linen reels in Fishers Laundry Group

Mon, 27/11/2017 Fishers Laundry Group has been acquired by Canada's K-Bro Linen for £35m. Fishers employs 800 people across Scotland and the North East of England, providing commercial laundry and textile rental services primarily to the hospitality sector. One of the company's innovations is a luxury linen range that incorporates radio frequency identification (RFID) tags so it can be tracked, enabling new operational and stock control efficiencies. The company will remain a standalone brand, retaining its management and headquarters in Cupas, Fife.

Bridgepoint to buy master franchise of Burger King in UK

Mon, 27/11/2017 The owner of Pret a Manger, private equity group Bridgepoint, is set to become the UK master franchisee of Burger King, with exclusive rights to the brand in the UK. With this deal, Bridgepoint enters into a 20 year master franchise agreement that gives it control over the brand's proposition and the right to roll out new stores across the country. It has also acquired Caspian UK Group, which is one of the UK's largest franchisees with 74 restaurants. Bridgepoint has backed a management buy-in team headed by chairman designate Martin Robinson, whose experience includes roles with Casual Dining Group, Center Parcs and Wagamama. Burger King is currently the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world, and has over 500 restaurants in the UK.

HomeServe takes complete ownership of Checkatrade

Mon, 27/11/2017 Revealed in its interim results this month, HomeServe has acquired the remaining 60% of Checkatrade it didn’t already own for £54m. The move accelerates its creation of a global online platform for home improvements after it made an initial investment in the tradespeople platform earlier this year.

Inflexion backs MBO of PCMS Group

Fri, 24/11/2017 Inflexion Private Equity has backed a management buyout of PCMS Group, a leading provider of point-of-sale (POS) software for major retailers including Arcadia Group, John Lewis and Walgreens. PCMS offers an integrated unified commerce platform for retail selling points for in-store or cloud-hosted environments, facilitating ‘on-the-go’ retail transactions. The company employs over 450 people in the UK, US and Singapore and has clients in over 140 blue-chip organisations across 55 countries.

RSM UK becomes Europe's largest NetSuite provider with FHL deal

Fri, 24/11/2017 RSM UK has acquired FHL, a Crewe-based provider of Oracle NetSuite products and services. RSM is a leading audit, tax and consulting firm, which grows to become Europe’s largest NetSuite provider with this deal. The combined operation will have a team of over 100 and an enlarged business systems service covering cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), CRM and e-commerce. FHL will continue to trade under its current name.

Multiyork in administration

Thu, 23/11/2017 The furniture retailer Multiyork has gone into administration. The 39-year-old company employs 547 people in 50 shops and at its manufacturing site in Norfolk. The business continues to trade while administrators search for a buyer.

Groupe Eurotunnel rebrands as 'Anglo-Saxon' Getlink

Tue, 21/11/2017 Groupe Eurotunnel has announced that it is changing its name to Getlink. The rationale behind the name change is said to lie in the company now owning three main commercial brands beyond the channel tunnel, these being Europorte, ElecLink and CIFFCO. In a statement, French chief executive Jacques Gounon has said “Getlink is all that is Eurotunnel and more than just Eurotunnel!” The company’s new ‘Anglo-Saxon’ identity has been read as preparation for a post-Brexit future, causing consternation in some quarters.

Annuity Management combines Support Warehouse and Tesedi

Tue, 21/11/2017 Following its sale to Annuity Management AG, Support Warehouse is to be combined with AMAG subsidiary Tesedi. The deal enables AMAG to provide a fully-integrated, end-to-end service for the management, renewal and recovery of service and maintenance contracts. The group hopes to profit from Support Warehouse’s 15 year relationship with HPE and its position as the official Renew Reminder Service for HP Technical Services in several leading markets worldwide. The combined business will serve around 10,000 customers in 15 countries.

Urban Digital Network director buys 200 digital screens

Tue, 21/11/2017 Vincent Whelan, the managing director of Urban Digital Network, has acquired a network of 200 Adpod D6 screens in 53 shopping malls across the UK. The deal will expand the company's footprint in the UK which already includes the iconic outdoor digital screen adjacent to Cineworld cinema in Leicester Square. Whelan is also managing director of Adtower's digital media business in Ireland.

Investoo buys Bitcoinmag.de

Mon, 20/11/2017 Just a fortnight on from securing a new £7.5m credit line, Investoo Group has announced the acquisition of cryptocurrency portal Bitcoinmag.de. The German website is a resource for crypto investors, providing purchase and price information, and allowing visitors to compare exchanges and platforms. This addition broadens Investoo's international reach, which already encompasses French, German, Italian and Spanish audiences. This deal is the latest in a line of acquisitions Investoo has completed this year, which includes moves for Invezz.com, RoboAdvisors.com and SocialTradingGuru.com.

Vp acquires Brandon Hire

Mon, 20/11/2017 Vp plc has capped a busy year in the M&A market with the purchase of Brandon Hire Group Holdings. Vp has acquired Brandon Hire and its subsidiaries for a cash consideration of £41.6m and £27.2m of assumed net debt, which has been funded from new banking facilities from the group’s lenders. Brandon Hire is a major national tool and equipment hire business with over 900 employees posted across 143 locations nationwide. Brandon Hire’s extensive customer base, primarily focused in SMEs, complements Vp’s own specialist tool hire business Hire Station.

SSE and npower test regulators with proposed merger

Mon, 20/11/2017 SSE plc has reached an agreement with Innogy regarding a proposed demerger of SSE's household energy and services business in Great Britain (SSE Retail) and combination with npower. The merger would create a company serving around 11.5 million customer across Great Britain, and shrink the big six to a big five. Causing controversy in some quarters, the deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close late in 2018

Powerstar buys Bromsgrove Winding Services

Fri, 17/11/2017 Powerstar, a market leading voltage optimisation and energy storage brand, has acquired Bromsgrove Winding Services, a bespoke manufacturer of OEM power and distribution transformers. This move enables Powerstar to futureproof against major reforms upcoming in the energy industry.

Peppermint Soda brings Forever Creative into the mix

Thu, 16/11/2017 Peppermint Soda, a Manchester-based marketing communications agency, has bought creative consultancy Forever Creative for an undisclosed fee. The deal is Peppermint's first acquisition, designed to strengthen its digital, design and creative offering to the education, food, healthcare, manufacturing and public sectors. Forever's team will join Peppermint at its Hale headquarters, with MD Jane Hudson becoming client services director.

Concept Life Sciences acquires University of Edinburgh spin-out

Thu, 16/11/2017 Aquila BioMedical has been acquired by private equity-backed drug development and analytical services company Concept Life Sciences. Spun out of the University of Edinburgh, Aquila is a pre-clinical contract research business specialising in immuno-oncology, immunology and multiplex histology. Aquila expects to profit from Concept's size and business development network as it seeks further growth.

LDC backs MBO of construction software provider Eque2

Thu, 16/11/2017 LDC has backed a management buyout of construction software specialist Eque2. Eque2's software enables more than 1,400 builders, contractors, architects, engineers and estimators to integrate the commercial and financial aspects of their business, driving efficiencies and in turn improving profitability. This multi-million-pound deal will be used to invest in the firm's buy and build programme as well as funding the simultaneous acquisition of Miracle Dynamics Payroll and HR Solution.

SysGroup seals £3.9m deal for Rockford IT

Thu, 16/11/2017 SysGroup has bought managed IT, hosting and security services company Rockford IT for £3.9m. SysGroup is one of the UK's fastest growing managed IT services and cloud hosting providers. This latest acquisition is its sixth in the last three years, taking its workforce to over 100 as well as extending its market reach into vertical sectors such as hotels and leisure.

Aviva to acquire Irish insurer Friends First

Tue, 14/11/2017 Aviva has agreed to buy Irish insurer Friends First Life Assurance Company for £116m. Friends First has over 250,000 customers, a market share of 6% and is a market leader in group risk and income protection. The deal makes Aviva one of the largest composite insurers in Ireland, increasing its market share to 15% in this category. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to go through in the first quarter of 2018.

Nexus Group acquires Credit Risk Solutions

Tue, 14/11/2017 Managing general agent the Nexus Group has acquired Credit Risk Solutions. CRS is a trade credit broker operating from offices in Birmingham, Halifax and Manchester. This is the fourth acquisition Nexus has completed this year, further strengthening and diversifying its broking offering. CRS will retain its independence from Nexus's underwriting operations following completion of the deal.

Permira buys Duff & Phelps for £1.3bn

Tue, 14/11/2017 Global investor Permira has bought Duff & Phelps for £1.3bn. Duff & Phelps is a corporate finance firm headquartered in London. It has three offices in the UK, and employs over 2,000 people across 70 sites worldwide. Permira's acquisition sees the exit of investors that include The Carlyle Group, Neuberger Berman, the University of California’s Office of the Chief Investment Officer of the Regents and Pictet & Cie.

Multi Fan Systems hopes new acquisition is breath of fresh air

Mon, 13/11/2017 Multi Fan Systems has acquired Birmingham firm Modus Air, a specialist in in dust and fume control, ventilation and heating for industrial clients. Modus Air has previously been a supplier to Filtermist International, Multi Fan Systems' parent company since November 2016. Since that takeover, Multi Fan Systems has increased its workforce by a third and won lucrative contracts with Federal-Mogul and Ricoh Products (UK).

Lowell catapulted into Nordic market with £640m acquisition

Mon, 13/11/2017 Leeds-based credit management services company Lowell has agreed to acquire a Nordic carve-out business from Intrum, with backing from Permira funds and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. The deal is worth £640m and is comprised of Lindorff’s entire business in Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Sweden as well as Intrum Justitia’s entire business in Norway. This was specified by the European Commission as a condition of the combination of the two companies earlier this year, and the sale is still subject to further EC approval. The transaction would create one of the largest credit management service providers in Europe and make Lowell a market leader across the Nordic region.

Inflexion backs Bollington and Wilson merger

Fri, 10/11/2017 Inflexion Private Equity has backed a simultaneous buyout and merger of Bollington and Wilson Insurance Brokers, creating a group with annual gross premiums topping £120m. The combined company will be known as Bollington Wilson Group and be among the UK’s top insurance brokers, although the Bollington and Wilson brands will continue to trade independently. Backed by Inflexion, the group will focus on expansion in the UK through a buy and build strategy.

Scotframe finds new home with Saint-Gobain

Fri, 10/11/2017 Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland has completed the acquisition of Scotframe Limited, accelerating its involvement in the offsite manufacturing and closed panel construction market. Scotframe is a manufacturer and supplier of full timber frame housing kits for small-medium builders, developers and self-builders in the UK. The company owns two manufacturing sites and four sales and showroom locations in Scotland, and employs over 160 staff.

Aldermore Bank board recommends FirstRand offer

Fri, 10/11/2017 Aldermore Bank has received a 313p per share offer from South African financial services firm FirstRand, valuing the business at £1.1bn. The price represents a 38% premium to the three month volume-weighted average price to October 12, the last day before Aldermore and FirstRand disclosed the negotiations and the bank’s share price subsequently rocketed. Aldermore’s board has recommended the offer.

WorleyParsons enters North Sea with AFW UK takeover

Tue, 07/11/2017 WorleyParsons has entered the North Sea market with the £182m acquisition of certain assets of Amec Foster Wheeler. The move has come about following a ruling by the UK Competition and Markets Authority that Wood Group must divest from AFW's oil and gas business following its £2.2bn takeover. WorleyParsons has acquired AFW Oil and Gas UK, a leading player in the Maintenance, Modifications and Operations market on the UK continental shelf. With over 45 years’ experience operating in the North Sea, AFW UK employs over 3,000 people and owns seven offices in the UK and Middle East.

TFG buys womenswear brand Hobbs

Tue, 07/11/2017 British high-street fashion brand Hobbs has been bought by The Foschini Group. TFG London is the owner of Phase Eight, Whistles and Damsel in a Dress, which it acquired earlier this year. Hobbs was founded in 1981, and has restructured under private equity firm 3i in the last couple of years while heavily investing in a makeover of its product range. Its clothes are sold in 49 countries via its e-commerce platform, and in shops and concessions across Germany, the UK and the US.

Imperial Brands acquires nicotine liquids developer Nerudia

Tue, 07/11/2017 Imperial Brands has announced that it has acquired Nerudia, a UK producer of nicotine liquids for e-cigarettes. The £106.5m acquisition strengthens Imperial Tobacco’s intellectual property assets and research and development capabilities in ‘Next Generation Products’, a growing category that includes vapour and tobacco heating products. Imperial Brands so far lags behind rivals Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco in this market.

Norcros acquires Merlyn Industries

Mon, 06/11/2017 Norcros has acquired shower enclosure designer Merlyn Industries for £60m. Norcros is a leading provider of branded showers, taps, bathroom accessories, tiles and adhesives. The deal for Merlyn, with its focus on design, new product development and customer service, significantly enhances the group's bathroom product portfolio. Norcros aims to grow its revenue to £420m by 2018. Merlyn reported revenues of £30.7m and an operating profit of £6.4m in the last financial year.

CCMP makes gains with Pure Gym sale

Mon, 06/11/2017 Pure Gym has been sold by CCMP to private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners. Launched in 2009, Pure Gym is the UK's leading gym operator, providing fitness facilities for more than 950,000 members across 189 sites. It has been reported that the deal values the business at £600m.

RealPage eyes expansion in Europe with PEX acquisition

Fri, 03/11/2017 The US real estate software and data analytics company RealPage has acquired PEX Software, a London-based provider of property management, online leasing and resident software solutions. PEX’s platform serves clients in the UK, Europe and Australia that manage private rental sector (PRS) and student rental housing properties. PRS is expected to be the fastest growing sector of the rental housing economy in the UK over the next ten years as social and government housing stock continues to decline. RealPage hopes that PEX will provide a launching pad in the UK from which to expand into the EU.

Halma buys Mini-Cam from LDC

Thu, 02/11/2017 Technology group Halma has completed an £85m acquisition of Mini-Cam in a move that sees the exit of mid-market investor LDC. Based in Warrington, Mini-Cam designs and builds modular pipeline inspection systems for use in the construction, engineering, nuclear, oil and gas, petrochemical, security and water sectors. LDC backed an MBO of the company in 2015, which has since grown to a workforce of 50 and from owning one site to three. Mini-Cam has also increased its international focus with exports now making up 42% of its sales, up from 31% two years ago. This addition tips Halma’s revenue over the £1bn mark for the year.

Long Tall Sally acquires Pretty Tall

Wed, 01/11/2017 Long Tall Sally, a clothing brand specialising in apparel for tall women, has bought Dutch retailer Pretty Tall. The deal gives Long Tall Sally control of two retail outlets in the Netherlands.

Safestore snaps up Stork Self Storage

Wed, 01/11/2017 Safestore has acquired Stork Self Storage, increasing its UK portfolio by 12 to 120 stores. The deal is worth £56m and reinforces Safestore’s standing as the largest self-storage company in the country. This latest acquisition closely follows another £56m deal for Alligator Self Storage in September, which again added 12 sites to Safestore's portfolio.

Aon to buy Henderson Insurance Broking Group

Wed, 01/11/2017 Professional services giant Aon has agreed to buy Henderson Insurance Broking Group. Headquartered in Leeds, Henderson Insurance Broking Group is one of the UK’s largest independent brokers, focusing on general insurance, health and benefits and trade credit insurance, and employing over 400 people. It will join Aon Risk Solutions UK, supporting Aon’s ambition of growing its UK retail businesses by increasing its footprint in the mid-market and specialist sectors.

Trust Tech eyes deal for Gap Personnel Group

Wed, 01/11/2017 Japanese technical staffing company Trust Tech has announced plans to acquire a 75% stake in Gap Personnel Group. A subsidiary of 1998 Holdings, Gap Personnel specialises in providing staff to the UK logistics, food and manufacturing sectors. The deal forms part of Trust Tech’s strategy to expand its scope in worker dispatch services for the engineering and manufacturing fields, as well as broadening its offering to include new sectors such as IT and soft services.

Carillion continues sell-off with Ask stakes

Wed, 01/11/2017 Carillion has continued its sell-off with the disposal of its two-thirds stake in Ask Real Estate and 50% interest in Ask Carillion Developments. Dukehill has acquired these assets for £13.8m. Carillion bought its majority stake in Ask in January 2016 with the aim of creating a £500m pipeline of commercial property development activity across the Northern Powerhouse region. This deal closely follows the £50m sale of its healthcare facilities management business to rival firm Serco. Carillion has been thrown into crisis after issuing a large profit warning in July. The company is aiming to raise £300m through the sale of various assets by the end of 2018.

Victoria to find feet in ceramic flooring market

Wed, 01/11/2017 Carpets and floorcoverings group Victoria is expanding its product range with the purchase of Italian ceramic flooring manufacturer Ceramiche Serra. The deal is worth £50.4m, with £32.6m to be paid on completion and the remaining balance to be paid over four years on the condition of certain financial targets being met. Ceramiche Serra supplies to a combination of wholesalers, retail groups and independent stores throughout Continental Europe, North America and the Far East. The deal is Victoria’s entry into the ceramic flooring market, which is the largest sector in the world, making up 60% of flooring sold globally and 30% of flooring sold in Europe.

Smith & Nephew acquires Rotation Medical for $200m

Wed, 01/11/2017 Medtech firm Smith & Nephew has agreed a $200m deal to take over Rotation Medical Inc, a developer of novel tissue regeneration technology for shoulder rotator cuff repair. Smith & Nephew will pay an initial $125m with a further $85m payable depending on the company's financial performance over the next five years. Rotation Medical's procedure uses a bioinductive implant to help tendons heal by inducing growth of new tendon-like tissue. It will become a part of Smith & Nephew's Sports Medicine portfolio.

Going with the flow – Group HES bought by Flowtech Fluidpower

Wed, 01/11/2017 Flowtech Fluidpower has continued its proactive acquisitions policy with the purchase of Group HES for £4.1m. The AIM-listed business has acquired a network of HES branches in Birmingham, Durham, Gloucester and Leeds including a total of 89 staff. The deal will be used strengthen its Power Motion Control division, following in the same vein as the deal for HTL announced earlier this year.

Inflexion buys Virgin Experience Days

Tue, 31/10/2017 Inflexion Private Equity has completed an acquisition of Virgin Experience Days. Virgin Experience Days curates over 750,000 activities and breaks each year, and has seen its revenue double to £50m in three years. The company operates both B2C and B2B divisions, which offers employee rewards and recognition programmes for clients including Barclaycard and Samsung. Leisure sector expert Simon McMurtie has joined as Chairman while Matthew Briggs has been appointed Commercial Director.

Total Capital Partners backs MBO of Walkers Transport

Tue, 31/10/2017 Total Capital Partners has backed an MBO of Walkers Transport, a leading UK based transport and logistics specialist. Total Capital is providing £13.5m of equity and debt, taking a 60% stake in the business. Based in the North of England and with logistics centres in Birstall, Leeds and Manchester, Walkers Transport carries ambient, non-hazardous, palletised goods for a range of manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. The company comprises George Walker Transport, George Walker Transport Manchester and Northern Hub.

AMP Capital takes Leeds Bradford Airport under its wing

Fri, 27/10/2017 Leeds Bradford Airport has been sold by Bridgepoint to Australian investment firm AMP Capital. A mix of low-cost, charter and major international airlines operate at Leeds Bradford Airport, seeing four million customers pass through it each year. The airport benefits from a catchment area that contains 5.3 million people, 2.9 million of whom live less than one hour away. The airport has been under Bridgepoint's ownership since 2007, when it was sold by five West Yorkshire councils in a privatisation plan. In the last five years, passenger numbers have grown by almost 40% to over four million, around £30m has been invested in capex projects including a terminal upgrade, employee numbers have more than doubled to 460 people, and EBITDA has grown by over 25% per annum.

Hilton Food Group charts new waters with Seachill takeover

Fri, 27/10/2017 Meat packing business Hilton Food Group has ventured into fish with the £84m acquisition of Icelandic Group UK. Icelandic trades as Seachill and is a major supplier of chilled and frozen natural whitefish and salmon. Its brand The Saucy Fish Co. is the largest in its category in the UK. Icelandic generates annual sales of around £270m (around 80% of which comes from supplying Tesco).

Wallwork Group expands up North with Metaltech acquisition

Fri, 27/10/2017 Wallwork Group is set to expand in the North East with its acquisition of Durham-based counterpart Metaltech. Both companies specialise in the thermal processing and coating of metals. The additional facility in the North East will allow Wallwork to provide a faster service to customers there and extend its transport service into Scotland, in turn providing room for growth at its Birmingham, Cambridge and Manchester sites.

Marshalls acquires CPM Group

Fri, 27/10/2017 Marshalls has bought pre-cast manufacturer CPM Group, a specialist in underground water management solutions. CPM manufactures and sells a wide range of concrete pipes, containment chambers and other concrete infrastructure products. The company recorded a turnover of £51m in 2016 and employs approximately 350 people at its sites in Mells, Pollington and Somerset.

BrightHouse to reimburse £14.8m to customers

Tue, 24/10/2017 The rent-to-own firm BrightHouse is to reimburse £14.8m to customers following the intervention of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA says that BrightHouse’s ‘lending application affordability assessment processes and collections processes did not always deliver good outcomes for customers particularly those who were at a higher risk of falling into financial difficulty’. Two groups of customers will receive reimbursements. The first group is those who did not receive a refund of their initial payments when an agreement was cancelled within the first 14 days. The second consists of customers whose circumstances were not assessed properly at the outset of the loan to determine whether they could afford it and may have had difficulty making payments. Customers who handed back the goods will be paid back the interest and fees charged under the agreement, plus compensatory interest of 8%. Customers who retained the goods will have their balances written off. BrightHouse will write to all affected customers, some of whom are affected by both sets of circumstances, to explain the refund or balance adjustment that they will receive.

HomeServe expands in US with Dominion acquisition

Tue, 24/10/2017 Home repairs group HomeServe has acquired Dominion Products and Services, the home services unit of Dominion Energy. The £108m deal expands HomeServe's presence in the US with an additional 500,000 customers across 16 states. This forms part of HomeServe's medium-term target of marketing to 80m households in the US and getting 10% of those signed up to cover, building upon its acquisition of Utility Service Partners in Spring last year.

Keywords Studios buys d3t for £3m

Tue, 24/10/2017 Keywords Studios has extended its engineering service line with the acquisition of d3t for £3m. Based in the North West, d3t provides quality outsourced software development services for video game developers and publishers around the world, such as recent clients SEGA, Sony XDev and the BBC.

Emtek Services bought by The Cartwright Group

Tue, 24/10/2017 The Cartwright Group has acquired Altrincham-based aircraft ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturer Emtek Services. Cartwright is a leading trailer manufacturer and vehicle conversion specialist. It aims to continue expanding its product portfolio, including Emtek's range, to create 'a truly global brand.' Cartwright has enjoyed significant growth in the last three years with the establishment of Cartwright Conversions, a specialist in ambulances, passenger transport service vehicles, police and security, welfare vans, and racking and mobility services.

Equistone Partners invests in Inspired Thinking Group

Mon, 23/10/2017 Bridgepoint Development Capital has sold its stake in marketing technology and service business Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) to Equistone Partners. Equistone's investment will be used to push into the US market, as well as accelerating growth throughout Europe. Since its establishment in 2009, ITG has become one of the UK's largest full-service marketing providers to blue-chip companies. ITG's marketing automation technology, Media Centre, is used by over 50 leading brands and retailers, including Audi, Heineken, KFC, M&S, Puma and Sainsbury's.

EFS.Global buys Euro SDB

Mon, 23/10/2017 EFS.Global has acquired the distribution, logistics and warehousing specialist Euro SDB. EFS.Global is one of the North West's largest freight, logistics and haulage groups with eight depots and offices across the UK. Based in Tamworth, Euro SDB owns a 22,000 sq ft warehouse and runs a fleet of over 40 vehicles ranging from pick-up trucks to double-deck articulated lorries.

DK sells Rough Guides to APA Publications

Mon, 23/10/2017 Dorling Kindersley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, has agreed to sell travel publisher Rough Guides to APA Publications. APA's publications include Berlitz and the Insight Guides series, which is popular in Asia whereas DK's Rough Guides sell well in the UK. APA Publications will acquire Rough Guides' whole team, including its highly successful digital division. DK's decision to sell has been prompted by poor sales for its travel publishing business in 2017.

Tenzing backs MBO at internet security specialist Smoothwall

Fri, 20/10/2017 Cybersecurity and software development business Smoothwall has completed an MBO with backing from private equity firm Tenzing. Tenzing is an independent private equity investor that targets buyout investments in high organic growth UK SMEs. Smoothwall specialises in dynamic web filtering technology for the education and public sectors, using real-time content aware analysis to block inappropriate and harmful websites. Ex-COO Michael Marks has led the deal and taken on the role of Group CEO.

NWC secures £1.5m investment for Reflekt acquisition

Fri, 20/10/2017 Nationwide Window Cleaning has received £1.5m of investment from BGF to support its acquisition of Reflekt Cleaning Company. NWC has seen revenues increase from £7.5m to £14m since BGF's first investment in 2014, becoming the largest window, gutter and high-level cleaning business in the UK. NWC's clients include the British Museum, Heathrow Terminal 5, RBS and Sainsbury's. The acquisition of Reflekt grows this portfolio with other big names that include the BBC, Cadbury, Exxon Mobil and Merck Sharpe & Dohme. Reflekt's operations are primarily based in the Midlands.

Siegwerk splashes out on Van Son Liquids

Fri, 20/10/2017 Siegwerk has acquired Van Son Liquids, a manufacturer of high-quality water-based flexo and gravure printing inks. Van Son Liquids will be renamed Siegwerk Hilversum and transfer the entirety of its technical expertise, product portfolio and manufacturing equipment to Siegwerk. The Aquabase+ brand will remain unchanged. Siegwerk employs around 5,000 people in more than 30 countries and is headquartered in Siegburg near Cologne. It has two offices in the UK.

P2 Consulting and Certeco to merge

Fri, 20/10/2017 Project and programme management consultancy P2 Consulting has announced that it is to merge with Certeco, one of the UK’s largest business change specialists. The deal has been backed by Lonsdale Capital Partners which funded an MBO of P2 in December 2016, and closely follows P2’s acquisition of financial crime consulting firm FS101. The rationale behind the merger is to create a firm with the breadth of expertise and capacity to challenge the established ‘Top Tier’ consultancies with a service spanning the transformation lifecycle of blue-chip clients. The combined company’s capabilities will encompass portfolio and programme assurance, project and programme delivery, business architecture and design, testing and quality assurance, and implementation.

PSAV gets show on the road with Hawthorn acquisition

Tue, 17/10/2017 Event technology services provider PSAV has acquired Hawthorn Theatrical, one of the UK’s largest live event production companies. Hawthorn offers a suite of services that includes creative design, production, lighting, audio, video, staging, power distribution and rigging services. The addition of its talented creative team, technical resources and customer-focused delivery model will strengthen PSAV’s presence in the UK.

ST Telemedia takes full control of VIRTUS Data Centres

Tue, 17/10/2017 ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) has taken full control of VIRTUS Data Centres, increasing on the 49% stake it acquired in 2015. In two years VIRTUS has doubled its number of colocation facilities from two to four and announced plans to create London's largest data centre campus with two new sites near Stockley Park.

BTG buys Roxwood Medical

Mon, 16/10/2017 Global specialist healthcare provider BTG plc has announced that it has acquired Roxwood Medical, a provider of advanced cardiovascular specialty catheters. The bolt-on acquisition strengthens BTG's offering in the interventional vascular niche and will be offered through its existing EKOS sales force. BTG will pay $80m in cash for Roxwood, $15m of which will be paid on the condition of meeting certain commercial targets.

SieMatic Group acquired by China's Nison Group

Mon, 16/10/2017 China's Nison Group has bought a majority stake in SieMatic Group, a world-leading manufacturer of premium kitchen furniture. The deal provides the German manufacturer with a direct route to the Asian market, where it sees the potential for growth. Headquartered in Suzhou, Nison Group is a leader in domestic appliances in China and generated global sales topping $900m in 2016. SieMatic has three sites in the UK.

Erskine Murray acquires Offley Insurance Services

Mon, 16/10/2017 Erskine Murray has acquired its Cheshire-based firm Offley Insurance Services. The move is part of Erskine Murray's strategy to boost its regional presence across the UK over the next three years. Offley Insurance has a good reputation in the North West and will retain its management team and brand for the short term.

Heads & All Threads bought by American SCM business

Thu, 12/10/2017 ParkOhio, a US supply chain management specialist, has bought Heads & All Threads, based in Birmingham. Founded in 1986, HAT specialises in developing vendor-managed inventory programs of fasteners, machined parts and other class C components to end markets including automotive, construction and EMS. It has operations in the Czech Republic, India, Poland and the UK.

Totally completes £11m deal for Vocare

Thu, 12/10/2017 Totally has entered the UK's growing urgent care market with the purchase of Vocare for £11m. Vocare provides healthcare services to CCGs across the UK, covering around 9.2 million patients a year; it is responsible for out-of-hours services and the NHS 111 call centres. Vocare's revenue grew from £32.4m in the year ending March 2015 to £76.8m in March 2017.

Aviva acquires 'robo-advisor' Wealthify

Thu, 12/10/2017 Aviva has acquired a majority stake in Wealthify, an automated investment service or 'robo-advisor'. Aviva will use Wealthify to expand the range of insurance and investment services available to its customers on the digital hub MyAviva. Launched in 2016, Wealthify aims to be an easy to use and low fee digital service to attract millennials and those new to investment. Customers can put money into one of five diversified investment plans through ISAs and general investment accounts. Startups offering robo-advisors have generally struggled to acquire AUM due to current overcrowding in the market and lower than expected uptake. Nevertheless, they are predicted to manage around $1tn of assets by 2020.

Qube meets rubric for MRI Software acquisition

Thu, 12/10/2017 MRI Software has acquired Qube Global Software, a leading UK-based provider of property and facilities management solutions. Qube’s property and financial management capabilities include facilities management, integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) and space management solutions, complementing and expanding upon MRI’s existing offering as well as increasing its global reach. The deal closely follows MRI's acquisition of Real Asset Management in September and grows the group to a team of over 1,000 employees serving 5,500 clients. MRI’s 350 employees in the UK makes it one of the largest property tech providers in the country, and in Europe as a whole.

BAE Systems to cut almost 2,000 UK jobs

Wed, 11/10/2017 BAE Systems is to cut almost 2,000 jobs across its UK sites. The company says the job losses are due to a variety of factors, including the winding down of support and sustainment activities at RAF Marham and RAF Leeming following the Government’s decision to take the RAF’s Tornado fleet out of service in 2019, uncertainty over future orders for its Typhoon jets, and the ongoing restructuring of its Applied Intelligence business. In all there are 750 planned redundancies at Warton & Samlesbury in Lancashire, 400 at Brough in East Yorkshire, 245 at RAF Marham & RAF Leeming, 340 at Portsmouth & Solent and 180 at other locations including London and Guildford.

The Hut Group continues beauty brand acquisitions spree

Tue, 10/10/2017 The Hut Group's acquisitions spree has continued with cosmetics brand Illamasqua. Illamasqua has branded stores located in Leeds, Liverpool and London and its products are stocked in Selfridges and Debenhams in 15 locations across the UK, as well as online. Illamasqua will join THG's growing beauty category alongside other recent acquisitions ESPA and Glossybox.

Co-op on the brink of £137.5m Nisa takeover

Tue, 10/10/2017 The board of Nisa Retail has recommended Co-op Group's £137.5m takeover offer to its members. If successful, the Co-op would add a 3,200 stores to its portfolio and take on Nisa's £105m of debt. Nisa would remain a standalone business and brand, but its 1,190 members would be able to benefit from Co-op's own brand range, as well as have the opportunity to be a part of senior management engagement meetings and apply to become a Co-op franchise. Owned by over 4.5 million members, the Co-op employs 69,000 people, has a turnover of £9.5bn and owns 3,800 outlets across the UK.

Stallergenes Greer acquires Canada's Medic Savoure

Tue, 10/10/2017 Stallergenes Greer has strengthened its presence in North America with the acquisition of Medic Savoure, a specialist in the Canadian allergy immunotherapy (AIT) market. Headquartered in London, Stallergenes Greer is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in treatment for respiratory allergies. Medic Savoure commercialises a full range of AIT products, including Stallergenes' own since the 1970s, and is licensed to produce individual and customised patient treatments.

Glamour magazine to go 'digital-first'

Mon, 09/10/2017 Condé Nast has announced that Glamour Magazine is to go 'digital-first' from January 2018, cutting the release of its print publication down from a monthly to a biannual event. Glamour is one of the top ten best-selling magazines in the UK, making this news a bellwether for the future of the industry. The move will mean redundancies in commercial and editorial as the team restructures.

Baldwins expands into Scotland with double acquisition

Mon, 09/10/2017 Baldwins, a market leading accounting, tax and advisory firm, has expanded into Scotland with the takeover of Campbell Dallas. The move is Baldwins' largest acquisition to date, adding some 260 staff and annual revenue of £16.5m onto its books. Baldwins has also announced the purchase of fellow Scottish firm Springfords, which has three offices and employs 40 staff. Baldwins joined CogitalGroup last year, and will reach a turnover of £89m with these acquisitions.

Chase de Vere buys Medical Money Management

Mon, 09/10/2017 National independent financial advisers firm Chase de Vere has bought the financial planning business Medical Money Management. The acquisition will see 16 partners and 64 employees join Chase de Vere, adding 30 IFAs to its existing team. Medical Money Management specialises in advising medical, dental and other professionals and has around £1.1bn of assets under management. It has offices in Altrincham, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Portishead, Sheffield and Solihull.

Chenery Maher merges with Harrison Drury

Mon, 09/10/2017 Cumbria and Lancashire-based law firm Harrison Drury has merged with Ribble Valley practice Chenery Maher. The deal will bring the number of staff at Harrison Drury's Clitheroe office up to 19 and enhance its Home and Family Service in particular. Chenery Maher partners Irene Chenery and Carol Maher will continue to work as consultants for the firm.

Safeskys lands deal with Air Partner

Fri, 06/10/2017 SafeSkys, a provider of air traffic control services to airports, has been bought by Air Partner. SafeSkys will be integrated into Air Partner’s consulting and training division.

Kingfisher Lighting consolidates with Luceco

Fri, 06/10/2017 Luceco has bought Kingfisher Lighting, a Telford firm with a turnover of £12m. The deal insures Kingfisher from an industry that is increasingly being disrupted by new technologies, particularly LED and IoT. Its consolidation with Luceco’s growing group will allow Kingfisher to continue to invest in exterior lighting, complementing Luceco’s expertise in LED products. Kingfisher will retain its Nottinghamshire head office and management team as it works on integrating the business.

Zoopla takes over Money.co.uk

Fri, 06/10/2017 The financial services comparison website Money.co.uk has been taken over by Zoopla. The £80m deal is part of Zoopla’s aim to offer a full range of services across its platforms, and includes an additional performance-based pay-out of up to £60m.

56 jobs saved at TT Express Haulage

Tue, 03/10/2017 KPMG has sold transport and logistics specialist TT Express Haulage out of administration to an unnamed buyer, saving 56 jobs. TT Express Haulage is based in Oldham and responsible for distribution for several blue chip clients.

The Hut Group announces ESPA acquisition

Tue, 03/10/2017 The Hut Group has announced the acquisition of ESPA, a global leader in beauty treatments and skincare with over 700 spas in 50 countries. As well as having concessions in hotels across the world, the company sells its own products online and in luxury retail outlets such as John Lewis, Liberty London and Harvey Nichols. All new product development and manufacturing is done at ESPA’s own facility in the UK. The investment further expands THG's Beauty offering and international reach, building upon its recent acquisition of companies such as Glossybox.

Varsity Tutors kickstarts international expansion with First Tutors deal

Tue, 03/10/2017 US business Varsity Tutors has acquired First Tutors in its bid to expand internationally. Based in Preston, First Tutors offers an online service that enables students to connect with tutors for a fee and then continue a relationship offline. Varsity Tutors' first step will be to integrate its more sophisticated platform with the business, which can connect students with experts on 1,000 different subjects within 20 seconds. The deal greatly expands Varsity Tutors' network, which currently has 30,000 tutors on its books growing to around 180,000 following this deal.

Bytes Technology buys Phoenix Software

Tue, 03/10/2017 Bytes Technology Group UK, a subsidiary of Altron Group, has acquired IT reseller Phoenix Software for around £36m. Phoenix has a presence on all the main Framework Agreements for Public Sector procurement in the UK and is provider of end-to-end solutions including software licensing, software asset management and IT services. Phoenix is based in York and has an annual turnover of approximately £130m. The combined enterprise will have a turnover of £400m and a headcount of around 480 staff.

British Steel acquires Dutch steel maker

Mon, 02/10/2017 British Steel has completed its first acquisition since its rescue last year with FNsteel, a Dutch steelmaker specialising in the production of premium wire rod products. The purchase diversifies and enhances British Steel's offering and value chain with new products and a customer base in the European automotive, construction and engineering industries. FNsteel employs 300 people at its wire rod mill in Ablasserdam and has an annual turnover of £133m.

Full steam ahead on Alstom and Siemens rail merger

Mon, 02/10/2017 Alstom and Siemens have signed an MoU to create a 'European rail champion.' The deal has been described as a Franco-German merger of equals, to be headquartered and led by Alstom in France with 50% shares of the combined business owned by Siemens. Alstom develops and markets systems, equipment and services with an emphasis on sustainable mobility for the transport sector, while Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission, infrastructure, automation, drive and software solutions to the industry. Siemens Alstom's combined revenue is €15.3m with an adjusted EBIT of €1.2bn, and the group expects to find annual synergies of €470m in four years following the close of the deal. Altogether the new entity employs 62,300 people across 60 countries.

110,000 holidaymakers stranded as Monarch goes into administration

Mon, 02/10/2017 110,000 holidaymakers have been left stranded abroad following the news that Monarch Airlines has ceased trading and gone into administration. The announcement means that all Monarch flights have been cancelled with immediate effect. The UK Government has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to coordinate flights back to the UK for all Monarch customers currently overseas, and has agreed that passengers will not be charged for these repatriation flights. Established in 1968, Monarch has struggled to compete in the highly competitive short-haul travel market.

Vitec Group snaps up camera accessories brands

Mon, 02/10/2017 Vitec Group, a provider of products and solutions to the Broadcast and Photographic markets, has bought certain assets from DayMen Group. Vitec has paid £7.6m for video and photography accessories retailers JOBY and Lowepro, expecting £23.7m of investment to go into the brands in total. In addition to this the group has acquired RT Motion Systems, a provider of wireless motor lens control systems for broadcast, cine and video cameras, for £3.4m.

UK M&A Deals July to September 2017

Marshall sells leasing business to Northridge Finance for £42.5m

Tue, 26/09/2017 Northridge Finance, the Bank of Ireland’s UK asset finance business, has acquired Marshall Leasing from Marshall Motor Holdings for £42.5m. Marshall Leasing operates a fleet of over 6,000 vehicles which it supplies primarily to the SME sector on a contractor and daily basis. Northridge will pay Marshall Leasing’s parent company a further one-off fee of €500,000 for use of the Marshall brand name for five years. Marshall Motor Holdings will use the move to focus on its retail network of franchised car dealerships.

Bond Dickinson and Womble Carlyle complete merger

Mon, 25/09/2017 Law firms Bond Dickinson and Womble Carlyle have completed a transatlantic merger. Womble Bond Dickinson will invest in both its UK and US practices, with each able to better meet the international needs of clients through alliances and referral networks they can use to target jurisdictions worldwide. Altogether the company is a global top 100 law firm with 24 offices, 400 partners and 1,000 lawyers. The company’s combined revenues exceed £340m.

Impax Asset Management to acquire Pax

Mon, 25/09/2017 AIM-quoted asset management group Impax has entered into talks to acquire Pax World Management, a deal that would bring together £10.3bn of assets under management. Impax and Pax have collaborated since 2007 in the design and management of the Pax Global Environmental Markets Fund, which has net assets of around half a billion dollars. Impax has offered $52.5m for Pax, with another $37.5m in additional payments scheduled depending on its performance.

Taxi for Uber - American tech giant loses licence to operate in London

Fri, 22/09/2017 London has become the latest city to take action against the “gig economy” with the announcement that Transport for London (TfL) will not renew Uber’s private hire operator licence when it expires on 30 September 2017. TfL stated that Uber “is not fit and proper” and expressed concerns about its approach to serious criminal offences, medical certificates, enhanced disclosure and barring service checks, and the use of software which could block law enforcement access to the Uber app. Uber has 21 days to appeal the decision and continues to operate in London until this process is complete.

Avingtrans completes acquisition of Hayward Tyler Group

Wed, 20/09/2017 Avingtrans has completed a reverse takeover of fellow AIM-listed engineering company Hayward Tyler Group, a manufacturer of motors and pumps for the energy industry. HTG’s reputation is founded on its work in the nuclear and oil and gas sectors; Avingtrans hopes that the acquisition will enable it to make inroads into the Chinese nuclear energy market. The £50m deal creates a global business with over 750 employees and a turnover of approximately £90m per annum.

LDC backs MBO at water pump manufacturer Stuart Turner

Tue, 19/09/2017 Mid-market private equity investor LDC has backed an MBO at Stuart Turner, a water pump manufacturer based in Oxfordshire. Founded in 1906, Stuart Turner has a reputation for high-quality products for the commercial and domestic markets, including a patented solution for mains water pressure issues. The company will use the investment to accelerate its buy-and-build strategy, targeting further growth in the commercial pumps sector as well as overseas.

Blackpool Airport back under public ownership

Tue, 19/09/2017 Blackpool Council has signed a £4.25m deal to buy Blackpool Airport back from Balfour Beatty. The agreement gives the council full control of the operating company Regional and City Airports (Blackpool) Holdings Ltd, bringing the company back into public ownership for the first time in 13 years. Blackpool Airport went into administration in 2014, closing briefly before reopening with reduced capacity. Blackpool Council does not envisage the return of passenger planes to the airport, but will seek to safeguard the helicopter and other commercial airside activities it facilitates, as well as 30 jobs.

Ter Beke Food Group buys stake in KK Fine Foods

Mon, 18/09/2017 KK Fine Foods has received investment from Belgium's Ter Beke Food Group. The agreement allows KK Fine Foods to expand its supply of frozen ready meals and food solutions to the foodservice and retail markets, as well as add an additional £40m of capacity to the business with the design and build of a new 60,000 sq ft manufacturing site over the next two years. In return, the deal eases Ter Beke's entry into the UK market with its own ready meal range.

Rcapital backs MBO at SciChem

Mon, 18/09/2017 A management buyout at Scientific and Chemical Supplies (SciChem) has been led by CEO Paul Gill, with backing from Rcapital. SciChem employs 90 people and has sites in Aberdeen, Cork and Wolverhampton. SciChem is a market leading distributor of scientific and laboratory equipment to the education and industrial sectors in the UK and overseas.

Spicerhaart Group buys butters john bee

Thu, 14/09/2017 Spicerhaart Group has acquired 160-year-old estate agency butters john bee. Spicerhaart is the UK's largest independent estate agency group with 200 branches and 2,000 employees. Its brands include Darlows, haart and Haybrook. butters john bee employs 200 people and has 19 branches along the M6 corridor between Macclesfield and Wolverhampton. It will continue to operate under the bjb brand.

C&C Group purchases stake in pub chain Admiral Taverns

Wed, 13/09/2017 C&C Group, the maker of Magners and Tennent's, has announced that it has acquired Admiral Taverns in partnership with Proprium Capital Partners. C&C's investment amounts to £37m, which represents 47% of Admiral's issued share capital. Admiral runs an estate of 845 pubs through a tenanted model. Its management team will continue to lead and remain invested in the business.

Bell Pottinger in administration

Wed, 13/09/2017 The international PR and reputation agency Bell Pottinger has gone into administration. In recent weeks Bell Pottinger’s chief executive resigned, it was expelled from the Public Relations & Communications Association and high-profile clients deserted the agency following revelations of its activities in South Africa, where it was accused of inciting racial hatred. Bell Pottinger was set up in 1987 and currently employs around 180 people in London. Tim Bell, Margaret Thatcher’s PR adviser was one of its founders. Now Lord Bell, he said that the firm would almost certainly not be able to survive the scandal.

Unilever buys Pukka Herbs

Wed, 13/09/2017 Unilever has committed to increasing its presence in the UK herbal tea market with the acquisition of Pukka Herbs. As a brand Pukka emphasises a health and wellness philosophy, with its products coming from 100% certified, organic and ethically sourced ingredients. The company has a turnover of over £30m and, according to Euromonitor, is the fastest growing organic tea company in the world. Pukka will be joining brands such as PG Tips and Liptons within Unilever’s tea category.

AVEVA Group agrees merger with Schneider Electric Software

Tue, 12/09/2017 French energy group Schneider Electric has agreed to merge its software arm with UK engineering software firm AVEVA, creating a company worth around £3bn. Schneider will take a majority stake in AVEVA, which will retain its base in Cambridge and remain listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its share price rose by 25.7% in the day following the announcement. The merger enables the enlarged AVEVA Group to offer a more comprehensive range of engineering and industrial software and expand its geographic presence and customer base. It diversifies and broadens AVEVA's reach in industries such as

Inflation hits five-year high

Tue, 12/09/2017 The rate of inflation rose to a five-year high of 2.9% in August, up from 2.6% in July. The main factors in the increase were the weak pound, the rebound in the oil price and a record increase in the price of clothing and footwear.

Florette acquires MyFresh Prepared Produce

Tue, 12/09/2017 Prepared salad manufacturer Florette, part of French cooperative Agrial Group, has acquired MyFresh Prepared Produce. Based in Wigan, MyFresh employs 300 people and supplies vegetables and salads to a number of brands and businesses across Europe. The deal will enable Agrial to ramp up its operations in the UK market.

Warner Music acquires Spinnin' Records

Tue, 12/09/2017 Warner Music has acquired Spinnin’ Records, a label specialising in EDM based in the Netherlands. The label’s alumni includes the likes of Afrojack, Armand van Helden and Tiësto. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ICO fines telecoms firm £85,000 for calling TPS-registered numbers

Mon, 11/09/2017 The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined True Telecom Ltd £85,000 for making illegal calls. For over two years, the Dartford-based telecoms company called people who were registered on the Telephone Preference Service as well as people who had specifically asked the company not to contact them. Despite a warning from the ICO, the calls continued. Between April 2015 and April 2017, the ICO received 201 complaints. People said the calls were misleading because callers gave the impression they were from BT Openreach and the number was withheld.

CPA Global bought by Leonard Green & Partners

Fri, 08/09/2017 Private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners has acquired CPA Global from Cinven. CPA Global is a leading IP management and technology company with over 2,000 employees across 12 countries worldwide. It provides an integrated IP platform and technology-enabled solutions for the registration, protection and administration of intellectual property. The deal is reported to be worth £2.4bn.

Firstnet and Select Data Centres to become Firstnet Group

Fri, 08/09/2017 Leeds-based IT company Firstnet has merged with Select Data Centres in Manchester, creating a new business under the name of Firstnet Group. The deal combines Select’s expertise in data centre design and construction with Firstnet’s reputation for managed IT, cloud, system co-location and workplace recovery services.

Sharp Electronics Europe buys office equipment reseller Midshire

Fri, 08/09/2017 Sharp Electronics Europe has acquired Midshire Business Systems and Midshire Business Systems (Northern). Midshire is a office technology reseller with offices in Birmingham, Cardiff and Stockport. It will be operated as part of Sharp Business Solutions UK (SBSUK), retaining its brand name, existing management and structures.

Bareface targets America and China with Invisible Artists acquisition

Thu, 07/09/2017 Birmingham-based advertising agency Bareface has acquired Invisible Artists, a global content production studio based in Sydney. With this deal Bareface aims to expand beyond its current Birmingham, London and New York offices into APAC and the west coast of America, where IA has projects ongoing with Facebook and Nielsen.

Coretronic buys Bradford-based electronics display company Calibre

Thu, 07/09/2017 Taiwanese AV specialist Coretronic Corporation has acquired high-end image scaling and processing technology company Calibre. Based in Bradford, Calibre employs 30 people and will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coretronic. Coretronic is a supplier to the majority of the world’s Tier 1 DLP projector brands. The acquisition allows it to enter the rapidly expanding direct-view LED display markets, as well as further advancing in the proAV markets.

Connection Capital backs JCRA Group MBO

Wed, 06/09/2017 JCRA Group, a provider of hedging, financial risk and debt consultancy services, has completed a £13.6m MBO with backing from clients of Connection Capital. The company has secured £6.7m of investment which it plans to put towards maximising synergies, technological improvements and continued expansion in its existing areas of operation. Globally, JCRA is the second largest advisory firm in ‘Over the Counter’ (OTC) derivatives. The company sees potential for growth following several misselling scandals and a subsequent increase in regulation that has seen banks mostly retreat from the market.

Arrow Global plans entry into Irish market

Wed, 06/09/2017 Arrow Global has announced a proposed acquisition of Mars Capital’s UK & Irish mortgage servicing businesses, as well as a strategic partnership with Oaktree Capital Management. Mars Capital services over 10,000 customer accounts and has £1.6bn of assets under management. The £15.5m acquisition would rebalance Arrow Global’s portfolio towards capital-light asset management revenues as well as enabling its entry into the Irish market. Arrow Global’s partnership agreement with Oaktree meanwhile means the companies will acquire future UK and Irish residential mortgage portfolios together.

Smurfit Kappa expands in Russia with Soyuz deal

Mon, 04/09/2017 Smurfit Kappa has strengthened its operations in Russia with the acquisition of corrugated packaging company Soyuz. Based in Moscow, Soyuz employs 300 people and caters to a range of European markets with its paper and Bag-in-Box products.

Park Place Technologies acquires NCE Group

Mon, 04/09/2017 Park Place Technologies has made its largest acquisition ever with the takeover of NCE Group, a global provider of third-party data centre maintenance and repair. The acquisition further boosts Park Place’s global client portfolio and European presence, following its recent acquisition of Prestige Data Centre Solutions in May. Headquartered in Wiltshire and with a major office in the US, NCE Group is a prominent player in the third-party maintenance and post-warranty enterprise hardware industry. The company will immediately begin integrating operations, channel partners, customers and its 280 employees with Park Place.

Canada Life takes over Retirement Advantage

Fri, 01/09/2017 Canada Life Group has strengthened its UK presence with the acquisition of Retirement Advantage. Retirement Advantage has over 30,000 pension and equity release customers, and more than £2bn assets under management. The deal takes the number of annuity providers in the UK open market to just six

WPP buys Design Bridge

Tue, 29/08/2017 Multinational advertising and PR group WPP has acquired Design Bridge, an award-winning brand design agency. Design Bridge has a client base that ranges from challenger brands to iconic global names such as AkzoNobel, Diageo, Mondelēz and Unilever. As well as a London HQ, Design Bridge has studios in Amsterdam, New York and Singapore. It raised revenues of £40m in the calendar year 2016. Design Bridge will continue to operate as a distinct and independently-positioned brand within the WPP group following the deal.

Rockpool Investments backs BIMBO at Wearwell

Tue, 29/08/2017 Rockpool Investments has invested £5m in a buy-in management buyout of workwear provider Wearwell. Established in 1939, Wearwell supplies workwear that ranges through chefs' whites to lab coats and boiler suits. The deal sees Richard Wright, former vice president of international workwear business Kwintet, become Wearwell's CEO.

HgCapital sells Sequel Business Solutions for £250m

Tue, 29/08/2017 HgCapital has sold Sequel Business Solutions, a services and software provider to Lloyd's of London and the wider insurance market, to Verisk Analytics for £250m. Since procuring investment from HgCapital in 2014, Sequel has broadened its key Eclipse product to support a full range of complex risk activities, including risk aggregation, claims management and reinsurance. The company has also seen a compound revenue growth of 14% per annum and its customer numbers treble. Verisk is a US-based data analytics provider specialising in property/casualty insurance, natural resources and financial services. HgCapital has made £20.2m on the sale.

Briggs Equipment acquires Irish Lift Trucks

Fri, 25/08/2017 Briggs Equipment has bought Irish Lift Trucks, a Dublin based dealer of Hyster forklifts, pallet stackers and other materials handling equipment. The acquisition of ILT consolidates Briggs Equipment's position as a market leading Hyster dealer, and allows it to retain an EU presence while uncertainty in the UK economy lingers on.

Endless backs MBO at Sewtec Automation

Fri, 25/08/2017 Endless has backed a management buyout at Sewtec Automation, a £22m turnover robotics specialist based in Yorkshire. With exports making up 85% of its sales, Sewtec solves production and packaging challenges for companies in the food, pharmaceutical, personal care and tobacco sectors around the world. Endless cites the trend of increased automation in manufacturing as part of the rationale for their investment.

Stonegate beats Deltic Group to Revolution Bars

Thu, 24/08/2017 Stonegate Pub Company has beat out interest from Deltic Group to acquire Revolution Bars for £101.5m. Stonegate will acquire the entire issued share capital of Revolution Bars Group for 203p per share, a premium of 62% on its closing share price on 28 July. Headquartered in Luton, Stonegate is the fourth largest managed pubs company in the UK with 689 sites and 13,100 employees nationwide. Revolution Bars Group owns 68 establishments in towns and cities across the UK, focusing on students and young professionals with a premium drinks and cocktails offering.

Morson Group acquires IT recruiter The Bridge

Thu, 24/08/2017Morson Group has acquired The Bridge (IT Recruitment) Limited. Morson is the UK's leading technical recruiter and project management company, with a turnover in excess of £800m and a presence across the globe in sectors ranging through aerospace, defence, energy, infrastructure, IT, rail and oil & gas. The Bridge is based in Leeds and becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Morson Group with this deal.

Total buys Maersk Oil to become second largest North Sea operator

Thu, 24/08/2017 Danish oil & gas group AP Moller has agreed to sell its oil exploration and production arm Maersk Oil to Total for $7.45bn. The acquisition is to be paid for entirely in shares, giving AP Moller a 3.75% stake in the French oil group. Maersk Oil employs 15,000 people and is the main operator in the Danish portion of the North Sea. Maersk Oil also manages several offshore installations and project developments in the UK; these include the Culzean gas development, of which it is the operator and holds a 49.9 % ownership. The company's acquisition makes Total the second largest North Sea operator

Factory to launch brand licensing division following takeover of Rollo Rights

Wed, 23/08/2017 Manchester-based animation studio Factory plans to launch a brand licensing division following its acquisition of Rollo Rights. Rollo Rights is the owner of the children's TV classic Mr Benn, as well as a host of other brands. The new rights ownership arm will be called Factory Rights and support Factory's main studio production business.

International Process Technologies sells two businesses to American buyers

Wed, 23/08/2017 International Process Technologies (IPT) has sold off two out of three of its businesses to American buyers. Axalta Systems in Philadelphia has acquired Plascoat Systems, an international leader in thermoplastic powders for the protective coating of metals and fabrics, while United Moulders, a designer and manufacturer of inflation devices for lifejackets, has been bought by New Jersey's Drew Marine. The value of the deals has not been disclosed.

Watermill Group ties up deal for fasteners specialist Cooper & Turner

Wed, 23/08/2017 US private equity firm Watermill Group has acquired Andaray, the Sheffield based manufacturing group that owns Cooper & Turner. Cooper & Turner is a global manufacturer of high-strength, large diameter fastener systems for use in mission-critical products such as railway tracks, steel construction buildings and wind turbines. Investment from Watermill Group will allow the company to pursue new product, service and market opportunities around the world.

RehabWorks muscles in on London with physio group acquisition

Wed, 23/08/2017 Archimed SAS, the private equity house that owns RehabWorks, has bought Crystal Palace Physio Group. CPPG turns over around £6m and has a network of 12 sites in London and the South East. It specialises in musculoskeletal (MSK) services, which it provides to both public and private markets. Combined with CPPG, RehabWorks will employ 334 people across 20 sites nationwide as it endeavours to become the leading UK provider of musculoskeletal and mental health solutions.

NorthEdge backs Bridge Farm MBO in maiden Midlands deal

Wed, 23/08/2017 NorthEdge Capital has backed an MBO at Bridge Farm Nurseries led by CEO David Ball. Bridge Farm Nurseries is headquartered in Spalding and is one of the UK's leading producers of ornamental plants, flowers and herbs. The company employs over 500 people and operates from five locations across Lincolnshire. Under the Neame Lea brand, it serves a client base that includes supermarkets Tesco and Aldi. This is the first deal for NorthEdge's recently opened Midlands office.

MBO saves Mercer Group from administration

Wed, 23/08/2017 All 38 jobs have been saved at construction trade company Mercer Group as it was sold to existing management in a pre-pack deal. Based in Bolton, Mercer Group is a multi-trade company that provides services to residential, educational, medical and commercial properties across the North West.

Adhesive products specialist Markel joins Scapa Group

Mon, 21/08/2017 Scapa Group has completed the acquisition of Markel Industries, Controlled Environment Equipment Corp and CMark Films for approximately £7.7m ($10m). Markel is a leading manufacturer of adhesive floor mats and tacky rollers for use in medical clean rooms, assembly areas, construction sites and sports venues. Likewise, Scapa Group is a global specialist in adhesive products in the healthcare and industrial sectors. The deal thus complements and strengthens the company’s presence in the US as well as expanding its product offering in Europe.

THG making pretty penny with beauty etailer acquisition

Mon, 21/08/2017 The Hut Group has acquired Glossybox, a home delivery subscription service for beauty products. Glossybox has offices in the UK, US, France, Sweden and Berlin in Germany, where THG plans to build a tech hub for the group. THG has recently completed a fundraising push which has reportedly seen it reach a valuation of £2.5bn, up from just under £1bn two years ago.

Solid Solutions buys New Technology CADCAM

Mon, 21/08/2017 Engineering business Solid Solutions has strengthened its CAD capabilities with the purchase of New Technology CADCAM. The acquisition builds upon Solid Solutions' takeover of Cadtek Systems in 2016, and adds a further eight UK training centres to the company's existing eleven sites.

Avendus Capital acquires Ocean Dial Asset Management

Mon, 21/08/2017 Financial services firm Avendus Capital has acquired Ocean Dial Asset Management, a UK-based wealth manager that manages £450m in long-only India equities. Avendus has purchased the 100% shareholding from Chairman and MD Raju Shukla in the hope of reaping continued returns from the Indian growth story.

McCormick buys Reckitt Benckiser's food division for £3.2bn

Wed, 16/08/2017 McCormick & Company has acquired the food division of British consumer goods group Reckitt Benckiser for $4.2bn (£3.2bn). The addition of market leading brands such as Frank's RedHot Hot Sauce and French's Mustard to McCormick's product portfolio improves the company's standing in the lucrative US condiments category, and brings its projected net sales up to around $5bn for 2017.

Aviva offloads Friends Provident for £340m

Wed, 16/08/2017 Aviva is to sell Friends Provident International Limited (FPIL) to RL360 Holding Company, a subsidiary of International Financial Group Limited (IFGL), for a total consideration of £340m. The sale of FPIL comes only three years after Aviva bought it for £5.6bn, although the bulk of Friends Life has since been integrated into Aviva. The sale is one in a line of recent disposals of non-core businesses for the British insurer. FPIL employs around 500 staff worldwide and has particular expertise in markets in Asia and the Middle East.

Terms set for Forterra precast concrete deal

Tue, 15/08/2017 Forterra has agreed to buy the structural precast and hollowcore concrete business Bison from Laing O'Rourke. In addition to the proposed transfer of ownership, staff and assets, the acquisition includes an agreement for Laing O'Rourke to continue using Bison products on its projects. The companies have also agreed to a continued sharing of innovation and product development.

Prudential to combine life assurance business with asset management arm M&G

Tue, 15/08/2017 Prudential plc has announced that it is to combine Prudential UK & Europe with its asset management arm M&G. The deal consolidates what is already a close working relationship between the two businesses, with M&G managing most of Prudential UK's life assets. Prudential is a big player in the life assurance, retirement income and pensions savings markets, while M&G manages everything from bonds and equities to multi-asset, real estate and private debt. The combined business will be called M&G Prudential, and retain both the Prudential and M&G brands.

Taptica buys demand-side platform from Tremor Video

Mon, 14/08/2017 Tremor Video has realigned its business with the sale of its buyer platform to UK-listed adtech specialist Taptica for $50m. Tremor Video will refocus as a supply-side platform (SSP) – the technology that allows publishers to host and fill video ad-space. The demand-side platform (DSP) that Taptica has bought is the other side of this business, and enables marketers and advertisers to target and manage bids for that space. With this acquisition Taptica is to establish a new independent company named Taptica Video DSP in the hope of expanding its presence in the US.

Carr's Group acquires NuVision Engineering

Mon, 14/08/2017 Carr's Group has acquired NuVision Engineering via the purchase of ESI Holding Company. NuVision is a US-based technology and applications engineering company that specialises in the nuclear and waste facilities sectors. The deal will open the door to Carr's in the US nuclear markets – providing an opportunity to market Wälischmiller products in particular. In addition, NuVision will act as a key supplier to a major nuclear contract Carr's UK manufacturing business signed in July.

TOM Vehicle Rental takes over rival Transflex

Fri, 11/08/2017 TOM Vehicle Rental has acquired Transflex Vehicle Rental. The move sees the addition of 3,500 cars and light commercial vehicles to TOM's fleet, making it the third largest business of its kind in the UK with 16,000 vehicles and 15 depots nationwide. Furthermore, the deal means a move for Transflex's 80 employees, including the managing director, operations director, finance director and sales director who will all take up roles within the executive management team.

Accenture buys Brand Learning Group

Fri, 11/08/2017 Accenture has bought UK-based marketing and sales capability consultancy Brand Learning Group. The acquisition strengthens the company's ability to drive end-to-end marketing and sales transformation for clients, as well as linking with the digital design and engagement capabilities of Accenture Interactive. Brand Learning's experienced advisory team will be integrated with Accenture’s Customer and Channels teams.

Abellio wins West Midlands rail franchise

Thu, 10/08/2017 The Department for Transport has awarded the West Midlands rail franchise to Abellio and its bid partners Mitsui and East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from 10 December 2017. Abellio is already a big player in the UK rail industry with the Greater Anglia, Merseyrail and ScotRail franchises under its management, while JR East's experience lies in Japan where it runs the world's busiest rail station in Tokyo. This is the first time a Japanese company has won a bid for a rail franchise. West Midlands Trains has promised to invest almost £1bn into the region over the next nine years, with £700m of that earmarked for new and refurbished trains. By the end of its tenure it aims to have created room for 85,000 more passengers to travel to London and Birmingham during rush hour.

Netflix makes comic book publishing house its first ever acquisition

Thu, 10/08/2017 Netflix has acquired Millarworld, the Scottish comic book publishing house that owns titles such as Kick-Ass, Kingsman and Wanted. The name behind Millarworld is ex-Marvel man Mark Millar, who has been hailed by Netflix's chief content officer as 'as close you can get to a modern day Stan Lee'. Millar has had creative input in several storylines that have seen big screen adaptation in the last few years alone - such as Captain America: Civil War, Logan and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment platform with 104 million members.

Mobile-only bank startup Tandem buys Harrods Bank

Thu, 10/08/2017 London-based startup bank Tandem has agreed to acquire the 120 year old banking arm of Harrods for an undisclosed sum. The news comes only four months after an investment deal with House of Fraser fell through, which led to the three year old startup losing its banking license and cutting its workforce by a third. In Tandem's words the deal secures its future, allowing it to restore its license and bringing around £80m of capital into the venture. In turn, Harrods Bank will be brought in under the Tandem brand. In the immediate future, the deal puts Tandem back on track in the rollout of its

Worldpay finalises £9.3bn merger with Vantiv

Wed, 09/08/2017 Worldpay and Vantiv, two of the world's leading payment companies, have finalised the terms of a £9.3bn merger. The deal creates a global omni-commerce leader with an enterprise value of approximately £22bn. Altogether the company will process more than 40 billion transactions a year, cover 146 countries in 126 currencies, and offer more than 300 payment methods. By combining their respective strengths in integrated payments, e-commerce and traditional merchant offerings, the combined company aims to enable commerce through a unified and global product suite that is in-store, online, mobile and multi-currency.

Liberty House rescues Amtek Aluminium Castings from administration

Wed, 09/08/2017 Liberty House has acquired Amtek Aluminium Castings in a rescue deal that secures the jobs of 550 staff. Amtek UK is a tier 1 supplier to major vehicle manufacturers with two plants in the West Midlands and another in Witham, Essex. The company creates aluminium die castings and undertakes a range of complex processes including machining, assembly and testing of parts used in engines and powertrain components. The business will henceforth be known as Liberty Aluminium Technologies, joining Liberty's growing network of metal manufacture and engineering businesses as part of its GREENMETAL strategy for integrated and environmentally sustainable production.

Exertis strengthens Samsung relationship with MTR acquisition

Wed, 09/08/2017 Leading technology product distributor Exertis has announced the acquisition of MTR Group, a service and solutions provider that specialises in the lifecycle extension of mobile, wearable and tablet devices. MTR is based in Harlow, employs 60 people and generated sales of £10.8m in 2016. The deal strengthens Exertis's relationship with the Samsung brand, which is a key client for MTR.

RCI seals £40m deal for Love Home Swap

Tue, 08/08/2017 RCI, the Wyndham-owned holiday timeshare company, has acquired London-based home exchange business Love Home Swap for £40m. The deal expands RCI's brand portfolio and in return allows Love Home Swap to profit from RCI's expertise in inventory management, member marketing and analytics, as well as potential access to Wyndham's large portfolio of accommodation options.

Gfinity gets game on with CEVO acquisition

Tue, 08/08/2017 E-sports business Gfinity has acquired US counterpart CEVO for £2.1m. CEVO runs e-sports competitions and a proprietary tournament platform to enable professional gamers to compete in live events. Its technology includes a tournament management system, an anti-cheat system and dynamic broadcast software, which will strengthen Gfinity’s position as a leader in the sector.

Horizon Discovery to acquire Dharmacon for £65m

Tue, 08/08/2017 Horizon Discovery has announced a proposed £65m acquisition of GE Healthcare's Dharmacon, a fellow innovator in gene manipulation. Gene editing is a growing industry – expected to be worth £1.6bn next year, growing to a £2.7bn market by 2022. As well as improving its market position, Horizon expects to find cost synergies by optimising pooled talent, eliminating duplicate costs, reducing R&D costs through shared scale, and exploiting cross-selling opportunities for the combined business across its global customer base.

TT Electronics sells TS&C division to AVX Corporation

Thu, 03/08/2017 AVX Corporation has come to an agreement with TT Electronics to acquire its Transportation, Sensing & Control division (TS&C) for £118.8m. The deal allows AVX to expand its product range to include sensors, LED lighting and control modules. TS&C trades as AB Electronik and is well known for sensing and controls within the automotive industry. TS&C brought in £237.4 million in revenue in 2016.

Mobeus backs MBO of Arc Specialist Engineering

Thu, 03/08/2017 Mobeus Equity Partners has backed a management buyout of Arc Specialist Engineering. Arc is Europe's largest producer of a high-quality non-stick coated steel for the bakeware industry, as well as the UK market leader in rolled steel products for use in the fenestration industry. Industry veteran Nick Ward will assume the position of chairman on completion of the deal.

Breedon acquires Humberside Aggregates for £9m

Tue, 01/08/2017 Breedon has completed the acquisition of Humberside Aggregates for £9m. Humberside is a leading independent sand & gravel quarry and aggregates merchanting business. It is based at North Cave near Hull, employs 30 people, and has approximately 3.1 million tonnes of mineral reserves. The deal complements Breedon Southern's concrete and ready-mix business in the region by allowing it to supply sand and gravel internally.

Carousel future-proofs against Brexit with LSi Logistik merger

Tue, 01/08/2017 Solihull-based logistics operator Carousel has merged with LSi Logistik to create a pan-European logistics business. The combination of the two companies will enable LSi clients to benefit from Carousel's UK distribution network, whereas Carousel customers will gain access to a range of innovative, personalised solutions in regions such as Germany, Poland, Spain and Switzerland. Both companies boast expertise in customs clearance for the import and export market.

Rotala acquires local bus company Hanson's

Mon, 31/07/2017 Rotala plc has acquired Stourbridge-based bus company Hanson's. Rotala is the second largest bus operator in the West Midlands and South West, under contract with both local authorities and commercial bus routes.

Key Capital Partners backs YorkTest Laboratories MBO

Mon, 31/07/2017 YorkTest Laboratories has completed a management buyout with backing from Key Capital Partners. The private equity house has secured a majority stake in the business for an investment of £8m. YorkTest Laboratories specialises in food intolerance research and provides a number of dietary change products for consumers, including a DIY blood sample kit.

BorgWarner signs deal to acquire Sevcon

Mon, 31/07/2017 Automotive components and parts supplier BorgWarner has agreed to acquire Sevcon, a UK-based provider of electrification technologies. The acquisition slots into BorgWarner's strategy of supplying leading technology for all types of propulsion systems – combustion, hybrid and electric. The company estimates the value of the transaction at closing will be around $200m (£156m

Endless backs MBO at Antler

Thu, 27/07/2017 Private equity house Endless has announced that it has backed an MBO at luggage specialist Antler. Founded in Birmingham over a century ago, Antler has 32 retail locations across the UK, employs 280 people and turns over £35m. Its sale marks a substantial exit for LDC, which bought the business in a £15m pre-pack administration deal in 2010.

Northern Bear acquires H Peel & Sons

Thu, 27/07/2017 Newcastle-based construction firm Northern Bear has acquired H Peel & Sons for £2.9m. H Peel is an interiors and fit-out business specialising in the hotel and leisure sectors, which generated turnover of £5.4m in the year until August 2016.

Surgical Innovations Group buys Elemental Healthcare

Thu, 27/07/2017 Medtech company Surgical Innovations Group has announced the proposed acquisition of Elemental Healthcare. Elemental is a leading supplier of specialist, high quality surgical devices to the NHS and UK private hospital groups and has been Surgical Innovations' exclusive distributor since 2007. The deal is worth approximately £5.5m and provides SI with a direct route to the UK market.

Buyer found for Handmade Burger Co

Thu, 27/07/2017 530 jobs have been saved at Handmade Burger Co with its sale out of administration to an unnamed buyer. The business announced the closure of 9 of its 29 restaurants and redundancy for 163 staff earlier in July.

Kerakoll plans investment in UK with Tilemaster acquisition

Thu, 27/07/2017 Tilemaster Adhesives has been acquired by Kerakoll, an Italian manufacturer of green construction solutions. Tilemaster's management will remain in place and continue business as usual. The acquisition establishes Kerakoll as a market leader in the UK tiling and flooring industry and provides it with a platform for further expansion. Over the coming years the company intends to invest £30m to expand its product plant in Leyland and identify an additional production site, as well as construct a new research and development centre.

Sage completes £654m acquisition of Intacct

Wed, 26/07/2017 Sage Group has made its largest ever acquisition with the purchase of Intacct, a leading provider of cloud financial management solutions in North America. Intacct’s software is targeted at growing businesses, providing financial and operational insight, process automation, and a modern user experience. The £654m deal significantly strengthens Sage’s position in North America, which represents over half of the company’s addressable market.

Tissue Regenix to acquire CellRight Technologies

Wed, 26/07/2017 Tissue Regenix has agreed to acquire CellRight Technologies, a US-based regenerative medicine business that specialises in human tissue and soft tissue products for clinical applications in spine, dental, sports medicine and general surgery. The deal, worth up to £23m, will be funded through the placing of 400m shares with both new and existing institutional investors, which will raise £40m. The money left over will be invested in the company's objective of achieving profitability by 2020.

Partners Group seals £1bn deal for Civica

Tue, 25/07/2017 Global private markets investment manager Partners Group is to acquire Civica Group from OMERS Private Equity for just over £1bn. The deal sees OMERS make a 2.6-times return, having acquired Civica in 2013. Civica is a market leader in business-critical software, digital solutions and outsourcing services, specialising in highly regulated sectors. The company currently employs approximately 3,700 people, of which 75% are based in the UK.

Michael Kors to buy Jimmy Choo for £896m

Tue, 25/07/2017 Michael Kors has reached an agreement with Jimmy Choo to acquire the entire share capital of the iconic fashion brand. The deal is valued at £896m, representing a 36.5% premium on Jimmy Choo's share price at the close of business on 21 April 2017. Michael Kors will support the growth of Jimmy Choo through retail store openings and further development of its online presence, as well as expanding the brand's product range.

Nichols buys DJ Drink Solutions

Tue, 25/07/2017 Nichols, the company behind Vimto, has announced that it has acquired DJ Drink Solutions. Completed on 2 June, the deal sees Nichols take over its largest out of home dispensed soft drinks distributor in the North West and North East.

ConvaTec to take over Woodbury Holdings

Mon, 24/07/2017 Medical products and technologies company ConvaTec Group has agreed to buy a US-based distributor of incontinence and catheter supplies for £92.5m. Woodbury Holdings employs 150 staff and is owned by MTS Health. The acquisition will complement fellow catheter retailer 180 Medical, allowing ConvaTec to create a new home distribution business unit for its Continence & Critical Care category.

Kinaxia Logistics acquires Mark Thompson Transport

Mon, 24/07/2017 Kinaxia Logistics has acquired Mark Thompson Transport. The Warrington based firm focuses on through-the-night logistics and supply chain services, working with companies such as Hermes, DX, TNT and Victoria Plum. The company employs roughly 160 staff and owns 153 vehicles. Kinaxia has hinted that this acquisition will not be the last this year as it seeks to build a flexible and comprehensive haulage and warehousing service.

Bunzl buys Pixel Inspiration

Fri, 21/07/2017 Bunzl has bought Pixel Inspiration, a UK-based marketing services company specialising in the digital signage sector. Bunzl considers the acquisition a strategic investment with the sector expected to see significant growth over the coming years.

Greenergy enters Irish market with Inver acquisition

Fri, 21/07/2017 Greenergy has bought independent Irish fuel supplier Inver Energy. Inver's business activities include import and storage facilities and fuel supply operations in Ireland, as well as an Irish retail dealer network operating under the growing Inver brand. The deal means that Greenergy enters the Irish market for the first time and gains access to the recently constructed AFSC terminal, in which Inver holds a 50% shareholding. Inver also owns a terminal in Cardiff that is partly leased to Greenergy. Inver's existing management team will remain in place following the deal.

State pension age goes up to 68

Wed, 19/07/2017 The state pension age for those born between 6 April 1970 and 5 April 1978 is to rise to 68. The Government’s new revised timetable brings forward the age increase by seven years. Latest projections from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people over state pension age in the UK is expected to grow by a third between 2017 and 2042, from 12.4 million in 2017 to 16.9 million in 2042.

Essential Fleet Services completes bolt-on acquisition of Go Plant

Wed, 19/07/2017 Essential Fleet Services and Go Plant have joined forces to create the UK leader in specialist and commercial vehicle contract hire. Go Plant specialises in the supply of operated and self-drive road sweepers and refuse vehicles to clients in the waste and construction industries. Its takeover creates a group with sales of £80million, over 500 employees and 35 depots and service centres across the UK.

Chemoxy acquired by French multinational Novacap

Tue, 18/07/2017 Chemoxy International has been acquired by the global chemistry and pharmaceutical group Novacap. Chemoxy is one of Europe's largest independent contract manufacturers with two sites in the North East of England. Its purchase will enable Novacap to expand its performance chemicals division. Chemoxy supplies to a wide range of industries, including specialty chemicals, petrochemicals, oil and gas, fuel and lube additives, household and personal care, flavour and fragrance, agricultural chemicals and surface coatings. The acquisition is expected to be completed in August 2017.

Canaccord Genuity strikes £80m deal for Hargreave Hale

Mon, 17/07/2017 Canaccord Genuity has agreed to acquire Hargreave Hale for £80m. The deal creates one of the top ten largest wealth managers in the UK with £22bn under management.

Advanced acquires SaaS business Hudman

Mon, 17/07/2017 Software and services company Advanced has acquired Hudman, a developer of cloud-based enterprise planning resource software. Hudman's CentralERP software is used in a range of industries and covers everything from accounts and payroll to operations, stock, customers and supply chain. The acquisition will allow Advanced to improve its cloud-based SaaS solutions offering to SMEs in particular.

LDC sells CTI to Endless

Fri, 14/07/2017 Private equity house Endless has acquired the corporate travel specialist CTI from LDC. CTI is a top 25 travel management company that employs around 125 people. The business is headquartered in Manchester with additional offices in Bristol, Hull, Leeds and Liverpool. Endless will seek to build on the company's £77m revenue by looking into bolt-on acquisitions, as well as achieving organic growth.

Portus Consulting joins Aon Employee Benefits

Fri, 14/07/2017 Professional services multinational Aon has acquired Portus Consulting, a UK-based employee benefits firm specialising in SMEs with 50-750 employees and the legal sector. Portus will join Aon Employee Benefits, which provides consultancy, broking services and technology to 2,500 corporate clients, covering over a million people in the UK.

Allen Ford snaps up Slough Motor Company

Thu, 13/07/2017 Allen Ford has continued its expansion with the purchase of Slough Motor Company (SMC) for an undisclosed sum. The deal is the second completed by Allen Ford in the last couple of months, following its takeover of Essex Auto Group in March. The expanded group will now represent the Ford brand in 24 locations, followed by the Kia brand in four, Suzuki in two and Mazda and Fiat in one each.

Cape accepts £332.2m takeover offer from Altrad

Thu, 13/07/2017 The share price for oil services company Cape has shot up following its agreement of terms for a £332.2m takeover deal with French construction equipment giant Altrad. Altrad's offer amounts to 265p per share, a 46% premium on the company's closing price on 6 July. Cape's share price shot up to meet this valuation in the day following. Cape provides maintenance services to industrial clients including oil refineries, offshore rigs, LNG plants and power stations across the UK, Middle East, Australia and Asia.

Sports Direct buys 25.75% stake in Game Digital

Thu, 13/07/2017 Sports Direct has bought a 25.75% stake in Game Digital, the troubled videogame retailer. Shares in Game dropped more than 30% in a single day in June when it was forced to issue a profit warning, due in part to a supply shortage in the new Nintendo Switch consoles. Game has stated that it 'looks forward to working collaboratively with Sports Direct to explore the clear opportunities that a constructive partnership and collaboration can deliver'.

Bowdraper makes tidy deal for Orion Cleaning

Wed, 12/07/2017 Bowdraper, a provider of cleaning services to offices, schools and colleges, has expanded with the takeover of Orion Cleaning Company. Bowdraper is one of the leading contract cleaning companies in the Midlands, further improving this coverage with the purchase of the Sutton Coldfield-based firm.

1pm buys Positive Cashflow Finance

Wed, 12/07/2017 1pm has taken over Positive Cashflow Finance, a fellow provider of invoice finance facilities based in Manchester. Positive Cashflow generated revenues of £4.1m with a pre-tax profit of £1.1m in 2016. The £9m deal will see the transfer of some 24 employees and 190 customers to 1pm's roster.

Berck acquires MoD supplier Fourjay

Wed, 12/07/2017 West Bromwich based metal pressings and sub-assemblies manufacturer Berck has acquired Fourjay, a presswork firm based in Aldridge. The acquisition will support Berck as it enters a new market in the defence sector, supplying fuses for the Eurofighter and F-16 fighter jets. Berck will utilise Fourjay's deep drawing expertise and experience as a supplier to the Ministry of Defence.

Next 15 gathers momentum with Velocity deal

Tue, 11/07/2017 Next 15 has announced that it has acquired Velocity Partners, a B2B digital agency with a focus on technology clients. The £5.9m investment is aimed at improving Next 15's data-driven content marketing capabilities, which is currently the fastest growing element of the marketing mix. Velocity Partners caters to clients that include technology multinationals such as Sprint, Xerox and Informatica. Although based in London, 70% of its revenues came from US-based companies in the last financial year.

C2events acquires Five Hats

Tue, 11/07/2017 C2events has acquired Five Hats, an event management agency that caters to the global pharma industry. The deal strengthens C2events' existing healthcare event management capabilities and services, and falls in line with a 5 year strategy that will see the company invest in key areas such as training and development, compliance, ToV reporting, IT and finance systems.

Biffa Waste Services buys O'Brien WRS

Tue, 11/07/2017 Biffa Waste Services has agreed to take over O'Brien Waste Recycling Solutions for a cash consideration of £35.2m. O'Brien WRS operates from three locations in Newcastle, Sunderland and Teesside, recycling waste for clients that include British Steel, Fujifilm and Siemens. O'Brien WRS employs 190 people and processes approximately 350 tonnes of waste every hour.

AFH Financial Group makes triple swoop for IFAs

Tue, 11/07/2017 Worcestershire-based IFA AFH Financial Group has made a triple swoop for fellow independent financial advisors Granville Bates, Johnson Birkett and G-Force Financial. The three IFAs, based in the Cotswolds, Yorkshire and Cheshire respectively, have been bought for up to a total £1.9m.

Divorce and Family Law Practice and Lodders complete merger

Fri, 07/07/2017 Divorce and Family Law Practice (DFLP) has merged with Lodders Solicitors. The deal has seen DFLP's 11-strong team join with the Warwickshire-based law firm with immediate effect. They will continue to work from their office St Paul's Square, Birmingham.

KKR makes solid deal for A-Gas

Fri, 07/07/2017 The private equity firm LDC has sold A-Gas to the global investment firm, KKR. A-Gas is a supplier of refrigerant and speciality gases in the UK, South Africa and Australia.

Sumo Digital swoops for Atomhawk

Thu, 06/07/2017 Sumo Digital has acquired Atomhawk, a provider of digital art and design services that has worked on high profile projects including Marvel's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and the videogame 'Injustice 2'. The deal cements a longstanding relationship between the two companies, and allows Atomhawk to expand its services in preparation for the opening of a first studio in North America.

Fiserv acquires Monitise for £70m

Thu, 06/07/2017 Monitise, a provider of mobile banking and payment technologies for businesses and financial institutions, has been taken over by the American company Fiserv for around £70m.

Clearview Home Improvements bought by Conservatory Outlet Group

Wed, 05/07/2017 The Conservatory Outlet Group has purchased Clearview Home Improvements, boosting its revenues to over £40m. The acquisition is the company's second of 2017, following its takeover of Pennine Home Improvements in April. Clearview has a strong presence in the North West, with showrooms in Nantwich, Preston and Warrington.

Michelmersh buys Carlton Main Brickworks for £31.2m

Wed, 05/07/2017 Michelmersh has acquired the entire issued share capital of Carlton Main Brickworks for £31.2m. Carlton currently manufactures around 37 million wire-cut bricks each year from its 93 acre site in Barnsley. Michelmersh says the deal will increase its output to over 100 million bricks per annum, as well as broadening its customer base and giving it access to new regional markets, cross sales opportunities and product synergies.

Claranet acquires Sec-1

Wed, 05/07/2017 Claranet has improved its IT service capabilities with the acquisition of Sec-1. Based in Leeds, Sec-1 specialises in penetration testing and vulnerability assessments for applications and infrastructure, firewalls and malware protection.

Berg to merge with Kennedys

Mon, 03/07/2017 Kennedys has continued a recent acquisitions spree with the announcement that it is to merge with commercial law firm berg. Berg is known for its campaigning stance, having made a name for itself in the 80s by challenging banks over mis-sold derivatives. The merger will take berg into the international market, and see its 50 employees transfer to Kennedys' office on Oxford Street, Manchester by the end of the year.

Clipper Logistics improves returns service with RepairTech takeover

Mon, 03/07/2017 Clipper Logistics has completed a £2.5m deal to acquire RepairTech, a provider of consumer electronic repair services. The acquisition complements Clipper’s “Boomerang” service, which is designed to rapidly recover products returned by consumers to saleable stock.

Mobkoi bought by You & Mr Jones

Mon, 03/07/2017 The mobile marketing specialist Mobkoi has been taken over by the American company You & Mr Jones. The acquisition will see Mobkoi open offices in New York City, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.

UK M&A Activity April to June 2017

Cricket returns to BBC with ECB broadcasting deal

Fri, 30/06/2017 The BBC is to broadcast live cricket on TV for the first time since the 1999 World Cup following the sale of broadcast rights by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The deal, which covers the 2020-2024 seasons, will see the BBC show ten matches from the ECB’s new city-based T20 (the short 20 over per side version of the sport) competition, two men’s international T20 games and up to nine women’s T20 matches. In addition the BBC will show “prime time” highlights of England’s international games, and short digital clips for broadcast on the BBC Sport website.

Leyton Orient FC bought by Dunkin' Donuts CEO

Fri, 30/06/2017 The chairman and CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts, Nigel Travis, has bought Leyton Orient FC. The deal, which does not involve the doughnut brand in any way, sees Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti sell the club following its relegation to the Vanarama National League.

Animalcare seals £30m deal for Ecuphar

Fri, 30/06/2017 The animal health products specialist Animalcare has bought the European animal health company Ecuphar. The £30m deal expands Animalcare’s portfolio of intellectual property and trademarks.

Theo Fennell bailed out of administration by Endless's Enact

Fri, 30/06/2017 Endless-run SME investor Enact has backed Theo Fennell in a management buyout of the eponymous jewellery business. The business had sunk into administration in May, causing 54 redundancies, with rising 'fixed costs' being reported as hampering the company's restructuring plans. Investment from Enact will allow Theo Fennell to return to business as usual – designing, creating and selling quirky high end jewellery from its flagship store on Fulham Road in Chelsea and The Royal Exchange.

Northampton Town boosted by Chinese takeover

Tue, 27/06/2017 A majority stake in Northampton Town Ventures Limited, the majority owner of Northampton Town FC, has been purchased by the Chinese sports development and education company 5USport. The Cobblers intend to use investment to mount a serious challenge for promotion following a first year back in League One in 2016-17 which saw them place 16th. The club has secured an initial increase in the playing budget and funds for the purchase of young players, as well as investment for other areas such as Sixfields Stadium's East Stand.

Sumitomo Heavy Industries acquires boiler business from Amec Foster Wheeler

Tue, 27/06/2017 Amec Foster Wheeler has completed the sale of its CFB boiler business to Sumitomo Heavy Industries. The deal has been completed via the sale of shares in FW Energie B.V. The combined business will be known as Sumitomo SHI FW, becoming part of SHI's Energy and Environment Group. This sale is expected to be one of several Global Power Group steam generator businesses Amec Foster Wheeler will offload this year. Wood Group agreed to buy Amec Foster Wheeler for £2.2bn in March.

L1 Retail lines up £1.77bn takeover of Holland & Barrett

Tue, 27/06/2017 L1 Retail has announced that it has agreed to buy Holland & Barrett from The Nature's Bounty Co. and The Carlyle Group for £1.77bn. Founded in 1870, the health and wellness retail chain now operates from over 1,150 locations worldwide with over 4,200 associates and staff. The business's revenues exceeded £610m in 2016, marking 32 consecutive quarters of like-for-like growth. L1 Retail aims to capitalise on continued projected growth in the £10bn health and wellness industry with the deal. The sale is expected to be completed in September later this year.

EU fines Google €2.42bn for breaching antitrust rules

Tue, 27/06/2017 Google has been fined €2.42 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. The European Commission (EC) found that the US company has abused its market dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage to its own comparison shopping service in its search results. The EC says that Google must end this conduct within 90 days or face penalty payments of up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of Google's parent company, Alphabet. The Commissioner in charge of competition policy, Margrethe Vestager, said, ‘What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules. It denied other companies the chance to compete on merits and to innovate. And most importantly, it denied European consumers a genuine choice of services and the full benefits of innovation.’ Google says that it ‘respectfully disagrees’ with the decision and will consider appealing.

7digital secures deals with MediaMarktSaturn

Tue, 27/06/2017 London-based media streaming specialist 7digital has announced a string of new contracts and acquisitions to cement its place in the European digital music market. It has confirmed a two-way deal with music retailer MediaMarktSaturn, which will see it take control of rival B2B music business 24-7. It will also become a supplier to another MediaMarktSaturn subsidiary, the streaming service Juke!, while MediaMarktSaturn will in return become 7digital's biggest individual shareholder.

Hudson James Human Capital acquires Vitae Selection

Thu, 22/06/2017 Hudson James Human Capital has acquired Vitae Selection, a boutique recruitment firm specialising in senior appointments. The combination of the two businesses doubles Hudson James' headcount and turnover and creates one of the largest consumer recruiters in the North.

Sanctuary Group tops 100 care homes with Embrace acquisition

Thu, 22/06/2017 Housing and care provider Sanctuary Group has expanded its portfolio of care homes with the purchase of Embrace Group. The deal includes 35 properties predominately located in Scotland and the North East, complementing Sanctuary’s existing portfolio of 68 care homes across the Midlands and South. Along with this, the takeover will see the transfer of Embrace's supported living scheme, and some 1,800 employees join Sanctuary's 12,000-strong workforce.

Vattenfall enters UK consumer energy market

Thu, 22/06/2017 Swedish power company Vattenfall has entered the UK consumer energy market with the purchase of iSupplyEnergy. The state-owned business will combine its increasingly renewable energy solutions with iSupplyEnergy's digitised customer service expertise. iSupplyEnergy will continue to serve its 120,000+ customers as a wholly owned subsidiary of the utility. Vattenfall announced that it would begin selling renewable energy to British customers for the first time earlier in 2017. From 2018, the company will operate over 1GW of installed wind capacity.

Shawbrook Bank set to go private with Marlin Bidco deal

Wed, 21/06/2017 Challenger bank Shawbrook is set to go private following the acceptance of an offer from Marlin Bidco. Following an initial takeover attempt in March, Marlin Bidco made a final, improved offer of 340p per share in June, valuing the company at £868m. The acceptance of the deal has increased Marlin Bidco's share in the company from 38.8% to 75.6%. The passing of a 75% threshold means that Shawbrook's new owner will look to delist the company, as was outlined as part of its offer to shareholders. Marlin Bidco is jointly owned by funds managed and advised by Pollen Street Capital and advised by BC Partners.

Weir Oil & Gas to acquire KOP Surface Products

Wed, 21/06/2017 Weir Oil & Gas has entered into an agreement to acquire KOP Surface Products, a provider of wellheads, surface trees, valves, actuators and aftermarket services for the oil and gas industry. KOP is headquartered in Singapore and employs 450 people globally. It has a leading market position in South East Asia as well as an emerging business in the Middle East. The deal is worth £89m.

Colas buys Allied Infrastructure Management

Tue, 20/06/2017 Transport infrastructure expert Colas has acquired Allied Infrastructure Management, a specialist services contractor operating in the airports, highways, defence and construction sectors. Allied will continue to operate as a separate entity to Colas and its senior management team and staff will remain in place. It will continue to serve its own clients as well as the wider Colas group.

