Price Bailey

Nov 4, 2022

4 Nov 2022 Compere Martin Bayfield Tom Gallop of Ashcroft Partnership LLP has taken home the prestigious Dealmaker of the Year title at Insider's Central & East Dealmakers Awards 2022. Held last night at the Hilton DoubleTree, Milton Keynes, the awards recognised the achievements of the region's leading corporate financiers, accountants, bankers, funders, lawyers and M&A professionals. The event was compered by Martin Bayfield and sponsored by Dentons UK & Middle East LLP, Fortus Business Advisors & Accountants, Freeths LLP , HCR Hewitsons, Howes Percival LLP, HSBC UK , Mercer & Hole, Price Bailey, Shawbrook and ThinCats . FRP Corporate Finance and Together sponsored the networking booklet and drinks reception respectively. Alternative Finance Provider of the Year Sponsored by Price Bailey The OakNorth Bank team lent around £120m to businesses in the region across almost two dozen transactions over the last 12 months. One noteworthy deal was the loan to Burney Group to develop a new 100-bed Travelodge hotel next to Ipswich Town Football Club. The judges were impressed with OakNorth's much more granular approach to lending than others, using data and analytics to build an in-depth understanding of each business it lends to. Shortlisted: Winner: Andrew and Jodie Howie, Shaken Udder Shaken Udder is a leading UK premium milkshake brand that stocked across all major UK retailers. During the qualifying period, Andrew and his wife Jodie led a management buyout, backed by LDC, and has subsequently successfully led the business, growing its dairy free alternative brand, Shaken Other and launching a new ambient product with a significantly extended shelf life. The judges felt Andrew and Jodie had displayed true entrepreneurial flare by leading this next phase of the business. Shortlisted: Declan Murphy, Burnetts Manufacturing Sponsored by Dentons UK & Middle East LLP Winner: MBO of Fothergills Seeds (backed by Harwood Private Capital) ( OakNorth Bank ; Alantra; FRP Corporate Finance; Jones Day; Dentons UK & Middle East LLP; PwC; CIL Management Consultants) Mr Fothergill's Seeds is a leading international horticulture supplier headquartered in Suffolk. The deal saw the exit of Mr Fothergill's founding shareholders and provided an incentivised growth platform for the senior management team for the continued evolution of the business, including potential business acquisitions in the future. The judges noted the strong valuation and attractive equity structure which enabled a majority value realisation for the exiting shareholders. Shortlisted: MBO of Shaken Udder backed by LDC (Grant Thornton; PwC; Freeths LLP ; Birketts ; Aon; CIL) MBO of imail comms (a division of DHL) backed by Mercia Private Equity (MHA MacIntyre Hudson; Shoosmiths; Hill Dickinson; DSW; Howes Percival LLP; ThinCats ) Acquisition of Mintec by Five Arrows Principal Investments (Shoosmiths; Osborne Clarke; Deloitte; Houlihan Lokey ; Grant Thornton; Plesner; Lowenstein Sandler LLP) International Deal of the Year Sponsored by Cazenove Capital Winner: Sale of Alphasense to AMETEK Inc (KPMG; Taylor Vinters) Alphasense was originally a family-owned business which has grown strongly to became the largest independent UK manufacturer of gas detection sensors with a global reputation for innovation. The fact that the deal with Ametek cements the business as a true global leader and will see investment and expansion of the site in Essex, leading to the creation of more jobs in the local area, makes it the stand-out deal according to the judges. Shortlisted: Sale of US division of GO Ape to Sun Capital Partners (KPMG) Investment in Kpler by Five Arrows Growth Capital and Insight Partners (Shoosmiths; Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; FTI Consulting; Grant Thornton; Liedekerke; TSMP; Lowenstein Sandler LLP; Afridi & Angell; Jeantet; Make It Work; Shieldpay; Euclid Transactional Europe GmbH; Lockton European Brokers) Sale of EB Charging to Blink Charging Co. (Grant Thornton; Birketts ; Burges Salmon; JP Morgan) Sale of Omega Ingredients to Robertet SA (FRP Corporate Finance; Birketts ; Barker Gotelee; Askesis; Scrutton Bland) Deal of the Year (sub £10m) Sponsored by HCR Hewitsons Titan is a high-tech manufacturing business with a strong motorsport heritage that leads the way in autonomous and e-vehicle steering technologies. The deal saw the transfer of ownership from the longstanding shareholders to members of the management team who had turned around the company. The judges were impressed that the deal has secured jobs and supported the growth plans of one of the region’s leading hi tech manufacturers. Shortlisted: MBO of SOS Leak Detection ( YFM Equity Partners ; Shoosmiths; James Cowper Kreston; PMSI; Crowe ; Catalysis; Grant Thornton; Lockton; Transworld Corporate Finance; Ashtons Legal ) Sale of Root Solutions to PDS Vision Group ( Birketts , Price Bailey; Bird and Bird; Alvarez & Marsal) Sale of Stuga Machinery to Stürtz Group (Howes Percival LLP; FRP Corporate Finance; BMH Brautigam & Partner; Napthens Solicitors) MBO of SafeGuard Glazing Supplies (Foresight; Greenwoods GRM; Price Bailey; RPL; Bishopsgate Corporate Finance; Catalysis; Buckles, Roythornes, Browne Jacobson; Lockton; Cysiam; Santander) Sale of John Catt Educational to Hachette UK (Prettys Solictors; Scrutton Bland) MBO of Fusemetrix Group (MHA MacIntyre Hudson; Howes Percival LLP) Acquisition of Cogbooks by Cambridge University Press and Assessment (Shoosmiths; MBM Commercial LLP; CMS; Lockton; Ascent Underwriting LLP) Deal of the Year (£10m+) Winner: Sale of Goddard Veterinary Group to VetPartners (Ashcroft Partnership LLP; Birketts ; Mills & Reeve ) Essex-based Goddard Veterinary was, before the sale, the largest independent veterinary business in the UK with 47 branches and hospitals across the region. The judges were incredibly impressed with the fact that it achieved a record EBITDA multiple for the vet sector, almost doubling the vendor's expectations, making this the outstanding deal of the year. Shortlisted: Acquisition of EOL IT Services Limited by Tier 1 Ltd ( Forward Corporate Finance ; Gepp Solicitors; Taylor Viney Marlow, Pinsent Mason, KPMG) EOT of Life Build Solutions (Fortus; EMW Law; Fortus Property) MBO of Fothergills Seeds (backed by Harwood Private Capital) ( OakNorth Bank ; Alantra; FRP Corporate Finance; Jones Day; Dentons UK & Middle East LLP; PwC; CIL Management Consultants) Sale of Alphasense to AMETEK Inc (KPMG; Taylor Vinters) Acquisition of Pipework Studios by Jagex (PwC; Linklaters; Aream & Co; Allen & Overy) Sale of C4 Carbides to TTI Group (Ashcroft Partnership LLP; Mills & Reeve ; Reinhart Boemer Van Deuren; Walker Morris ; Erskine Chambers; EY) Partnership with PRT Holdings and refinancing of Prestige Homeseeker Park & Leisure Homes (Shoosmiths: Birketts ; MHA MacIntyre Hudson; Lockton Companies LLP; Grant Thornton; Jones Day; DLA Piper; Price Bailey) Dealmaker of the Year Winner: Tom Gallop, Ashcroft Partnership LLP Tom was part of the partner team that led the buyout of Ashcroft from BKL in 2015 and has built a powerful team which consistently wins significant mandates in the region. He led and completed five outstanding deals during the qualifying period with combined consideration in excess of £200m, making him the stand-out dealmaker this year according to the judges. Shortlisted: