News From PEM Corporate Finance

PEMCF advises on management buyout of Molecular Dimensions

Tony Savill, CEO of Suffolk based Molecular Dimensions, is delighted to announce that he has acquired the business through an amicable management buyout from existing shareholders.Molecular Dimensions is a world leading supplier of modern screens, reagents, other consumables and instrumentation for protein structure determination by X-ray crystallography.  Headquartered in Newmarket it has offices in the USA and distribution in Asia.  Founded in 1998 to provide specialist products for crystallographers across the world, it has grown through alliances with leading scientists aimed at developing and commercializing innovative ideas.  Current alliances include the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge, Imperial College London, ...More > >

PEMCF advises Flora-tec on the acquisition of Elmy Landscapes

Andy Bradley, CEO of Cambridge based Flora-tec, is delighted to announce that it has acquired Suffolk based Elmy Landscapes from its founder Peter Elmy.Flora-tec is one of the UK’s leading corporate horticulture companies, providing a total interior and exterior design, supply and maintenance service.  Headquartered in Cambridge it operates throughout the UK from branches in Ware, Esher, Birmingham, Chester & Leeds.  Customers include Hand Picked Hotels, Sharp, Fujitsu, Roche and The Audit Commission. Flora-tec was formerly part of Cambridge based Unwins, and was the subject of a management buy-out led by Andy Bradley in 2007.Elmy, founded in 2000, provides grounds maintenance ...More > >

PEMCF advises Bourn Hall on acquisition of ISIS Fertility Centre

Mike Macnamee Chief Executive of Bourn Hall Limited is delighted to announce that the company has acquired Essex based ISIS Fertility Centre from its founding shareholders.Bourn Hall Clinic, the world’s first and best-known assisted conception clinic, was established in 1980 by IVF pioneers Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.  It remains one of the UK’s leading fertility clinics.  In 2005, Mike Macnamee led a management buyout from Bourn Hall’s Swiss pharmaceutical parent company Serono. The MBO was very successful and the clinic has expanded.ISIS Fertility was established in Colchester in 1999 to provide fertility treatment for patients in Essex and South ...More > >

PEMCF advises on management buy-out at software business

PEMCF have just advised Mark and Mandy Ogier, the owners of  MMCC Consultants Limited, on the sale of their business to management.  Based in Milton Keynes, MMCC is an independent software developer providing business management systems for back-office and mobile applications.  It was founded in 1998 by Mark and Mandy Ogier and has grown rapidly, now delivering IT solutions to household name businesses such as Kwik Fit, Euromaster, ETA and the National Gallery. The business is thriving despite the economic downturn.Sami Saoudi who led the management team will be taking over as Managing Director with Mark Ogier remaining as Chairman.Tony Stairs ...More > >

Nehal prepares to pound the streets of London

On 26th April, PEMCF’s Nehal Patel will be lining up to take part in his second London Marathon in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.  This charity is particularly close to Nehal’s heart as, sadly, he lost his Uncle to the disease in November 2007.Motor Neurone Diseases are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurones – the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body.  It is a life changing and cruel illness.The Motor Neurone Disease Association is a resource for sufferers of MND as well as ...More > >

PEMCF continues to invest despite recession

PEM Corporate Finance (‘PEMCF’) a leading independent corporate finance specialist based in Cambridge, has launched a distinctive new brand identity and website www.pemcf.com.PEMCF has established itself as a credible alternative to the corporate finance teams at larger accountants and to specialist boutique corporate finance advisers.  Despite difficult economic conditions it continues to invest in a new brand identity and website to help it continue to win work in an increasingly competitive market.The website showcases the resources and experience at PEMCF and the deals done since its formation.  The new branding gives PEMCF a distinctive identity along side that of its ...More > >

PEM Corporate Finance advises First Copy

Dave Honeyben at First Copy is delighted to announce that he has sold a majority stake in his business to his staff team.  This means that every member of staff at First Copy is now a shareholding employee of the business and will benefit directly from the success that First Copy is currently enjoying.  Dave is staying in control of the business.First Copy is one of the top Xerox franchises in the UK and operates in the East Anglia region.  They sell the whole range of Xerox equipment, from colour photocopiers for the office to large scale digital printing equipment ...More > >

PEMCF advises one of the UK’s leading architectural practices

PEM Corporate Finance advised on a restructuring transaction that will ensure continuity and management succession at Wilkinson Eyre Architects – one of the UK’s leading architectural practices.The directors of Wilkinson Eyre Architects are pleased to announce an internal restructuring.  Chris Wilkinson and Jim Eyre have significantly reduced their holdings in the company to more evenly distribute ownership among the existing team of directors, with Paul Baker, Dominic Bettison, Keith Brownlie, Stafford Critchlow and Oliver Tyler each increasing their individual equity holding.  Chris Wilkinson and Jim Eyre retain a significant holding and continue to be actively involved in all aspects of ...More > >

TenCate acquires controlling interest in Xennia Technology

TenCate has reached an agreement to purchase 75% of the issued share capital of Xenia Technology Ltd., a Cambridge based leading specialist in the area of inkjet technology for the development of inks / coating fluids and related steering technology (software).  The company owns a strong intellectual property portfolio and a number of key technology platforms for both inks / coating fluids and hardware.TenCate already works closely together with Xennia in connection with the Digitex project, a subsidized EU Framework development project for digital textile finishing.  The joint patent position will form the basis for future developments in the area ...More > >

PEM Corporate Finance advises on sale of Essex Medical

The owners of Essex Medical and Forensic Services (‘EMFS’) are delighted to confirm that they have sold the business to Global Solutions Limited (‘GSL’) which has itself been acquired by G4S plc, a FTSE 100 company.  EMFS is a leading provider of medical and clinical forensic services to the Police.  GSL is a leading specialist operator of hospitals, prisons and secure areas for the public sector in both the UK, South Africa and Australia.EMFS is a rapidly growing business formed in 2004 by Dr Adam Cutts, a local GP who successfully won contracts to provide medical and forensic services to ...More > >

Retail prospers under new ownership

Mr Tony Gale and Mr David Waddell are pleased to announce that they have acquired Sperling Retail Development Limited. Sperling is a long established manufacturer of shop-fitting fixtures for well known UK High Street names.  The business operates a 45,000sq ft factory in Haverhill; customers include Wallis, Debenhams, M&S, Oasis, Burberry, Etam, Hamleys and JD Sports. The new owners have over 20 years industry experience and bring a number of new high profile clients which will help secure the future for this local manufacturing business.  Tony Gale said, “Sperling is a fantastic brand in the UK shop fitting market and it’s ...More > >

Quotient BioResearch launched with acquisition of HFL

Quotient BioResearch Ltd has announced its launch with the acquisition of HFL Ltd, a leading UK provider of sports forensic testing and pharmaceutical research and development services, from the Horseracing Betting Levy Board.Quotient BioResearch is a new company focused on building a group of businesses centred on high quality analytical and safety evaluation services, primarily for the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.  The acquisition of HFL, which delivers advanced analysis of biological and pharmaceutical compounds from a world-class facility near Cambridge, UK, marks a major step in achieving this strategy.  HFL has two principal businesses: drug surveillance in sport (equine, ...More > >

MBO of Allins Motorcycles

Allins Motorcycles Mr Richard Franklin is pleased to announce that he has successfully led a management buyout of Hallens of Cambridge Ltd.  Based on Histon Road in Cambridge and trading under the famous ‘old’ name of Allins Motorcycles, the Company is the area's leading supplier of Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda motorbikes carrying the full range of new models as well as a large stock of nearly new and used bikes.Comprehensive workshops together with fully factory trained staff deliver year round service and repair facilities and the on-site shop offers a full range of motorbiking clothing, helmets and accessories. Hallens, established in 1933, ...More > >

Chamberlain goes to WAR!

The region’s / Eastern Region’s leading communications agency Ware Anthony Rust Ltd (WAR) has acquired 100% of the share capital of The Chamberlain Partnership Ltd. Established in 1987 Chamberlain is a PR and communications agency, run jointly by Denis Chamberlain, Anne Chamberlain and Geoff Dodgson, specialising in the agriculture, environment, food chain fisheries and seafood industries.  All three directors will remain within the business and, with the existing team, will continue to be based in Peterborough, but the newly combined agency aims to bring together both teams in one new venue in the Cambridge area in the near future. Alison Meadows, Managing Director ...More > >

Gibbs Denley acuisition of Ling Cook

Leading the field, Gibbs Denley, the Cambridge based insurance brokers and financial advisers, have now become one of the largest independent, locally owned insurance brokers in the East Anglian region following a recent merger with Ling Cook of Bury St Edmunds.Gibbs Denley have been growing steadily for the last 15 years by concentrating on the insurance needs of local business, farmers and industrialists, together with the related personal insurances.  Full advice on Pensions, Life Assurance, Investments including Wealth Management and Inheritance Tax Planning are provided by the Independent Financial Services arm of the business headed by Mark Denley. Commenting on the ...More > >