EDF Energy Services acquires Imtech

Tue, 20/06/2017 EDF Energy Services, a joint venture between EDF Energy and Dalkia, has agreed to take over Imtech from private equity house Endless. Imtech is a leading engineering services company and provider of technical services to the construction, industrial, commercial and public sectors in the UK and Ireland. EDF Energy Services aims to use the businesses' combined expertise to apply the latest energy efficiency technologies and innovations to each stage of the industrial and commercial facilities lifecycle – from initial design and build, operation and maintenance through to control of energy

Blackstone acquires The Office Group for £500m

Mon, 19/06/2017 Blackstone Real Estate Partners has announced that it has bought a majority stake in The Office Group (TOG) for £500m. Lloyd Dorfman CBE, the chairman and owner of the business since 2010, will remain a shareholder post transaction. Founded in 2003, TOG was a pioneer of the flexible workspace concept in the UK. TOG's 36 buildings, most of which are located in central London, allow members to work across multiple locations and enable companies to grow, downsize and exit workspaces quickly and cost effectively. The company has a client base of some 15,000 members that includes the likes of AOL, Dropbox and Pinterest.

The Book People buys gift business Qwerkity

Mon, 19/06/2017 £79m turnover discount retailer The Book People has acquired Qwerkity, a mail order and e-tail business that sells fun and unusual gifts. The deal has been backed by Endless, the private equity investor that has owned The Book People since 2014.

MBO completed at Yorkshire digital agency

Mon, 19/06/2017 Harrogate-based digital agency Ingenuity Digital Holdings Limited (IDHL) has completed an MBO with backing from HSBC and Frontier Development Capital (FDC). The MBO values IDHL at £30m and follows a record financial performance for the business in 2016. IDHL is home to the Ingenuity Digital, WMG and NetConstruct brands.

Amazon agrees £10.7bn deal for Whole Foods

Fri, 16/06/2017 Amazon has announced that it has agreed to merge with upmarket food retailer Whole Foods Market. The deal is worth £10.7bn and represents Amazon’s biggest push into brick and mortar retailing to date. Amazon has experimented with new grocery offerings in recent years, such as the home delivery service AmazonFresh. Amazon has however committed to Whole Foods Market’s continued operation in stores under the Whole Foods brand. The company’s headquarters will remain in Austin, Texas with co-founder and CEO John Mackey expected to continue in his role.

Liberty Hall acquires Dunlop Aircraft Tyres for £106m

Fri, 16/06/2017 Global aerospace and defence investor Liberty Hall Capital Partners has bought Dunlop Aircraft Tyres for £106m. Not to be confused with car tyre specialist Goodyear Dunlop, the company exclusively deals in the design, manufacture and retreading of aircraft tyres. Headquartered in Birmingham, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres operates from two further facilities in China and the US, employing 570 people globally. The company is one of the West Midlands' leading exporters with overseas sales accounting for over 80% of its revenue. Its existing team will remain in place.

D+H and Misys merger creates fintech giant Finastra

Thu, 15/06/2017 The world's third largest fintech company has been created following a merger between banking software heavyweights D+H and Misys. The deal has been brokered by Vista Equity Partners, the existing owner of Misys, following its takeover of D+H in March 2017. Operating under the new name Finastra, the £1.7bn company will employ approximately 10,000 people and serve over 9,000 customers globally, including 48 of 50 of the world's largest banks. The company claims to offer the broadest range of retail banking, transaction banking, lending, and treasury and capital markets software capabilities in the world.

Telstra takes over Company85

Thu, 15/06/2017 Global telecoms company Telstra has bought Company85, a UK-based IT services business that provides cloud, data centre, network, security and workspace solutions. Company85 employs approximately 75 people and caters to business and government clients including the BBC, NHS, Royal Mail and London City Airport, as well as multinationals including AstraZeneca, JP Morgan and Roche. The company has built a reputation for its approach to standardising and automating data centre migrations in particular. The acquisition allows Telstra to expand and enhance its service offering in Europe.

CPL Resources to buy NHS contractor RIG Healthcare

Wed, 14/06/2017 International recruitment business CPL Resources has agreed to buy RIG Healthcare. The addition of RIG's talent pool of healthcare professionals and recruitment expertise will bring immediate strategic value to CPL's portfolio in the sector. CPL operates from 32 offices spanning nine countries, and will provide RIG with a springboard with which to pursue expansion overseas. RIG delivered over one million hours of supply to clients in both the private sector and NHS in 2016

L’Oréal to sell The Body Shop

Wed, 14/06/2017 L’Oréal has entered into exclusive talks with Natura Cosméticos regarding the future of The Body Shop. Founded in Brighton in 1976, The Body Shop is an iconic British brand focusing on innovative, nature-inspired products. It is now a global leader in ethical and natural beauty, with a presence in more than 60 countries and over 3,000 points of sale worldwide. The Body Shop was bought by L’Oréal in 2006, but has seen sales and profits slide in recent years. Natura has offered €1bn for the business.

Intermarketing Agency acquired by Advantage Smollan

Wed, 14/06/2017 Sales and marketing outsourcing company Advantage Smollan has acquired Intermarketing Agency. Advantage Smollan provides outsourced sales, marketing and technology solutions for consumer goods manufacturers and retailers in Europe. The acquisition of Intermarketing allows Advantage Smollan to extend its capabilities into several areas, including brand and retail campaigns, strategy, brand communications, data and insights, and content creation. Intermarketing employs 170 people and caters to clients from the worlds of sports, finance and fashion.

Tritax Big Box buys Ocado distribution site for £92m

Tue, 13/06/2017 Logistics real estate investor Tritax Big Box has bought a distribution facility at Birch Coppice Business Park near Birmingham. The business park occupies a prime spot in the logistics 'Golden Triangle' and is the home of another facility the company bought from Euro Car Parts in October 2016. This newest Tritax Big Box site is a 700,000 sq ft logistics hub that was purpose built for Ocado in 2012 and serves both Ocado and Wm Morrison Supermarkets' online retail businesses. Birch Coppice Business Park is one of the country's premier rail-connected distribution hubs, with direct access to the Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal and close proximity to the M1, M5 and M6, as well as Birmingham International and East Midlands airports. The deal is worth £92m.

Staffline acquires Scottish recruitment company Brightwork

Tue, 13/06/2017 Staffing services company Staffline has acquired Scottish recruitment business Brightwork, a specialist in the drinks, warehousing, manufacturing and distribution sectors. The deal gives Staffline access to a blue-chip client base and includes Brightwork's two offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, significantly improving its footprint in Scotland. Brightwork CEO Derek May will remain in his role.

R2P Group makes double swoop for UK tech firms

Tue, 13/06/2017 The Danish company R2P Group has made a double swoop for UK tech firms Nimbus Journey Information and REACT Technology. Nimbus Journey Information offers transit solutions for operators around the world that provide real-time updates about public transport. REACT Technology meanwhile develops technology solutions for those with specialist accessibility needs. It has partnered with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to develop technology to assist visually impaired people in making independent journeys.

Rutland Partners backs Aston Barclay MBO

Wed, 07/06/2017Rutland Partners has backed a management buyout of Aston Barclay. Headquartered in Chelmsford and operating from four sites nationwide, Aston Barclay is the UK's largest independent car auction group. The buyout has been led by new CEO Neil Hodson. The company plans to use the investment to develop its newest auction site at Donington Park near Derby, which is due to open in September 2017.

Improved offer made to DX shareholders on John Menzies deal

Wed, 07/06/2017 DX Group and John Menzies have proposed new terms for the merger announced earlier this year. The revised deal would see DX buy Menzies Distribution for £40m in cash, as opposed to the sum of £60m proposed in the March announcement. DX would also issue new shares representing 65% of the combined firm; current DX shareholders would thus retain ownership of 35% of the company's enlarged share capital. It is estimated that the merger would generate cost synergies of around £10m per annum. Pending approval from shareholders, the transaction should be completed in the summer.

HgCapital sells The Parts Alliance

Wed, 07/06/2017 Canadian autoparts company Uni-Select has entered the UK market with the acquisition of The Parts Alliance Group, meaning the exit of private equity investor HgCapital. Uni-Select distributes aftermarket parts, equipment and refinish products through a network of 14 distribution centres, 270 corporate stores and over 1,100 independent wholesalers in Canada and the US, generating sales of around $1.2bn per annum. The Parts Alliance is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of automotive parts to the independent aftermarket. It has made 10 acquisitions since 2012 itself; the latest, of BMS Superfactors, was completed in May 2017.

CH&Co merges with Harbour & Jones

Tue, 06/06/2017 Harbour & Jones has merged with CH&Co Group. CH&Co owns a range of catering brands that specialise in everything from coffee bars to school meals. Altogether the merger creates a £265m turnover business, employing more than 6,000 people and providing services to over 700 sites across the UK and Ireland. Harbour & Jones' founders and managing partners will continue in their roles and the company's brands – H+J, Fare, Tonic, Principals and Upfront – will retain their identities. The addition of these brands to CH&Co's portfolio strengthens its position in education and the London region in particular.

Flywire buys PACE Invoice

Mon, 05/06/2017 London's PACE Invoice has been acquired by US payments firm Flywire. The deal adds international invoicing to Flywire's cross-border payments and receivables services and will see the entire PACE team join, with current CEO James Shattock heading up the new business segment for the UK and Europe. Flywire is headquartered in Boston Massachusetts, with offices in London and Manchester, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney and Valencia.

Endless acquires Affinity Workforce

Mon, 05/06/2017 Private equity firm Endless has bought CER Staffing Solutions (Affinity Workforce) from Capita. The £140m turnover business operates from 19 separate locations across the UK. Affinity Workforce has brands across three key sectors: education, healthcare and social care. These are Monarch, CER and Quality Teachers in education, 4FRONT and Team24 in healthcare, and Medicare First in social care. The purchase follows a busy 6 months for Endless’ Fund IV in 2017, which has included the acquisitions of Jones the Bootmaker and SIG, and the sale of Karro Food Group.

Addleshaw Goddard and HBJ Gateley complete merger

Fri, 02/06/2017 The Scottish law firm HBJ Gateley has completed a merger with Addleshaw Goddard. The deal sees HBJ Gateley’s entire Scottish practice integrate with the international firm and take on the Addleshaw Goddard name. Altogether, the company has a turnover of £224m with more than 240 partners and 1,100 lawyers.

Arrow Global Group completes Zenith Service acquisition

Thu, 01/06/2017 Arrow Global Group has completed its acquisition of Zenith Service, a leading servicing business in Italy. The deal marks Arrow Global's formal entry into one of Europe's largest debt markets, giving the company 'immediate scale and presence'. Arrow Global already occupies the top three market positions in the UK, Portugal and Benelux.

Tenon Group buys Elite Cleaning

Thu, 01/06/2017 Leading Indian security and facility management corporation Tenon Group has acquired Elite Cleaning and Environmental Services for £4.5m. Tenon Group established its presence in the UK in 2015 with the acquisition of O&G, which is now known as Tenon FM. The integration of Elite Cleaning into the wider business will enable it to find operational savings and provide Tenon with access to a blue-chip client base.

iBC Health Care makes double acquisition

Thu, 01/06/2017 Forward Day Services and Tarry Hill Residential Service have been acquired by iBC Health Care, a health and social care provider to adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues. Forward Day Services is located in Birmingham while Tarry Hill Residential Service is based in High Peak, Derbyshire. The double acquisition will see the creation of two new managerial roles to support the businesses.

Temple lifted by Hitachi investment

Thu, 01/06/2017 Japanese multinational Hitachi has acquired the UK based lift and escalator company Temple Lifts. Hitachi has extensive lift and escalator businesses in China, India and the Middle East. The acquisition of Temple Lifts marks its entry into the European lift market, which accounts for 30% of the market globally. Temple Lifts operates from three regional offices in the UK and employs 125 people. The business will continue to trade under its current name and no changes of personnel will be made.

Vivendi proposes £2bn acquisition of Havas

Thu, 01/06/2017 Vivendi, the owner of Universal Music and Canal+, has made an offer to Groupe Bolloré to buy its majority stake in advertising group Havas. The proposal marks French businessman Vincent Bolloré's first step in merging the two companies; both Vivendi and Havas are owned by Groupe Bolloré, which is the family-run company headed by the magnate. The deal would see Vivendi acquire approximately 60% of Havas's shares for around €2.3bn (£2bn). The combination of Vivendi's skills in talent management, content creation and distribution with Havas's expertise in consumer science, data analytics and new

Morson establishes cybersecurity division with ESP takeover

Thu, 01/06/2017 Morson Group has created a new division with the acquisition of cybersecurity specialist ESP Group. The newly formed Morson Cyber Security aims to establish several Security Operations Centres around the UK, in addition to its current SOC in Manchester. This SOC is supported by a 'List X' data centre and enables it to offer a military grade managed service. Morson Cyber Security has established a five year strategic partnership with cyber software provider Assuria with the aim of becoming a market leader in cyber MSS (Managed Security Services).

Steinhoff gets in bed with mattress manufacturer

Wed, 31/05/2017 Retail giant Steinhoff International has agreed to buy a majority stake in the US mattress manufacturer Sherwood Bedding. Steinhoff is an integrated retailer that manufactures, sources and sells furniture, household goods and clothing in Europe, Africa, the US and Australasia. In addition to its multibillion-dollar purchase of Mattress Firm in September 2016, the Sherwood deal would mean that Steinhoff owns both the largest retailer and fifth largest manufacturer of mattresses in the US. The acquisition is expected to be completed in July.

Direct Healthcare Group buys Kirton Healthcare

Wed, 31/05/2017 Direct Healthcare Group has acquired Kirton Healthcare, a leading manufacturer of specialist seating products in the UK. Kirton offers a range of chairs that provide postural support and increased independence to people with neurological conditions and physical disabilities. Based in Caerphilly, DHG employs 190 people and has a turnover of £21m. NorthEdge Capital backed a management buyout of DHG in April 2016

The Hut Group acquires UK2 from LDC

Tue, 30/05/2017 The Hut Group has announced that it expects to create over 1,000 new technology jobs in the next three years following its acquisition of global infrastructure specialist UK2 from LDC. The Hut Group will use the business to transform the cloud and security infrastructure underlying its e-commerce technology platform, improving capacity, speed and resilience for a global customer base. UK2 will also continue to provide services to a number of high profile clients that include DMGT, Nintendo, Unilever, Nectar, Honda and Elizabeth Arden.

British carmaker Lotus bought by China's Geely

Tue, 30/05/2017 Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely has agreed to buy a 51% majority stake in Lotus as part of a deal to invest in its parent company Proton Holdings. A 49% stake in Proton, which was Malaysia’s first national car brand, will be sold to Geely with a controlling stake remaining with DRB-Hicom. Geely has claimed that it aims to restore the carmaker ‘to its former glory’. In order to focus on its own range Proton will sell the entirety of its equity in Lotus, meaning its exit from the sports car segment. The British carmaker will join the revitalised Volvo brand under the stewardship of Geely.

Pollen Street Capital and MW Eaglewood to merge

Fri, 26/05/2017 Pollen Street Capital and MW Eaglewood have agreed to merge, creating one of Europe’s largest investment managers focused on specialist lending assets. The deal, expected to be completed later this year, combines the global reach, infrastructure and specialist platform knowledge of MW Eaglewood with the relationships, track record and industry expertise of Pollen Street Capital. Pollen Street was formed following the departure of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s private equity team from the bank in 2013. It will become the majority shareholder of the combined company.

Zünd UK sold to Swiss partner Zünd Systemtechnik

Fri, 26/05/2017 Zünd Plotting Systems (UK) has been sold to Zünd Systemtechnik AG by Tim Taylor, the company's current commercial director and previous MD. Zünd UK resells and distributes the Swiss company's digital cutting systems to the UK market, having acted as its official partner since 1993. The consolidation of the companies' relationship will allow Zünd Systemtechnik to improve its offering to customers in packaging, sign and graphics, textiles and composites industries. The sale follows Zünd UK's appointment of Stuart Cole as managing director in February.

Sports Direct adds US retailers to portfolio

Tue, 23/05/2017 Sports Direct has bought certain assets of bankrupt retail group Eastern Outfitters, owner of Bob's Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports. Bob's Stores predominantly sells sportswear and casualwear while Eastern Mountain Sports specialises in outdoor and camping equipment and clothing. The $101m (£78m) deal includes 50 retail stores in the US.

OVO Energy acquires CORGI HomePlan

Tue, 23/05/2017 OVO Energy has acquired CORGI HomePlan, the UK's third largest home service provider. Established in 2011, CORGI HomePlan provides installation and maintenance services for boilers, thermostats and other technology to over 150,000 customers. The acquisition is OVO Energy's second of 2017, marking its transition from core energy supplier to an integrated energy services company. The addition expands OVO's current in-home network, which installs smart meters and smart-grid services.

Russell Taylor saves Transline from administration

Tue, 23/05/2017 Russell Taylor Group has bought Brighouse based recruitment agency Transline Group, saving it from the brink of insolvency. According to Russell Taylor Group, the £230m turnover business has been adversely affected by the growth of the UK eCommerce sector and tighter margins in the industry. The recruiter has also faced pressure in recent years after an investigation was launched into working conditions at Sports Direct’s main Shirebrook warehouse, to which Transline had supplied staff. The acquisition is Russell Taylor’s second of 2017, following its purchase of Assist Resourcing in January.

Pompey Supporters' Trust approves Michael Eisner takeover

Mon, 22/05/2017 Portsmouth FC has announced that its shareholders have voted in favour of selling the club to Tornante Group, owned by the family of ex-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. The Pompey Supporters' Trust, the club's principal shareholder since buying it out of administration in 2013, has voted 80.3% in favour of selling its stake. Portsmouth were crowned champions of League Two earlier this month.

Marston's takes over Charles Wells' brewing business

Mon, 22/05/2017 Wolverhampton based pubco and brewer Marston’s has acquired the Bedford brewing business of Charles Wells Group. The deal includes the Bombardier, Courage and McEwan’s brands brewed at the site, as well as the global licence for Young's ale. The distribution rights that Charles Wells owned for beers such as Estrella Damm, Erdinger and Kirin and wine merchants Cockburn and Campbell are also included in the sale. Charles Wells and John Bull beers will remain with Charles Wells Group, but the company’s employees in production, national sales and brands marketing will transfer to Marston’s.

CapVest Partners buys Karro Food Group from Endless

Fri, 19/05/2017 Private equity firm Endless has sold Karro Food Group to CapVest Partners. Since Endless acquired it in January 2013, Karro has enjoyed four years of profit growth. The pork producer currently employs over 3,100 people and boasts a turnover in excess of £550m

Hunter Douglas lines up £300m Hillarys acquisition

Fri, 19/05/2017 Window coverings and architectural products manufacturer Hunter Douglas has agreed to buy Hillarys for £300m. Hillarys is a UK retailer of blinds, curtains and carpets and will retain its management and structure following the completion of the deal. The Hunter Douglas Group is comprised of 130 companies with 50 manufacturing and 80 assembly operations in more than 100 countries. Hillarys' 1,300 staff will be joining a group workforce of 21,000 people.

CMS, Nabarro and Olswang complete merger

Thu, 18/05/2017 CMS, Nabarro and Olswang have completed the 'largest ever' merger in the UK legal sector to create CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang. Altogether CMS is the sixth largest law firm in the world by lawyer headcount and sixth largest in the UK by revenue. CMS now owns 70 offices across 39 countries and has over 1,000 partners and 5,000 lawyers worldwide.

CLX Communications acquires Dialogue Group

Thu, 18/05/2017 Swedish CPaaS company CLX Communications has bought Dialogue Group, a global provider of mobile messaging and security services. The acquisition is CLX's fourth in the last couple of years, boosting its customer base in the UK and Australian markets and providing it with Tier 1 operator connections across the APAC region. The deal also includes Dialogue's Sentinel Security product, which further strengthens CLX's offering of fraud and security solutions to mobile operators worldwide.

Park Place Technologies acquires Prestige Data Centre Solutions

Thu, 18/05/2017 Park Place Technologies has acquired Bromsgrove based IT firm Prestige Data Centre Solutions. Park Place Technologies is a leading provider of hardware maintenance and support for storage, server and network equipment. The acquisition of Prestige DCS indicates the company's commitment to expanding in the UK and Europe, following on from its establishment of a European HQ in London in May 2015.

Argyll Scott and Hydrogen Group to merge

Wed, 17/05/2017 Hydrogen Group has agreed to acquire London based recruiter Argyll Scott for £3.3m. The companies will merge to create a multi-brand recruitment group, allowing Hydrogen to diversify and expand its APAC footprint and Argyll Scott to accelerate its entry into key established target markets. In January 2017 Argyll Scott acquired the Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur operations of Reed Specialist Recruitment. Following the merger, the group's combined workforce will consist of 100 consultants in APAC and 350 staff worldwide.

Ixis founder completes management buyout

Wed, 17/05/2017 An MBO has been completed at Warrington based digital agency Ixis. Founding director Mike Carter has acquired the company following the departure of co-founder Chris Haslam. Established in 2004, Ixis is a website design and hosting consultancy that specialises in the open source content management platform Drupal. The company has boasted clients such as the British Council and UK Government, and will look to develop beyond the UK in the coming years.

Lloyds Banking Group returns to private ownership

Wed, 17/05/2017 Lloyds Banking Group has returned to private ownership, with the Government selling off the last of its stake almost nine years after its £21.2bn bailout of the bank during the financial crisis. Lloyds Banking Group says that since 2009 it has paid back to the taxpayer £894m more than the original investment. Lloyds returned to profitability in 2013 and resumed paying dividends in 2014. It says it will remain committed to being 'a simple, low risk, UK-focused bank, well positioned for the future'.

Transoft Solutions buys Design Pro Software

Wed, 17/05/2017 Design Pro Software has been acquired by Transoft Solutions, a provider of software solutions in transportation and traffic engineering sectors. The acquisition adds Sign Design and Lane Marking solutions to Transoft's portfolio, and an office in Cheshire to its existing EMEA presence in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Transoft has 25 years experience developing transport BIM/CAD software and already offers a range of design solutions, such as vehicle turn simulation and road and intersection design packages.

Inflation rises to 2.7%

Tue, 16/05/2017 The rate of inflation has risen to 2.7%, its highest level since 2013. Rising prices for clothing, air fares, vehicle excise duty and electricity were the main contributors to the increase in the rate, which is up from 2.3% last month. The Government's target rate for inflation is 2%.

SoftBank invests £390m in virtual simulation startup Improbable

Mon, 15/05/2017 British virtual simulation startup Improbable has been the recipient of over £390m of investment, led by Japan's SoftBank. The investment is considered to be one of the largest to have ever been made in a fledgling European tech firm and values Improbable at over $1bn. The company, founded five years ago by Cambridge computer science graduates, uses cloud-based software to create virtual worlds for use in games as well as large-scale simulations of the real world. Spatial OS, Improbable's first product, has been in live beta since March.

Huntsman acquires IFS Chemicals

Mon, 15/05/2017 Huntsman has acquired IFS Chemicals, one of the UK's leading formulators of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) based systems. IFS Chemical's MDI systems are used in a range of end markets including insulation, appliances, automotive and elastomeric applications. IFS will be incorporated into Huntsman's Polyurethanes division, which now operates from over 25 facilities worldwide.

Kennedys Law and CMK announce merger

Thu, 11/05/2017 Kennedys Law has announced that it is to merge with American firm Carroll, McNulty & Kull (CMK). CMK will rebrand to Kennedys CMK in the US, with Kennedys' Miami office also following suit, once the merger becomes effective from 1 June. Both companies specialise in insurance and cater to global and domestic insurers, as well as multi-national corporations. The merger brings together approximately 100 lawyers from CMK and 975 lawyers from Kennedys.

Stirling Lloyd seals deal with GCP Applied Technologies

Thu, 11/05/2017 GCP Applied Technologies has agreed a $94m deal to acquire Stirling Lloyd, a supplier of high-performance liquid waterproofing and coatings products. GCP Applied Technologies is a leading global provider of products and technology solutions for customers in the specialty construction chemicals, specialty building materials, and packaging sealants and coatings industries. Using its greater commercial strength and international reach, GCP will deliver Stirling's products to new markets. Stirling is based in Manchester and best known for its Eliminator, Integritank and Decseal brands.

Maple ceases New York operations to join Deliveroo

Thu, 11/05/2017 Following its purchase by Deliveroo, food delivery business Maple has ceased operations in New York and will transfer members of its team to London to work on Deliveroo Editions. Launched in April, Deliveroo Editions is a new platform designed to help restaurants introduce, test and take their menus nationwide without the need for a high street presence. Founded in only 2013, Deliveroo has grown from London startup to a global company operating across 12 countries and 140 cities worldwide.

HIG Capital sells Brand Addition to Elysian Capital

Wed, 10/05/2017 Elysian Capital has backed a secondary management buyout of Brand Addition, which has seen the exit of previous owners HIG Capital. Brand Addition is a global service provider in the design, sourcing and distribution of promotional merchandise to large corporates, perhaps best known for making Pudsey Bears for Children in Need.

Accenture acquires Australian agencies The Monkeys and Maud

Wed, 10/05/2017 Accenture has made a double swoop for creative agency The Monkeys and design business Maud in a move to expand its customer experience capabilities in Australia and New Zealand. Based together in Sydney, The Monkeys is a versatile agency that provides services that intersect at the level of advertising, entertainment, technology and design, whilst Maud's team of designers, writers, developers, directors, producers and strategists has worked with the likes of ABC, Coca-Cola and Google. They will join Accenture Interactive.

RSK acquires construction consultancy Acies

Tue, 09/05/2017 RSK has acquired Acies Civil and Structural, a property and construction consultancy working throughout the UK and worldwide. The deal, which has received backing from the Business Growth Fund (BGF), makes RSK one of the largest environmental consultancies in the UK. Acies will be integrated into RSK's geotechnical and engineering division, retaining its brand as a wholly owned subsidiary.

GB Group buys PCA Predict

Tue, 09/05/2017 Identity data intelligence specialist GB Group has completed a £66m deal for PCA Predict, a leading provider of UK and international address validation services. Formerly known as Postcode Anywhere, PCA Predict's checkout optimisation tools are used by eCommerce companies to enable the autocompletion of address sections whilst also capturing valid email, mobile numbers and delivery addresses. GBG intends to use its data partnerships to internationalise PCA's services and target new key markets.

SecureData takes over rival cybersecurity firm

Tue, 09/05/2017 Cybersecurity services provider SecureData has acquired its Oldbury-based rival Cygnia Technologies. SecureData already provides services to approximately 1,000 customers, and will grow its workforce to 210 employees (including 150 cybersecurity engineers, analysts and consultants) with this deal. Cygnia reported sales of around £9m in the 2016 calendar year.

Allianz-led consortium acquires Affinity Water

Tue, 09/05/2017 A consortium led by infrastructure investors Allianz has agreed to acquire Affinity Water, the UK's largest water-only supply company. Affinity Water owns and manages the water assets and network for an area in the South East of England that covers over 1.5m homes and businesses, serving 3.6 million people. Affinity Water is responsible for the supply of, on average, 900m litres of water a day. The consortium that has acquired the company is comprised of Allianz Capital Partners (36.6%), DIF (26.9%) and HICL, managed by InfraRed Capital Partners (36.6%).

The Dwyer Group buys Countrywide Grounds Maintenance

Tue, 09/05/2017 The Dwyer Group has bought Countrywide Grounds Maintenance, a commercial groundskeeping service based in Cheadle Hulme. The add-on acquisition is Dwyer Group’s tenth, following on from the recent addition of home cleaning specialist Bright & Beautiful to a substantial portfolio of service brands. Countrywide Grounds Maintenance provides commercial grass cutting, landscape maintenance, sports ground maintenance and winter gritting services, and owns over 50 franchisees across the UK.

ITV Studios acquires Line of Duty producer World Productions

Fri, 05/05/2017 ITV Studios has acquired World Productions, the production company behind the hit BBC One drama Line of Duty. Following the takeover, CEO Roger Charteris will step down and be replaced by creative director Simon Heath.

Nevada Investments acquires Chase Templeton from Palatine

Fri, 05/05/2017 Palatine Private Equity has sold private health insurance broker Chase Templeton to Nevada Investments, an investment vehicle controlled by HPS Investment Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners. Chase Templeton has grown rapidly since Palatine invested in 2013, pursuing an aggressive 'buy and build' strategy that has led to 75 acquisitions and grown the company's annual premium income from approximately £90m to £150m. Nevada Investments will support a continuation of this policy.

Accles & Shelvoke bought by Frontmatec

Fri, 05/05/2017 Birmingham's Accles & Shelvoke has been acquired by Frontmatec, a leading global supplier of bespoke equipment, software and solutions to the red meat industry. Frontmatec will support Accles & Shelvoke's plans to develop new markets for its cartridge-powered bolt stunners, which are already sold in more than 60 countries via a network of over 40 distributors worldwide.

Drax Biomass completes Louisiana Pellets purchase

Wed, 03/05/2017 Following a court hearing to approve the result of an auction in March, Drax Biomass has bought Louisiana Pellets out of administration for $35.4m. Louisiana Pellets operates a manufacturing facility that is capable of producing approximately 450,000 tonnes of wood pellets per year. The purchase will support Drax's strategy of doubling its current fuel production capacity in order to self-supply 20-30% of Drax Power Station's demand, whilst also competing for supply contracts in new biomass markets. Due in part to similar investments in sustainable wood pellets, Drax Power Station is now a predominately renewable power generator and responsible for 16% of the UK's renewable electricity.

Breedon brings concrete business into the mix

Wed, 03/05/2017 Pro Mini Mix has been acquired by construction group Breedon. Pro Mini Mix operates a fleet of eight mixer trucks and specialises in delivering small loads of ready-mixed concrete and screeds to commercial and domestic customers. The acquisition will complement and expand upon the reach of Breedon Southern's existing mini mix business 1stMix, which has a strong presence throughout East Anglia and the East Midlands. Pro Mini Mix will be based at Breedon Southern's ready-mixed concrete plant in Walsall.

NorthEdge Capital backs Future Industrial Services MBO

Wed, 03/05/2017 NorthEdge Capital has backed a £16m management buyout of Irish PLC Future Industrial Services. FIS is an environmental and industrial services specialist that provides a range of waste management and decontamination solutions to government, major utility and multi-national clients. FIS has an estimated turnover of £24m, operates a fleet of 75 specialist vehicles and employs over 275 people.

Bevan Group acquires A&R Vehicle Services

Tue, 02/05/2017 Bevan Group has acquired fellow Black Country business A&R Vehicle Services. Bevan is a commercial vehicle bodybuilder and a provider of planned and emergency aftercare services. A&R Vehicle Services is an accident repair and refurbishment specialist that supplies to several top truck, trailer, van and bus operators in the UK. The acquisition expands on a small shareholding bought by Bevan in 2013, giving the company full use of A&R's specialist equipment and 40,000 sq ft of workshop space.

Auto Trader buys Motor Trade Delivery

Tue, 02/05/2017 Auto Trader Group, operator of the UK's largest digital automotive marketplace, has acquired Macclesfield-based business Motor Trade Delivery for an undisclosed sum. MTD runs an online marketplace that allows car dealerships and rental companies to list jobs for logistics providers to bid on via a live auction process. This online trade delivery platform facilitates the movement of approximately 3,000 vehicles around the country each week.

Ranjit Boparan invests in Crawshaw Group

Tue, 02/05/2017 Rotherham-based butchers Crawshaw Group has agreed terms with 2 Sisters Food Group owner Ranjit Boparan. The food entrepeneur has agreed to invest £5.1m for a 29.9% stake in Crawshaws, with a warrant to acquire a further 20.1% of the group. He will also become an advisor to the company's board, along with ex-Poundland CEO Jim McCarthy, who joins as chairman. The deal sees Crawshaws commit to a 3-year supply agreement with 2 Sisters for fresh meat and other products.

Wavenet acquires Talk Internet

Fri, 28/04/2017 Wavenet has announced the acquisition of Talk Internet, a business services and communications solutions provider. Wavenet intends to use its increased scale and resources to expand its product range and offer a more robust, automated technical platform for better customer service. Wavenet is a UK provider of business voice and data solutions that was recently the recipient of over £30m of capital investment from Beech Tree Private Equity.

Victrex ties up deal for fibre manufacturer Zyex

Thu, 27/04/2017 Victrex has acquired fibre manufacturer Zyex. Victrex is a global leader in high performance polymer solutions, whilst Zyex specialises in the production of PEEK-based fibres for the aerospace, automotive and industrial sectors. The move will allow Victrex to accelerate the development of new markets and explore the potential of additive manufacturing within the fibres segment, following on from the announcement of its own 3D printing consortium in 2016.

Arden Group buys Computerworld Business Solutions

Thu, 27/04/2017 Arden Group has acquired Birmingham-based company Computerworld Business Solutions. CBS's IT support and services experience bolsters Arden's existing managed service offering, and forms part of the company's long-term strategy to build a more comprehensive service that dispenses with the need for other suppliers. CBS will eventually be brought under the Arden Group brand.

Secom acquires Northern Irish security services firm

Thu, 27/04/2017 Japanese security services giant Secom has acquired Scan Alarms. The deal provides Secom with a strategic presence in Ulster and cements the longstanding relationship between the two companies. Scan Alarms is a provider of specialist security services for all types of residential, commercial, industrial, private and public premises.

Accenture buys automation specialist Genfour

Thu, 27/04/2017 Global professional services company Accenture has completed the takeover of Genfour, a specialist in robotic process and artificial intelligence technologies based in Wales. Genfour's expertise will allow Accenture to provide clients with data-driven insights for 'faster, more informed business decisions' and better quality customer service. Accenture has trained more than 70,000 professionals on new architectures, intelligent platforms and automation over the past year, and implemented automation solutions with over 80% of Accenture Operations clients to date.

IMI acquires STI Enterprises

Tue, 25/04/2017 Philippine manufacturing solutions company Integrated Micro-Electronics (IMI) has bought an 80% stake in the specialist contract electronics manufacturer STI Enterprises. STI operates two factories and a design centre in the UK, as well as a factory in Cebu. The company provides electronics design and manufacturing services in both circuit board assembly and full-box build manufacturing for high-reliability industries. The acquisition forms part of IMI's strategy to expand into the aerospace and defence markets.

Keller breaks new ground with GEO-Instruments purchase

Tue, 25/04/2017 American instrumentation and monitoring company GEO-Instruments has been acquired by the Keller Group. GEO-Instruments supplies, manufactures, installs and integrates monitoring systems for buildings, excavations, bridges, railways, roads, tunnels, dams, embankments and slopes. This technology is used to control construction quality and monitor structural, ground and environmental properties such as vibration and noise. Keller is a global ground engineering company that is headquartered in London and employs approximately 10,000 people.

Microtech acquires Egton Network Services

Tue, 25/04/2017 Egton Network Services, a division of Egton Medical Information Systems, has been bought by the Microtech Group. Egton Network Services is a provider of flexible network solutions, infrastructure design and implementation, combined with hardware provision. The £2m business will form a new arm of the Microtech Group, to be known as Microtech Enterprise Network Services.

Vp plc acquires Zenith Survey Equipment

Tue, 25/04/2017 Vp plc, the equipment rental specialist, has followed its recent acquisition of Jackson Mechanical Services with the purchase of Zenith Survey Equipment for a cash consideration of £3.85m plus assumed debt of £2.3m. Zenith deals in the rental and sale of specialist survey and safety equipment from seven locations across the UK. The company will be integrated into ESS Safeforce, which is part of Vp’s wider tool hire business Hire Station.

The Hut Group brings Hangar Seven under its roof

Mon, 24/04/2017 Marketing services specialist Hangar Seven has been acquired by The Hut Group. The deal sees the exit of Catapult, which bought the company in 2011 and makes a 3x return with its sale. Hangar Seven specialises in content creation, catering to clients that include B&Q, Boots, DFS, Diageo, Tesco and Unilever. The Hut Group operates over 100 profitable websites that sell premium, non-perishable FMCG direct to the consumer, with brands such as Myprotein, lookfantastic and Zavvi under its roof.

SNC-Lavalin agrees £2.1bn takeover of WS Atkins

Mon, 24/04/2017 SNC-Lavalin has agreed to take over its British rival WS Atkins in a £2.1bn deal. The acquisition will combine two complementary businesses, greatly increasing both geographic reach and customer diversity. SNC-Lavalin will be able to offer a deeper range of consulting, design and project management capabilities to the infrastructure, rail and transit and nuclear sectors, including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering, construction, sustaining capital, and operations and maintenance. The deal will also grow SNC-Lavalin's workforce to 53,000 employees and allow the company to find over £90m of cost synergies in its first full year.

Heidelberg expands Ophthalmic Healthcare IT business with Medisoft acquisition

Mon, 24/04/2017 German company Heidelberg has moved to expand its Ophthalmic Healthcare IT business with the acquisition of Medisoft. Medisoft is a provider of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) solutions for the ophthalmology market. Medisoft's EMR product will complement Heildelberg's existing portfolio of diagnostic imaging systems and image management solutions. The companies' combined expertise will enable the release of comprehensive software solutions for the use of eyecare professionals.

Ancala Bioenergy buys Biogen

Fri, 21/04/2017 Ancala Bioenergy has acquired Biogen from joint owners Bedfordia Group and Kier Group. Biogen is an operator of seven anaerobic digestion plants in England and Wales that recycle a combined quarter of a million tonnes of food waste each year. Anaerobic digestion is a process that converts food waste into renewable energy and nutrient rich biofertiliser. Biogen has a generation capacity of 13 MW, which is enough green energy to power 25,000 homes.

The Dwyer Group acquires Bright & Beautiful

Fri, 21/04/2017 Trade service brands giant The Dwyer Group has acquired UK home cleaning company Bright & Beautiful. This addition makes The Dwyer Group the parent to a total of 15 franchise brands and 2,800 franchises across the UK, Germany and North America. Bright & Beautiful is a specialist in eco-friendly cleaning, laundry and tidying assistance that employs over 700 people across more than 50 franchisees nationwide.

Inspired Energy makes double acquisition

Fri, 21/04/2017 Inspired Energy has bought the assets of Flexible Energy Management and North East firm Churchcom for a total of £3.6m. FEML is a public sector energy procurement specialist that primarily caters to NHS foundation trusts and academic and sporting institutions. Churchcom is an energy procurement consultancy that operates as Church Energy Purchasing Group (serving the church sector), and Energy Partners (a growing commercial energy procurement business). The acquisitions of FEML and Churchcom cost £2.2m and £1.4m respectively.

Exova agrees terms of £620m Element acquisition

Thu, 20/04/2017 Edinburgh-based testing firm Exova has agreed to the terms for a £620m takeover by Element Materials Technology Group, pending regulatory and shareholder approval. Element is a leading global materials and product qualification testing provider with a strong presence in the aerospace, oil and gas and automotive end markets. The deal would allow Element to diversify its geographical and market presence, grow the company in scale and broaden its technical capabilities and service offering. Element's property portfolio would also grow from 61 to over 200 laboratories worldwide.

Abbott and Alere agree on revised deal

Thu, 20/04/2017 Abbott has announced that it has agreed to acquire Alere in a revised deal worth approximately $5.3bn, down on a $5.8bn offer made in February. The companies have also agreed to drop their respective lawsuits after over a year of contentious negotiations. Alere is a global leader in point of care diagnostics, which are of increasing value to health care systems in organisational and clinical decisionmaking. Abbott is a global healthcare company with an extensive portfolio in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals. The company serves people in over 150 countries and employs approximately 94,000 people.

Partners Group buys Key Retirement Group for £208m

Thu, 20/04/2017 Phoenix Equity Partners has agreed to sell Key Retirement Group (KRG) to Partners Group for £208m. The deal sees Phoenix make a 4.5x return on the company's investment. KRG is a leading provider of financial products to retirees and employs 365 people at its office in Preston.

Tesco sells opticians to Vision Express

Thu, 20/04/2017 Tesco has announced the sale of its opticians business to Vision Express. Tesco Opticians operates 209 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland, and employs over 1,500 people. The deal forms part of Tesco's ongoing strategy to 'simplify and strengthen' its business, following on from the merger with food wholesaler Booker announced earlier this year.

Green Investment Bank sold to Macquarie for £2.3bn

Thu, 20/04/2017 The government has announced the £2.3bn sell off of the Green Investment Bank to the Australian bank Macquarie, despite opposition from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Green Party to the sale. The Green Investment Bank will become Macquarie's principal platform for investment in UK and European green infrastructure. It will manage over £4bn of green infrastructure assets and projects, and continue to work towards its target of leading £3bn of investment in green energy projects over the next three years. Upon completion, 'special share' arrangements will be put in place to safeguard the bank's green agenda that will be held by five independent trustees. Investors in the Green Bank include MEIF5, USS, GCP Infrastructure and the UK Government.

Energy Services Group acquires Utiligroup from NorthEdge Capital

Wed, 19/04/2017 NorthEdge Capital has sold energy technology provider Utiligroup to Energy Services Group, a leading provider of technology solutions to the retail and utility industries. The acquisition will provide ESG with a route to market in Europe, following on from the company's recent expansion beyond the US into markets in Canada and Japan. Utiligroup employs over 220 people and provides services to more than 40 UK energy suppliers.

Greentube acquires Mazooma Interactive Games

Tue, 18/04/2017 Greentube, the global interactive business unit of Novomatic, has announced a deal to take over Mazooma Interactive Games (MIG). Mazooma specialises in mobile and internet game development, in particular game integration that enables land-based games to enter the online market. The deal will see the creation of Greentube UK, which will provide a channel between Mazooma's former customer base and the entire Novomatic Group product portfolio.

Post Holdings acquires Weetabix for £1.4bn

Tue, 18/04/2017 US consumer packaged goods company Post Holdings has agreed to acquire Weetabix for £1.4bn. Post Holdings has agreed the deal with the Chinese enterprise Bright Food Group and the investment fund run by Baring Private Equity Asia that have owned the company since 2012. Weetabix owns a portfolio of leading brands such as Alpen, Ready Brek, and the number one ready-to-eat cereal brand in the UK, Weetabix itself. The company has a global presence, operating a leading natural and organic RTE cereal and snacking platform in North America as the Barbara's brand. Weetabix also operates in Africa through two joint ventures and manages a distribution export business to over 90 countries. Post Holdings has agreed to establish a joint venture with Weetabix's current owners in China as part of the deal.

LDC backs MBO at Hill Biscuits

Tue, 18/04/2017 LDC has backed the management buyout of Hill Biscuits, marking the beginning of a proposed multi-million-pound investment programme in production capacity and product development. The 150-year-old business has announced that it will look at making strategic acquisitions to expand the company's scale and diversity, as well as implementing a new international sales strategy to accelerate growth overseas. Hill Biscuits produces over 30 million biscuits each week and has annual sales of over £20m.

Vp plc buys Jackson Mechanical Services I

Tue, 18/04/2017 Growing equipment rental specialist Vp plc has acquired the mechanical and electrical equipment rental and sales operations of Jackson Mechanical Services (JMS M&E) for £3.6m in cash. JMS M&E's operations in Harpenden and Leeds will be integrated into Hire Station, Vp's specialist tool hire subsidiary.

Arena Group expands seating business with Wernick Events takeover

Thu, 13/04/2017 Arena Group has acquired the seating and mass participation divisions of Wernick Events. They will be incorporated into Arena Seating at its existing Coventry facility, taking the company's UK stock to over 120,000 temporary seats.

Ardenton galvanised with first UK acquisition

Thu, 13/04/2017 Following on from the opening of its first UK office, Canadian private equity firm Ardenton Capital has made its first UK acquisition with Corbetts the Galvanizers. Corbetts specialises in a hot dip process that creates a zinc oxide coating on steel, which can provide a cost effective alternative to stainless steel. Corbetts is the UK's largest independent hot dip galvaniser, serving both national and international manufacturing sectors.

Shires Vets acquired by Linnaeus Group

Thu, 13/04/2017 Staffordshire-based veterinary practice Shires Vets has been sold to the Linnaeus Group. Shires Vets provides quality pet, equine and large animal health care services from 5 sites across Staffordshire. Linnaeus Group was created following Sovereign Capital's investment in Willows Referral and Veterinary Centre, and has grown into a network of first opinion and specialist veterinary practices.

Boels Rental acquires Supply UK

Thu, 13/04/2017 Tool hire business Supply UK Group has been acquired by the Dutch company Boels Rental. Boels Rental operates from 350 depots across Europe, and will make a broader range of equipment available to the Supply UK business. Supply UK employs 165 people and operates from 25 locations nationwide.

Pennine Home Improvements bought by Conservatory Outlet Group

Wed, 12/04/2017 The Conservatory Outlet Group has taken over Pennine Home Improvements. Pennine specialises in the design and installation of high-quality conservatories and orangeries in the North East, employing approximately 150 people across its sites in Benton, Birtley, Gosforth Park and Ponteland. Pennine will benefit from greater access to the windows, doors and conservatory products manufactured by its new owner, having already used Conservatory Outlet as a supplier prior to the deal

AVK UK doubles in size with Fusion Group acquisition

Wed, 12/04/2017 Valve manufacturer AVK has acquired the majority share of Fusion Group, growing AVK UK to a £75m turnover business. Founded in 1971, Fusion Group specialises in polyethylene electrofusion fittings and related products for the global gas and water sectors. It employs 320 people and has a turnover of over £30m.

Sodexo buys private-pay home care company

Tue, 11/04/2017 Sodexo has announced that it has bought Prestige Nursing + Care. Prestige provides home care to senior citizens via a network of 44 branches using a private-pay model. The acquisition responds to a rising demand for social care services in the UK, and complements Sodexo's existing home care brand Comfort Keepers. Prestige's current management team will continue with the business.