PEM Corporate Finance advises on the sale of Crofton Pallets to Scott Timber

The Scott Timber Group has taken a significant step towards achieving its target turnover of £150 million with the announcement of the biggest deal in the company’s history.  The acquisition of Crofton Pallets in Huntingdon now gives the Group detailed coverage of the UK and further underlines its position as Europe’s and one of the world’s leading pallet manufacturers.Through the acquisition Scott Timber has boosted turnover from £57 million to over £75 million – with its Latvian operation generating a further £20 million turnover – while staff numbers have increased from 600 to nearly 700.  Key to the acquisition have ...More > >

Bourn Hall management team secures buy-out from Serono

Bourn Hall Limited announced today that ownership of Bourn Hall Clinic and LCG Bioscience has transferred from its parent company, Serono, to the existing management team through an amicable management buy-out (MBO) in a multi-million pound deal.  All Bourn Hall Ltd contractual agreements remain unaffected as a result of this MBO and this includes continuity of service for employees.Bourn Hall Limited, Bourn, Cambridge, trades as ‘Bourn Hall Clinic’, the world’s first in-vitro fertilisation clinic, and as ‘LCG Bioscience’, offering clinical research and development services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.  Bourn Hall, the world’s first “test-tube baby” clinic, will expand ...More > >

Sale of Hanworth Laboratories to Disperse plc

The Directors of Cambridge based cosmetics and toiletries manufacturer, Hanworth Laboratories Limited (‘Hanworth’), are pleased to announce the sale of the company to AIM listed dispersion technologies company Disperse Group plc (‘Disperse’).Hanworth, established in Linton in 1976, manufactures colour cosmetics, toiletries and skin care products.  It specialises in small runs, special preparations and services such as colour matching to its customers' other products.  It works to its customers' and its own proprietary formulations. Its customers include designer labels and high street chains.Disperse Group plc is a Warrington based importer and distributor of branded cosmetics and the developer of emulsion technologies ...More > >

Finance raising for Chalkface Project Limited

The Directors of The Chalkface Project are delighted to announce that they have secured debt facilities from The Royal Bank of Scotland to fund the development of the company’s online assessment products, and its unique technology for the automatic marking of essays.Chalkface is a well-established educational publisher set up in 1982.  It has a strong brand identity, having been identified as second only to Heinemann in its market in the recent authoritative ACT2 study, and a back list of 400+ titles.  Chalkface has always been innovative; publishing firsts include introducing DTP to book publishing (1985) and introducing print-on-demand (1992).  The ...More > >

Finance raising for Nexus Strategic Partnerships

The Directors of Nexus Strategic Partnerships are delighted to announce that they have secured debt facilities from The Royal Bank of Scotland to fund the development of the company.The company is a new and innovative force in contract publishing, event management and membership services and was established in 2004 when two Nexus directors won the contract to publish the Commonwealth Yearbook.  This is the Commonwealth Secretariat’s flagship publication and is published annually.  Nexus won the contract ahead of four other strong contenders and three other Commonwealth titles have since been awarded to Nexus.Nexus was founded by CEO, Smuts Beyers, who ...More > >

Acquisition of Heffers Arts and Graphics business by Tindalls the Stationers

The Directors of Tindalls the Stationers are delighted to announce that they have acquired the Heffers Arts and Graphics store in central Cambridge with funding from Barclays Bank.  Blackwell’s, which owns Heffers Art, conducted a review of its retail portfolio and identified this store as non-core to its business.Tindalls was established in 1887 as a printer of sheet music. Over the years the business changed moving into bookselling and then stationery.  As recently as 1992 it had just one store in Newmarket. Since then it has grown rapidly and now has a successful Commercial Division supplying stationery direct to businesses, ...More > >

Sale of Quintic to CAD Schroer

PEM Corporate Finance advised on the sale of Cambridge based CAD Software Company.The directors of Cambridge based Graphical User Interface software company, Quintic Limited, are pleased to announce the sale of the company to Dusseldorf based CAD Schroer.  Quintic has a long-standing relationship with CAD Schroer having been instrumental in developing its MEDUSA and STENO/PRO CAD SYSTEMS, and will now trade as a division of CAD Schroer UK Ltd. Founded in 1995 by key members of computervision's research and development team, who had many years of experience designing and developing the MEDUSA CAD SYSTEM, Quintic conducts technical software development and consultancy.  ...More > >

Management buy-out at C3

The directors of C3 Limited, Mr Wayne Starsmore and Mr John Wood, are pleased to report that they have successfully completed a management buyout of C3 Limited and related group company, The Call Factory Limited (“C3”).C3, based in Cambridge, develops communication platforms and associated applications, which enable businesses to automate their call handling processes, to generate new revenue streams, improve call handling efficiency and lower costs. Since 1990 over 350,000 lines of communications technology have been installed worldwide.  The company has a broad customer base covering a wide range of sectors including retail companies, Hospitals and NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, Universities, ...More > >