Jaeger goes into administration

Tue, 11/04/2017 The fashion retailer Jaeger has gone into administration. The 133-year-old brand employs 680 people and operates from 46 stores and 63 concessions. The private equity firm, Better Capital, bought Jaeger for £19.5m in 2012 and has been trying to sell the business for some time. Jaeger continues to trade for the time being.

My Home Move acquires Advantage Property Lawyers

Mon, 10/04/2017 My Home Move has taken over Advantage Property Lawyers (APL), the country's 6th largest provider of mover conveyancing services. With this deal My Home Move will cement its place as thíe country's largest conveyancer, growing its workforce to over 1,000 people and reaching close to 100,000 completions a year. The acquisition of APL's Leeds HQ will also allow My Home Move to expand into the North East, adding to its sites in Leicester, Manchester and Northampton.

NVM Private Equity sells Optilan to Blue Water Energy

Mon, 10/04/2017 Blue Water Energy has completed a buyout at telecoms and security systems specialist Optilan, which sees the exit of NVM Private Equity. Optilan is a Coventry-based telecommunications and security systems integrator that provides turnkey communication solutions, from design to site commissioning and support. Optilan primarily serves the energy, transport and infrastructure sectors and has an established presence in areas in the Middle East, Russia, Turkey and India.

StatPro Group seals £11m deal for UBS Delta

Mon, 10/04/2017 StatPro Group has agreed to take over the risk analytics brand UBS Delta in a £11m deal. StatPro is a provider of cloud-based portfolio analysis and asset pricing services for the global asset management industry. The acquisition will allow StatPro to extend its service provision from the middle office to the front office of asset managers. The transition will be phased over a 3-5 year period as UBS Delta is incorporated into the company's flagship product, StatPro Revolution

Chess makes move for Foursys

Mon, 10/04/2017 Telecoms and ICT provider Chess has bought cybersecurity specialist Foursys. Foursys is a cybersecurity consultancy that caters to a gamut of public sector, SMB, corporate and enterprise clients. The acquisition complements the large suite of services that Chess already offers

BlueGem sews up deal for yarn manufacturer Sirdar

Mon, 10/04/2017 BlueGem Capital has completed a £21m deal for yarn manufacturer Sirdar. Sirdar is the third needlecraft company that BlueGem has invested in since August 2016, along with Dollfus-Mieg et Compagnie (DMC) and Wool and the Gang. Together these companies will form a new DMC Group, to be formally known as Crafts Group Holding.

Tech Data completes £2bn takeover of Avnet's Technology Solutions

Fri, 07/04/2017 Tech Data Corporation has completed a £2bn deal for Avnet’s Technology Solutions business. Technology Solutions is a leading IT solutions distributor that provides technology services, software, hardware and solutions to 20,000 customers in 80 countries worldwide. Tech Data has operations in 40 countries, employs 14,000 people and caters to 115,000 customers in over 100 countries. The acquisition will create a united data centre business that will benefit from the complementary skills, expanded vendor relationships and new customer sets the companies provide one another. Technology Solutions will be integrated into Tech Data’s data centre business in Europe (Azlan), whilst Tech Data’s subsidiary AIS will be integrated into Technology Solutions in the Americas. As a result of the acquisition, Tech Data will also make its market entry in the Asia-Pacific region.

Motorsport Network acquires Sutton Images

Fri, 07/04/2017 Motorsport Network has acquired Sutton Images as part of an ongoing endeavour to collate a definitive visual history of Formula 1. The deal adds a further four million images to Motorsport’s collection and includes the David Phipps’ archive, which showcases the work of notable photographers such as Nigel Snowdon, David Winter, Pam Rowe and Duncan Cubitt. This follows on from Motorsport’s purchase of LAT Images in 2016 and grows its archive to a total of over 17m assets.

Intertek buys KJ Tech Services

Fri, 07/04/2017 Intertek has announced the acquisition of KJ Tech Services, a leading provider of vehicle, component, lubrication and fuel testing services based in Germany. The acquisition reflects the drive to meet environmental regulations in the automotive industry, with KJ Tech’s expertise in ‘on-road’ testing brought in to complement Intertek’s existing laboratory testing services. Intertek is a global Total Quality Assurance provider that employs more than 42,000 people and manages a network of over 1,000 laboratories and offices worldwide.

MBO completed at North West Timber Treatments

Fri, 07/04/2017 Builders' merchant North West Timber Treatments has been bought out by founding director Roger Mayor. NWTT owns 4 depots, employs 76 people and recorded revenues of £10m in 2015.

Open GI acquires Transactor Global Solutions in £40m deal

Thu, 06/04/2017 UK software company Transactor Global Solutions has been acquired by Open GI for £40m. TGSL is a provider of a policy administration and ratings platform in the UK general insurance market. The deal will see approximately 200 staff from offices in Milton Keynes, Winchester, Macedonia and Poland join the enlarged group.

UK M&A Activity January to March 2017

Aspinall Capital Partners and Jon Moulton make Vertik-Al acquisition

Fri, 31/03/2017 Renowned venture capitalist Jon Moulton and Aspinall Capital Partners have made a joint acquisition of Birmingham based engineering company Vertik-Al. The £11m turnover business was the first to introduce vertical powder coating of aluminium to the UK, and has remained the market leader in this process. Powder coating represents over 15% of the industrial finishing market.

Equiom buys Eagle Consulting

Fri, 31/03/2017 Equiom has acquired Eagle Consulting, an Inverness based professional services outsourcing firm. Eagle Consulting provides management and statutory accounting, payroll, tax and compliance services, direct debiting and treasury services, and is the second largest BACS bureau in the UK. The acquisition will improve Equiom's accountancy offering and see the addition of 64 Eagle staff to the group.

Busy Bees acquires 61 sites with Treetops Nurseries purchase

Fri, 31/03/2017 Treetops Nurseries has been acquired by Busy Bees, the largest childcare provider in the UK. Busy Bees provides training for more than 8,000 staff and cares for over 35,000 children nationwide. Treetops Nurseries' 61 sites are predominantly located in the South East and East of England and will grow Busy Bees' portfolio to a total of 329 nurseries.

GE Healthcare acquires fetal monitor innovator Monica

Fri, 31/03/2017 GE Healthcare has acquired Monica Healthcare, a University of Nottingham business that has developed a new technology for monitoring expectant mothers. Monica's wireless fetal monitors were used by over 100,000 patients worldwide last year.

32Red accepts buyout offer from Kindred Group

Fri, 31/03/201732 Red has accepted a £175.6m offer from Swedish online gaming company Kindred Group. The acquisition will include 32Red's portfolio of online casino, poker, bingo and sports betting websites, bolstering Kindred's position in the UK gaming market. 32Red employs approximately 125 people at its offices in Gibraltar.

BearingPoint acquires LCP Consulting

Thu, 30/03/2017 Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint has acquired LCP Consulting, the UK-based supply chain management specialist. The deal will enhance BearingPoint's operations service line and its capabilities in the retail, consumer goods and manufacturing sectors, as well as adding several large UK retailers to its client list.

Lion Capital completes £72m deal for Grenade Holdings

Thu, 30/03/2017 Lion Capital has completed a £72m deal to acquire fast-growing sports nutrition company Grenade Holdings from Grovepoint Capital and the company's founders. Lion is a consumer-facing private equity firm known for investing in food brands including Weetabix, Kettle Chips and Orangina-Schweppes. Grenade produces a range of high protein bars and drinks that are sold in over 100 countries worldwide. In February it was number 40 on the SME Export Track 100 in The Sunday Times.

Mills & Reeve and Maxwell Winward to merge

Thu, 30/03/2017 Mills & Reeve has announced a merger with fellow London law firm Maxwell Winward, which is known for its real estate, surety, projects and construction practices. The combined company will operate as Mills & Reeve from from 1 June 2017, when the two companies officially merge.

Systemax sells Misco to Hilco Capital

Thu, 30/03/2017 Hilco Capital and ex-Selection Services CEO Alan Cantwell have reached an agreement to acquire Misco, the European IT solutions arm of Systemax. Following the deal Systemax will focus on its industrial products business in America and France whilst Misco will be led by the management buy-in team headed by Alan Cantwell. Misco is one of Europe’s largest suppliers of IT hardware, software and services, employing more than 1,000 people across the continent and boasting a turnover in excess of £400m.

Metronet continues acquisitions spree with Venus investment

Tue, 28/03/2017 Following on from its purchase of M247 in October 2016, Metronet has taken over the fibre network provider Venus Business Communications. The acquisition improves Metronet's capabilities in the strategically important London market as it seeks to build its transit network across Europe. The deal adds six datacentres to the Livingbridge-backed firm's portfolio and takes its workforce to 230 people.

Assay Corporate Finance announces merger

Tue, 28/03/2017 In a move to expand its national coverage and service offering, Assay Corporate Finance has announced a merger with boutique financial services firm Jasper Corporate Finance. The combined company will operate as Assay Corporate Finance and become a part of the international mergers and acquisitions partnership IMAP. It will operate from offices in Birmingham and London and specialise in mid-market transactions from £5m-£50m.

Endless rescues Jones Bootmaker from administration

Tue, 28/03/2017 Private equity firm Endless has acquired the assets of Jones Bootmaker in a deal that rescues the 160 year old company from administration. The acquisition secures the future of over 800 jobs and means the company’s 72 stores and head office will continue to operate as normal.

Bain Capital acquires MKM Building Supplies

Mon, 27/03/2017 Bain Capital has taken over LDC and 3i's stakes in MKM Building Supplies. MKM is one of the country’s largest builders’ merchants, having trebled revenues and profits in the last 10 years. The company employs 1,100 people across 47 branches nationwide and generated revenues of £284m in 2016.

Intrinsic Financial Services to acquire Caerus

Fri, 24/03/2017 Old Mutual Wealth subsidiary Intrinsic Financial Services has reached an agreement to take over Caerus, the financial adviser network. Caerus manages a total of £4bn of assets with over 300 advisers working at its offices in Manchester and Swindon. The acquisition is pending regulatory approval and agreement from Caerus shareholders.

Progeny backs Quadrant MBO

Fri, 24/03/2017 Progeny Group has backed a management buyout at wealth management company Quadrant Group. The partnership with Progeny will allow Quadrant to offer an expanded range of services, such as legal and tax advice, whilst continuing to build on the company’s core wealth management offering. The Quadrant team will join Progeny following the deal.

Optal to acquire Invapay

Thu, 23/03/2017 Global B2B payment solutions and virtual card specialist Optal has announced the acquisition of Invapay, pending FCA approval. Invapay provides a cloud-based payment platform for businesses that cuts out the need to sign up for a merchant facility, allowing Optal to offer a more complete B2B payment solution. The Invapay team will remain with the business post acquisition.

Shoe retailer Brantano goes into administration

Thu, 23/03/2017 The shoe retailer Brantano has gone into administration. The company operates 73 stores and 64 concessions across the UK and employs around 1,000 staff. Brantano has experienced difficult trading conditions and, according to the administrators, has also been ‘hit hard by the sharp decline in sterling, the ongoing shift in consumer shopping habits and the evolution of the UK retail environment’. Attempts to find a buyer for the business have failed. The company continues to trade while the administrators assess its trading strategy and any interest in parts of the business.

Bluesky International expands into US with Col-East acquisition

Thu, 23/03/2017 Bluesky International has acquired US aerial survey company Col-East. Bluesky caters to a growing demand for specialist large scale mapping, 3D modelling and feature extraction in Europe and aims to capitalise on parallel growth in the US market with the deal.

MBO completed at Park Cakes

Thu, 23/03/2017 Premium cake maker Park Cakes has been bought by its management from Vision Capital. With revenues of £160m, Park Cakes is a leading supplier of cakes and desserts to supermarkets such as Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl. The company employs 1,500 at its sites in Bolton and Oldham.

Travelers to buy Simply Business for £400m

Thu, 23/03/2017 American insurance company Travelers has agreed to buy Simply Business from Aquiline Capital for around £400m. With over 425,000 microbusiness customers, Simply Business is a leading distributor of small business insurance policies in the UK. The deal will enable Simply Business to build the brand in the US after recently establishing operations there.

Mechan acquired by major French rail group

Tue, 21/03/2017 French rail solutions company CIM has acquired Mechan, a Sheffield-based manufacturer of rail and handling systems. The acquisition forms a part of CIM’s plan to become a world leader in turnkey railway workshop solutions, adding a range of products to the company’s portfolio such as lifting jacks, equipment drops and traversers. Following the takeover Mechan will retain its name, management and personnel.

Inflation jumps to 2.3%

Tue, 21/03/2017 Inflation rose to 2.3% in February, up from 1.8% in January. The fall in the value of the pound following the Brexit vote has increased the price of imports and the rising costs of imported fuel and food were the main contributors to the increase in the rate.

Wood Group takes over Amec Foster Wheeler for £2.2bn

Mon, 20/03/2017 Wood Group has agreed a £2.2bn deal to take over its rival Amec Foster Wheeler. The combined group will be able to operate at a greater scale across a diverse range of sectors, including oil & gas, chemicals, renewables, environment & infrastructure and mining, and save approximately £110m per year in cost synergies. The acquisition will result in Amec Foster Wheeler shareholders owning approximately 44% of the company.

IESA gets Active

Mon, 20/03/2017 The business process outsourcer IESA has bought Active, the supply chain management services group. Active specialises in the aerospace, automotive and energy industries and provides services to several large manufacturers, including Michelin, Rolls Royce, Siemens and Toyota.

Cass Information Systems buys Effective Telecoms

Fri, 17/03/2017 NASDAQ-listed Cass Information Systems has acquired Effective Telecoms (Efftel), a UK-based telecom expense management company. Cass is a provider of integrated information and payment management solutions and will use the deal to improve the company’s service delivery quality and scale in Europe.

Origin Enterprises acquires Bunn Fertiliser assets

Fri, 17/03/2017 Origin Enterprises has agreed terms to acquire certain assets from Bunn Fertiliser for £14.2m. Bunn is a leading provider of prescription fertiliser blends and nutrition management systems with an established business-to-business and retail customer franchise. The deal will enable Origin to expand its fertiliser blending and customer service capabilities.

Pricing Solutions acquired by iris

Thu, 16/03/2017 The Toronto-based business Pricing Solutions has been bought by iris. Pricing Solutions is a pricing specialist that owns franchises across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and works with a portfolio of blue-chip and FTSE100 clients. Pricing Solutions will be integrated into iris Concise, extending its management consultancy capabilities into pricing strategy.

Endless LLP buys SIG's carpet and flooring business

Thu, 16/03/2017 Endless LLP has acquired SIG’s £100m-turnover carpet and flooring business. C&F is one of the country’s largest floor covering businesses, employing over 380 people across the UK. It will henceforth trade independently as Carpet and Flooring (Trading) Limited.

SEGRO acquires full ownership of the Airport Property Partnership

Wed, 15/03/2017 SEGRO has announced that it has acquired Aviva Investors’ 50% share of the Airport Property Partnership for £365m, giving it full ownership. The APP is a joint venture formed between Aviva Investors and SEGRO in 2010; it contains 21 property assets that are valued altogether at £1.1bn, the majority of which are located at Heathrow Airport.

Evoluted takes over local rival Reflow Studio

Wed, 15/03/2017 Sheffield-based digital agency Evoluted has acquired local rival Reflow Studio, a digital design and print business. Reflow’s 5 staff will leave their office in Hathersage to join Evoluted in Sheffield’s city centre, growing the Evoluted team to 25.

Hachette UK acquires e-book publisher Bookouture

Fri, 10/03/2017 The independent e-book publisher Bookouture has been acquired by Hachette UK. Founded just four years ago by ex-Harlequin/Mills & Boon marketer Oliver Rhodes, the company is a specialist in e-book publishing, reaching over a million sales with some titles. Hachette is the country's second largest publisher and will set up a partnership between Bookouture and its Little, Brown division, which will release some of Bookouture's titles in print. Bookouture's 16 staff will continue to work from their office in King's Cross.

Network 4 Home Delivery acquired by Rhenus

Tue, 07/03/2017 The Rhenus Group has taken over Network 4 Home Delivery. The Manchester-based business specialises in the delivery and installation of beds and mattresses, white goods and other furniture, as well as offering an environmentally-friendly disposal and returns service for old furniture and mattresses. Network 4 Home Delivery will become a part of Rhenus Home Delivery, which makes its entry into the UK with the deal.

General Motors to sell Opel-Vauxhall to Peugeot-Citroen

Mon, 06/03/2017 Peugeot-Citroen has reached an agreement with General Motors to acquire GM's Opel-Vauxhall subsidiary and GM Financial's European operations for a combined £1.9bn, making PSA Group the second largest automotive company in Europe. The takeover of Opel-Vauxhall includes all automotive operations, whilst the acquisition of GM Financial's European operations is to be a 50/50 joint venture with BNP Paribas. The deal for Opel-Vauxhall comprises of six assembly and five component manufacturing facilities, one engineering centre and approximately 40,000 employees in all.

Aberdeen Asset Management and Standard Life propose £11bn merger

Mon, 06/03/2017 Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management have announced the terms of a £11bn merger. The deal will create the UK's largest and Europe's second largest active asset manager with 50 distribution locations, clients in over 80 countries and £660bn of assets under administration. The combined company's board and executive management team will draw equally from each company, with Keith Skeoch and Martin Gilbert becoming joint CEOs.

DPS expands into UK with acquisition of Alban Technical Recruitment

Fri, 03/03/2017 Irish engineering and project management group DPS has acquired Alban Technical Recruitment. Alban provides contract engineering personnel for the pharmaceutical, medical device and microelectronics industries, and owns offices in St Albans and Macclesfield. The deal enables DPS to establish its professional outsourcing business in the UK.

Colson Castors acquired out of administration by Colson UK

Thu, 02/03/2017 Colson Castors has been acquired out of administration by Colson UK, a new subsidiary of Colson Group Holdings. Colson UK has acquired the majority of the company's assets and expects to relocate the business within the West Bromwich area.

Sportech to sell The Football Pools for £83m

Thu, 02/03/2017 Sportech has announced an agreement with OpCapita to sell The Football Pools for £83m. The business will be acquired by FP Acquisitions, a newly created company controlled by funds managed by OpCapita.

The Pexion Group acquires Birmingham-based manufacturer SKN Electronics

Thu, 02/03/2017 Chorley-based engineering service provider The Pexion Group has bought SKN Electronics, an electronics manufacturer that specialises in the assembly of printed circuit boards. With over 25 years of experience, SKN Electronics provides a range of tailored manufacturing services from a 13,000 square foot facility in Birmingham.

Keepmoat to sell regeneration business to ENGIE for £330m

Thu, 02/03/2017 The housebuilder Keepmoat has agreed to sell its regeneration business to ENGIE for £330m. Keepmoat specialises in the design, refurbishment and upgrade of buildings and places; it has long-term relationships with many of the country's largest housing associations and over 170 local authorities, a £1bn order book and a £9bn pipeline of regeneration opportunities across the UK. The deal will expand the scope of ENGIE's energy and facility management services and see the transfer of some 2,500 staff onto its books.

Lianhetech buys Fine Industries from NorthEdge Capital

Thu, 02/03/2017 The Chinese life sciences company Lianhe Chemical Technology Company has acquired Fine Industries from NorthEdge Capital. The deal, which includes subsidiaries Fine Organics and Fine Environmental Services, is designed to provide Lianhetech with a clearer route to market in Crop Protection, Pharma and Performance Chemicals in Europe, and to expand the company's portfolio of product development & manufacturing services and solutions. Fine Industries employs 220 people and has annual revenues of approximately £52m.

Turner & Townsend acquires asset management consultancy AMCL

Wed, 01/03/2017 Global construction consultancy Turner & Townsend has acquired AMCL, a specialist asset advisory company. AMCL supplies performance diagnostics and capability analysis to asset owners and owns offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Sydney. AMCL's expertise will allow Turner & Townsend to improve its consultancy service for the entire asset lifecycle, covering everything from acquisition and planning through to delivery and operation.

New Signature acquires fellow Microsoft partner Paradigm Systems

Wed, 01/03/2017 New Signature has announced the acquisition of fellow Microsoft partner Paradigm Systems, a provider of end to end services on Office 365 and Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. New Signature has previously collaborated with Paradigm to deliver on large projects for global enterprises, and hopes this first UK acquisition will expand the company’s digital transformation capabilities.

MVF acquires Startups.co.uk

Wed, 01/03/2017 Startups.co.uk has been acquired by the fast-growing technology company MVF. Established in 2000, Startups.co.uk is a small business advice platform, attracting a readership of 4.8 million in 2016. MVF is a customer generation and online acquisition specialist that employs over 300 people at its offices in Kentish Town; the Startups.co.uk team will join MVF there.

TBWA Worldwide invests in Lucky Generals

Wed, 01/03/2017 TBWA Worldwide, the Omnicom-owned advertising group, has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in UK creative agency Lucky Generals. Following the deal TBWA will form TBWA UK Group, which will consist of Lucky Generals and TBWA\London. Lucky Generals’ clients include Amazon, Paddy Power, Betfair, Hostelworld and Unilever.

Accenture to acquire German digital agency SinnerSchrader AG

Mon, 27/02/2017 Accenture has agreed to purchase a 62% stake in the German digital marketing and advertising agency SinnerSchrader AG. Accenture will use the acquisition to strengthen the customer experience capabilities of Accenture Interactive in Germany, with current SinnerSchrader CEO Matthias Schrader coming to head the digital agency in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Accenture has also announced that it will bid for the remaining 38% of shares not covered in this deal.

Kleen-Tex welcomes The Turtle Mat Company to the fold

Fri, 24/02/2017 Mat manufacturer Kleen-Tex Industries has announced that it has added The Turtle Mat Company to its portfolio of businesses. Turtle Mat is a leading brand for residential doormats in the UK, supplying to over 300 trade customers including retail giants John Lewis, Countrywide and Lakeland.

Livingbridge acquires Stowe Family Law

Fri, 24/02/2017 Private equity firm Livingbridge has acquired Stowe Family Law, the UK's largest family law firm. SFL currently owns 10 offices nationwide and plans to use capital from Livingbridge to open up to 30 more offices in the next 5 years, as well as invest in the company's IT infrastructure and management. Stowe Family Law was founded by Marilyn Stowe, one of the country's leading divorce lawyers who is known for her work in uncovering the medical evidence that freed Sally Clark, the mother of two wrongly accused of murdering her sons in 1999.

Richard Baker Harrison acquired by OBG Pharmaceuticals

Thu, 23/02/2017 OBG Pharmaceuticals has acquired Richard Baker Harrison, a distributor of functional mineral fillers and additives. RBH will be incorporated into OBG’s Plastics Division and will sit alongside Hubron Speciality Limited, a subsidiary of OBG that supplies functional additives and speciality modifiers to the wider polymers sector.

The Wrapped Agency buys Space Creative

Thu, 23/02/2017 Marketing consultancy The Wrapped Agency has acquired Space Creative for an undisclosed sum. Both firms are based in York, although Wrapped's 15 strong team also uses an office in London and has plans to establish another in Leeds. The acquisition will allow Wrapped to offer a more complete suite of brand, digital and PR services.

Kohler Power acquires Clarke Energy

Wed, 22/02/2017 Kohler Power, a leading manufacturer of power generation systems and engines, has acquired Clarke Energy. Clarke Energy specialises in the engineering, construction, installation and maintenance of engine-based power plants, and is the largest authorised distributor and service provider for GE's reciprocating engines. Clarke Energy's offering covers both diesel-fuelled and gas-fuelled technology; the latter is widely considered a clean power source and is a new addition to Kohler's product portfolio. Based in Liverpool, Clarke Energy employs more than 1,100 people and operates in 20 countries

Keywords Studios acquires animation firm Spov

Tue, 21/02/2017 Keywords Studios has acquired the Hackney-based animator Spov for a cash consideration of up to £1.2m. Spov is a creative development, cinematics, UI, visual effects and motion graphics services provider that has produced footage for titles such as Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Marvel’s Doctor Strange. The studio will be incorporated into Keywords’ Art Services division.

Hain Celestial acquires soup maker Yorkshire Provender

Tue, 21/02/2017 Nasdaq-listed food company The Hain Celestial Group has agreed to acquire the premium soup maker Yorkshire Provender. Hain Celestial is the company behind food brands such as Ella’s Kitchen, New Covent Garden Soup and Linda McCartney. Yorkshire Provender took in approximately £6m in net sales in 2016.

Blackstone buys majority stake in Cloudreach

Tue, 21/02/2017 Blackstone has acquired a majority stake in Cloudreach, a cloud enabler and operations business that caters to mid-market and large enterprises. With offices in seven countries across Europe and North America, Cloudreach's clients have included some of the world’s largest companies, such as BP, Pearson and Hearst.

Safo Group acquires TR Fleet

Mon, 20/02/2017 The Italian company Safo Group has acquired a 75% stake in TR Fleet, a fleet management and software provider. The deal revolves around TR Fleet's DriveSecure software package, which Safo hopes to develop and market to mainland Europe.

Liberty House buys Tata Steel UK's speciality steels business

Mon, 20/02/2017 Tata Steel has agreed to sell its speciality steels business to Liberty House. The deal includes several facilities such as the electric arc steelworks and bar mill at Rotherham, the steel purifying facility in Stocksbridge and a mill in Brinsworth. In addition to this, the deal includes service centres in Bolton and Wednesbury, as well as Suzhou and Xi'an in China. Speciality Steels manufactures steels for aerospace, automotive and the oil and gas industries, and directly employs around 1,700 people.

CBPE Capital takes over Working on Wellbeing

Fri, 17/02/2017 The private equity firm CBPE Capital has acquired Working on Wellbeing. The Redditch-based business, which trades as Optima Health, provides occupational health and wellbeing services to blue-chip organisations across the UK. The company is known for its provision of services to safety-critical and construction-related sectors, as well as specialised public sector organisations such as the police, the NHS and local authorities. CBPE Capital plans to combine Working on Wellbeing with OH Assist, another corporate health and wellbeing specialist the firm has owned since December 2015.

H&K International takes over LAUK Lighting

Fri, 17/02/2017 Next Wave Partners has sold the Staffordshire-based business LAUK Lighting to H&K International, a supplier of kitchen equipment to the restaurant and retail sectors. LAUK Lighting provides specialist energy-efficient light design, supply and retail fit-out logistics services to retail customers.

RPC proposes £511m acquisition of rival Letica

Thu, 16/02/2017 The plastic products design and engineering company RPC has proposed a £511m acquisition of its North American rival Letica. Letica is a leading manufacturer and distributor of plastic packaging and foodservice products that serves building and construction, foodservice, food, chemical and retail end markets. For RPC the deal represents a step towards consolidating a meaningful market presence outside of Europe, growing the number of the group's US manufacturing facilities to 13 and potentially doubling its revenues in the region.

MBO completed at medtech company Steeper Group

Thu, 16/02/2017 The CEO and finance director of the Leeds-based healthcare company Steeper Group have completed a management buyout. Paul Steeper and John Midgley have acquired the company from the private equity firm Dunedin, the owner of the company since 2005. As a part of this deal, Dunedin has sold the company’s BeBionic division to the German prosthetics company Ottobock. Steeper Group is a specialist in prosthetics, orthotics and assistive technology, and is currently in the process of moving from its Leeds base to a new site in the area.

HGGC acquires insurance services company Davies Group

Mon, 13/02/2017 The American private equity firm HGGC has bought Davies Group from its previous owner, Epiris. Davies is a third party administrator that provides claims and insurance services to over 100 clients across the UK and Ireland. The deal will allow Davies to continue to invest in niche lines, technology and technical expertise with an eye on new markets both domestically and abroad.

Abbey Logistics buys Armet Logistics

Mon, 13/02/2017 The food tanker business Abbey Logistics has acquired the liquid food transport company Armet Logistics. The deal follows on from a NorthEdge Capital-backed management buyout completed in late 2016 and signals Abbey's ambitions for the coming years. The combined company has plans to grow revenues from over £70m predicted for 2017-18 to £100m in 2021, which will see the creation of 300 jobs in addition to the company’s already 700-strong workforce.

TP Group set for double acquisition

Fri, 10/02/2017 TP Group has agreed to make a double swoop for two Wincanton-based companies, ALS Technologies and Flexible Software Solutions. ALS is a provider of systems engineering and assurance capability for mission support, flight control, combat systems and tactical information systems in the aerospace and defence markets, whilst Flexible Software Solutions develops safety-critical software for the defence and commercial sectors.

RM plans acquisition of Connect Education & Care

Thu, 09/02/2017 RM, a leading supplier of resources, IT software and IT services to the education market, has announced a proposed £56.5m acquisition of Connect Group's Education & Care business. Via its well-established brands The Consortium and West Mercia Supplies, Connect Education & Care currently serves over 30,000 customers in the UK with a range of commodity and education resources products. RM intends to integrate the company with TTS, its own education supplies business.

UKFast buys Secure Information Assurance

Thu, 09/02/2017 UKFast has acquired the cloud and cybersecurity service provider Secure Information Assurance (S-IA). S-IA mostly provides services to public sector organisations and is currently contracted with several government departments, including the Ministry of Defence. The deal provides UKFast with a route to the lucrative public sector market, which is estimated to account for 30% of all cloud spending.

ParentPay and Schoolcomms agree merger

Tue, 07/02/2017 ParentPay Limited and Schoolcomms have merged to create a leading provider of integrated parent payment and engagement services for schools. ParentPay provides online payment software to over 5,000 schools nationwide, whilst Schoolcomms is a supplier of email, text, online payment and reporting software to 2,800 schools in the UK. Altogether the two companies employ 170 people and will continue to operate from offices in Coventry, Bude, Worthing and Bridgwater.

Mondi Group acquires Excelsior technologies for £33m

Tue, 07/02/2017 The international packaging and paper group Mondi has acquired Excelsior Technologies from Endless for £33m. Excelsior produces packaging solutions primarily for food applications, including an innovative packaging technology for microwave steam cooking. The Flintshire-based business generated £39m in revenues in the last calendar year.

Three UK to acquire UK Broadband for £250m

Mon, 06/02/2017 Three UK has agreed to pay £250m for UK Broadband Limited, a wireless services provider to 15,000 customers in the UK. Three UK currently carries 35% of the country’s mobile data traffic, and hopes to complete the deal mid-year.

HgCapital sells Zenith to Bridgepoint for £750m

Mon, 06/02/2017 HgCapital has sold Zenith, the UK’s largest independent vehicle leasing business, to Bridgepoint for £750m. Employing over 500 people at sites in Solihull, Wokingham and its head office in Leeds, Zenith provides end-to-end automotive solutions, specialising in contract hire, salary sacrifice, fleet management and short-term hire services for customers in the UK. Zenith controls a fleet of approximately 85,000 vehicles and focuses on serving blue-chip companies.

Ornua buys UK cheese company F J Need

Mon, 06/02/2017 Ornua, Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, has agreed to take over F J Need (Foods) Limited, a UK-based cheese ingredients company. The deal strengthens a key supply channel for Ornua, having already been a long-term supplier to its UK counterpart. F J Need’s cheese production facility in Cheshire currently produces 16,000 tonnes of cheese per year.

airFair owner Allay buys flight delay rival Connected Claims

Fri, 03/02/2017 The fintech company Allay has acquired the rival firm Connected Claims for an undisclosed sum. Allay is the owner of the airFair app, which allows users to check whether they can claim compensation for flight delays under EU rules. All 16 of Connected Claim's staff will join Allay at its Haydock office, expanding Allay's capacity to handle claims as it seeks to roll out the airFair brand in Europe.

Jenoptik buys Essa Technology

Fri, 03/02/2017 Jenoptik Group has completed a buyout of the Plymouth-based software developer Essa Technology. Essa's software evaluates automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data from a central server, enabling, for example, police cars to receive real-time alerts to offending vehicles. Jenoptik is a leading manufacturer of traffic safety solutions, specialising in sensor technology for traffic monitoring.

Flowtech completes HTL takeover

Fri, 03/02/2017 Flowtech Fluidpower has completed a takeover of Hydraulics & Transmissions Limited (HTL) in a deal worth up to £2.65m. The Ludlow-based distributor employs 25 people and provides fluid power solutions to the likes of JCB, McConnell and Alamo. The deal will strengthen Flowtech's Power Motion Control division, although HTL will continue to operate as an independent sister company.

eTeam acquires recruitment specialist Dryden Human Capital

Wed, 01/02/2017 eTeam, a supplier of talent management and staffing services to Fortune 1000 companies, has taken over Dryden Human Capital, the parent company of Darwin Rhodes. Darwin Rhodes is a talent firm that specialises in niches in the insurance market.

Sato purchases printing innovator DataLase

Tue, 31/01/2017 Sato, a leading global provider of labelling and auto-identification solutions, has acquired the inline digital printing (IDP) specialist DataLase. DataLase's high-speed, inkless technology is used in high-volume, fast-moving industries such as manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals and food and beverage.

IDP Education buys Hotcourses Group

Tue, 31/01/2017 The acquisition of education directory company Hotcourses Group has been agreed with the Australian firm IDP Education for £30.1m. Hotcourses’ portfolio of websites includes Whatuni, Hotcourses and The Complete University Guide. The company’s sale means that the current Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, joint-founder of Hotcourses and owner of a 48% stake in the company, will profit from a £14m windfall.

Maxxia acquires Capex Asset Finance

Mon, 30/01/2017 Capex Asset Finance, a specialist provider of capital financing solutions for businesses, has been sold by Square One Law to Maxxia UK. Maxxia hopes to benefit from the companies’ combined expertise in the asset finance market.

Styles&Wood takes over GDM Group

Mon, 30/01/2017 Manchester-based property services group Styles&Wood has acquired the specialist mechanical, electrical and environmental consultancy GDM Group. The £4m deal allows Styles&Wood to strengthen its multidisciplinary service provision to blue-chip clients.

JET Group buys Xtralite

Mon, 30/01/2017 Xtralite Rooflights has been acquired by JET Group. Xtralite employs 90 people from its Northumberland base and specialises in rooflights and structural glazing solutions. JET Group employs almost 700 people across 12 countries in Europe, operating as the skylight and rooflight manufacturer JET Cox in the UK. The two businesses will continue to operate independently.

DWF saves 215 jobs with acquisition of Triton

Fri, 27/01/2017 The legal business DWF has bought the multidisciplinary commercial claims company Triton out of administration, saving 215 jobs. In addition to Triton’s successful insurance business, the deal includes a range of legal services including a professional indemnity defence practice, a specialist casualty practice and an expert loss adjusting service. Furthermore, DWF will take over Triton’s technology business 3Sixty, a specialist software consultancy that provides technical services and support to the insurance, legal, logistics and public sectors. 3Sixty will merge with 15squared, which is DWF’s own tech business that develops products for the insurance and health & safety sectors.

Innospec acquires surfactants business from Huntsman

Fri, 27/01/2017 The chemicals manufacturer Innospec has completed the acquisition of Huntsman's European surfactants business. Huntsman’s surfactants operations are currently managed from Belgium and include manufacturing bases in France, Italy and Spain. The business will be integrated into Innospec's Performance Chemicals arm.

LDC backs Fishawack MBO

Fri, 27/01/2017 The management team of Fishawack Group have completed a buyout worth £38m. The MBO has been backed by private equity firm LDC and sees the exit of previous investors Growth Capital Partners. Employing over 240 people and with offices in the USA, Switzerland, India and Brighton, Manchester and Oxford in the UK, Fishawack is a medical communications group that works with 15 of the top 20 pharma companies worldwide.

Tesco announces £3.7bn merger with food wholesaler Booker

Fri, 27/01/2017 Tesco has announced its intention to merge with Booker Group in a deal that sees the UK’s leading food retailer and leading food wholesaler join forces. Booker operates a cash and carry network with 200 branches nationwide and owns the Londis and Budgens supermarket brands. The merger is worth an estimated 3.7bn, and will result in Booker shareholders owning approximately 16% of the group. Tesco expects to benefit from the two companies’ shared expertise in retail, wholesale, supply chain and digital, and has emphasised its desire to invest in the growing ‘out of home’ food market.

Rasmala acquires majority stake in Orchard Apartments

Wed, 25/01/2017 The independent investment management group Rasmala has acquired a controlling stake of 68% in Orchard Apartments. Orchard is a leading owner, operator and developer of boutique corporate serviced apartments in the UK.

Colliers International buys Vision Asset Management

Wed, 25/01/2017 Colliers International Group has announced the acquisition of Vision Asset Management, a leading hospitality asset management company in Europe. Vision will rebrand as Colliers International and integrate into Colliers' Hotel Property Services operation in the UK, expanding that team to a total of over 35 employees offering agency, valuation advisory and asset management services.

Bunting Magnetics acquires Master Magnets

Tue, 24/01/2017 Bunting Magnetics has agreed to take over Master Magnets, a manufacturer of magnetic equipment used to solve metal and mineral separation problems in industries such as recycling, mineral process, mining, quarrying and bulk handling. The deal will provide Bunting with access to several heretofore unexplored markets, such as mining and quarrying, as well as Master Magnets' global network of distributors. Master Magnets will continue to operate from its headquarters in Redditch.

Sumitomo Rubber to buy tyre supplier Micheldever for £215m

Tue, 24/01/2017 The Japanese company Sumitomo Rubber Industries is set to buy Micheldever Tyre Services in a deal worth £215m. Sumitomo Rubber is the sixth largest tyre manufacturer in the world, and will take over the Hampshire-based tyre supplier from the private equity firm Graphite Capital. Micheldever will retain its current management structure and continue to offer a wide range of products and services, whilst the acquisition provides Sumitomo with a route to market for the Falken brand in the UK.

Britvic buys Brazilian soft drinks business

Tue, 24/01/2017 Britvic has strengthened its presence in Brazil with the R$218m (£54.5m) purchase of Bela Ischia Alimentos, a liquid concentrates and juices business. The deal follows on from Britvic's acquisition of several Brazilian soft drink brands in 2015 and a successful first year in the market, which is the world's largest for concentrates.

Age Partnership acquires The Marketing Lab

Tue, 24/01/2017 Age Partnership has strengthened its in-house digital team with the acquisition of the website development and optimisation firm The Marketing Lab. Henceforth The Marketing Lab's team and clients will migrate to Age Partnership, with former managing director Dan Otterburn taking up the newly created role of Head of Web Development.

Connection Capital backs Clamason Industries MBO

Mon, 23/01/2017 Connection Capital has backed a management buyout of Clamason Industries, a leading manufacturer of precision-pressed products for the medical, power, consumer goods and automotive sectors. Clamason supplies to blue-chip clients such as Delphi, Bosch, Visteon, Sanofi, Schneider Electric and Siemens, as well as motor vehicle manufacturers such as Daimler, Volkswagen, Ferrari, Nissan, General Motors and Volvo. Connection Capital clients invested £5.4m to secure a majority stake in Clamason.

Liberty House saves 740 jobs with CovPress acquisition

Mon, 23/01/2017 The industrial group Liberty House has bought the automotive parts manufacturer CovPress out of administration, saving 740 jobs at the firm’s plant in Canley, Coventry. The acquisition augments Liberty House’s already growing presence in the UK’s automotive supply chain. The group recently completed the takeover of the country’s only aluminium smelter at Fort William as part of its investment in auto-component manufacturing. CovPress itself is already a tier 1 supplier to Jaguar Land Rover, Renault and General Motors, specialising in metal stamping and robot assembly. The business will henceforth be renamed Liberty Pressing Solutions, complementing Liberty’s existing automotive pressed components facility in the West Midlands.

Inflexion buys motor insurance broker MyPolicy

Mon, 23/01/2017 Inflexion Private Equity has completed a £40m buyout of MyPolicy, a motor insurance broker. MyPolicy specialises in insurance policies for first time drivers, using proprietary risk algorithms to analyse telematics driver data in assessments.

Penske Automotive Group acquires used car retailer CarShop

Fri, 20/01/2017 Penske Automotive Group has acquired the used car retailer CarShop. CarShop has five sites across the UK in Cardiff, Swindon, Northampton, Norwich and Doncaster, as well as a vehicle preparation centre in Leighton Buzzard capable of reconditioning 45,000 vehicles a year. Penske has remarked upon the scalability of CarShop’s business model as key to the attraction to the company. CarShop’s leadership team will stay on as part of the acquisition.

Brayleys Cars takes over Humphris Oxford

Fri, 20/01/2017 Brayleys Cars has added a third Kia dealership to its roster with the purchase of Humphris Oxford. The acquisition follows on from the opening of a second Kia site in Enfield last year, and sees the dealer add Mitsubishi to its list of manufacturers for the first time. Brayleys intends to create a used car display area for up to 65 vehicles at the new site in addition to a main showroom.

FDR Law buys Hayton Heyes

Fri, 20/01/2017 FDR Law has announced the takeover of the Appleton-based HR consultancy Hayton Heyes. The acquisition is intended to complement both the firm's existing employment law team and own HR arm, FDR HR. FDR HR offers a range of consultancy services that covers outsourcing, management and leadership training, recruitment, and disciplinary and grievance matters. As a result, Hayton Heyes' existing employees and client base will come under the management of FDR.

British American Tobacco announces £40bn merger with Reynolds

Thu, 19/01/2017 British American Tobacco has agreed a $49.4bn (£39.9bn) deal with Reynolds American to take over the remaining 57.8% of the company it didn’t already own. BAT has owned shares in Reynolds since 2004, and backed its acquisition of Lorillard in 2015. The merger brings together a number of the industry’s best-known brands, such as Newport, Kent and Pall Mall. BAT claims that the deal will create ‘a stronger, truly global’ business, and highlights access to the highly profitable US market, in which Reynolds has a 34% cigarette market share, as one such benefit. Furthermore, BAT identifies emerging markets across South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and the growing demand for ‘Next Generation Products’ such as vapour and tobacco heating products, as keys to future profit growth.

Morses Club buys Shelby Finance

Wed, 18/01/2017 The home collected credit lender Morses Club has acquired Shelby Finance, a provider of online instalment loans based in Altrincham. Shelby Finance will act as a subsidiary to Morses Club and enable the HCC lender to launch its first online products.

National Express to sell c2c franchise to Italian train operator

Wed, 18/01/2017 National Express has announced its intention to sell the c2c franchise to the Italian train operator Trenitalia, pending approval from the Department for Transport. The deal sees National Express make a small net profit from the £70m sale, and the company's exit from the UK rail franchise sector. National Express has announced its intention to focus on North American and European markets instead. Trenitalia will retain c2c's current management and staff.

Hubert Burda acquires Radio Times owner Immediate Media

Mon, 16/01/2017 The German technology and media company Hubert Burda Media has announced the acquisition of Immediate Media Co. from Exponent and Management for an undisclosed sum. Immediate is a leading special interest content and platform company, best known for being the owner of Radio Times. Burda is the owner of over 540 brands worldwide, boasting a large stable of digital businesses in addition to its magazine titles. Burda has announced its intention to create a business with a prominent digital presence with Immediate.

Away Resorts buys Sandy Balls Holiday Village

Fri, 13/01/2017 Away Resorts has acquired Sandy Balls Holiday Village with the backing of the private equity house LDC. The move allows Away Resorts to increase its share of the domestic holiday market at a time when the number of people opting for a 'staycation' is increasing. The deal grows Away Resorts' portfolio to a total of six sites, which are valued all together at an excess of £100m.

Endless acquires MTI Europe

Thu, 12/01/2017 Endless LLP has announced the acquisition of IT storage infrastructure provider MTI Europe from Garnett and Helfrich Capital for an undisclosed sum. MTI is a specialist in on-site and cloud-based storage, security and infrastructure service solutions, operating predominantly in the UK, Germany and France.

Bunzl wraps up deals for packaging specialists in UK and US

Thu, 12/01/2017 The international distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl has continued a spree of acquisitions with the purchase of both the Northampton-based business Woodway and Packaging Film Series (PFS) in Denver, Colorado. Woodway is a provider of packaging products and solutions with a particular focus on the retail supplies sector, whilst PFS specialises in food packaging products.

InvestCloud buys London-based startup Babel Systems

Thu, 12/01/2017 Californian FinTech firm InvestCloud has acquired the London-based startup Babel Systems, a digital trade and accounting platform. The deal allows InvestCloud to expand its offering to financial services companies. InvestCloud's existing clients include JPMorgan.

One Event Management buys Absolute Taste

Tue, 10/01/2017 One Event Management has bought the event design company Absolute Taste from Lyndy Redding and McClaren Technology Group. The deal will see Event Management's Mecco become a part of the Absolute Taste brand, which will continue to cater its hospitality services to Absolute Taste's existing portfolio of restaurants and cafés, private jet catering, events, fixed site contracts and performance sports (including F1 hospitality), as well as Mecco's established contracts at live events and sporting occasions. Existing teams and offices will be unaffected in the transition

BBA Aviation and Gama Aviation to merge aircraft management businesses

Tue, 10/01/2017 BBA Aviation plc has announced a merger with Gama Aviation's US aircraft management business. The deal creates Gama Aviation Signature Aircraft Management, a market leader in aircraft management and chartering with roughly 200 aeroplanes under its management.

Aser Group Holding acquires 50% stake in Leeds United FC

Tue, 10/01/2017 Aser Group Holding has acquired a 50% stake in Leeds United Football Club. The deal, brokered through the acquisition vehicle Greenfield Investment, sees Aser founder and group chairman Andrea Radrizzani become co-owner of the club alongside current owner Massimo Cellino.

Lloyds Banking Group acquires MBNA

Tue, 03/01/2017 The consumer credit card business MBNA, which has six million customers in the UK, has been taken over by Lloyds Banking Group. The £1.9bn deal increases Lloyds’ market share in credit cards from 15% to around 26%.

Beam Suntory buys Sipsmith Gin

Tue, 03/01/2017 Sipsmith Gin has been acquired by Beam Suntory