22 deals update


Latest deals data from across the region Project Tea


Completion Date: 12/2011 Target: Hogs Back Brewery Acquirer: Rupert Thompson Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: BDO LLP provided due diligence to Rupert Thompson on his acquisition of Hogs Back Brewery. Hogs Back, based in Surrey, is a brewer of ales which include the renowned “TEA“ brand. BDO had previously acted as lead adviser to Thompson on the sale of Refresh UK to Marstons plc in 2008


Funding: Rupert Thompson Corporate Finance Advisers: BDO Legal Advisers: Bond Pearce Financial Due Dilligence: BDO


Ashill Developments and Macdonald Botley Park


Completion Date: 10/11/2011 Target: JV entity is MA Botley Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Ashill Developments and Macdonald Botley Park’s joint venture will promote a residential and commercial development of 170 acres of land identified in the Eastleigh Draft LDF at Botley Park Hotel, a four-star golf and spa resort close to the M27 and the cities of Winchester and Southampton


Legal Advisers: Pitmans LLP acting for Ashill Developments, Stephenson Harwood acting for Macdonald Botley Park


Everything Legal acquired by DAS


Completion Date: 11/2011 Target: Everything Legal Acquirer: DAS Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Everything Legal, the online legal services provider has been acquired by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company. Everything Legal’s www.lawontheweb.co.uk service is a leading authority in online legal services and its addition to the DAS port- folio will extend the capabilities and reach of DAS in developing new services and markets


Corporate Finance Advisers: Beanstalk Management, Richard Baker for Everything Legal


Legal Advisers: Temple Bright LLP, Tim Summers for Everything Legal


Project Granite


Completion Date: 17/12/2011 Target: Selections Services


Acquirer: Management/ Palatine Private Equity LLP Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Palatine Private Equity LLP backed the management buyout of Selection Services, a leading IT managed service provider, taking a majority stake in the business. The transaction included the acquisition of Cloud Data, a hosting and disaster re- covery services business. The funding will support the continued organic growth and along with acquisitions


Funding: Palatine Private Equity


Corporate Finance Advisers: Duncan Lamb, Grant Thornton and Paul Russell, BDO Financial Due Diligence: Peter Vendervelde, RSM Tenon Commercial Due Diligence: Sebastian Chambers, CiL


www.businessmag.co.uk


Completion Date: 30/12/2011 Target: Popshots Studios


Acquirer: David Macrae, managing director of Popshots Studios Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Pitmans LLP has acted for David Macrae, the managing director of Popshots Studios, a distributor of 3D pop-up greetings cards, stationery and promotional and marketing materials, in acquiring the company from the Up With Paper group of companies, based in Mason, Ohio, USA


Funding: Debt finance and own sources


Legal Advisers: Pitmans acting for David Macrae, Finers Stephens Innocent LLP (London) and Katz, Teller, Brandt and Hild (Cincinnati, Ohio) for UWP UK, LLC (Sellers) and Up With Paper LLC


Project Pink


Completion Date: 23/12/2011 Target: Apostrophe Restaurants Investor/Joint Venture Partner: Ch&Co Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Ch&Co invested in Apostrophe for 50% of the shares making an exciting joint venture partnership to exploit the market for a retail offering within the contract catering market. The new contract and joint offering at the Tower of London is an excellent example of this approach in practice


Funding: HSBC, CH&Co’s existing bankers, provided the finance for the deal


Corporate Finance Advisers: BDO Corporate Finance Reading


Legal Advisers: Boyes Turner for CH&Co and Maclay Murray & Spens LLP for Apostrophe Financial Due Dilligence: BDO


Merger of Planit Holdings and Vero Software


Completion Date: 30/11/2011 Target: Planit Holdings Acquirer: Vero Software Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: HMT Corporate Finance, led by partner Peter Barrand, advised the management of Planit Holdings, a leading developer of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer-aided design (CAD) solutions, on their merger with Vero Software, a leading provider of CAD/CAM/CAE solutions for the tooling industry


Corporate Finance Advisers: HMT Corporate Finance Legal Advisers: Rickerbys LLP


Project Sika


Completion Date: 30/11/2011 Target: Bluefish Communications Acquirer: Vodafone Global Enterprise Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: KPMG advised Reading-based IT consulting, resourcing and outsourcing professional services specialist Bluefish Commu- nications on its sale to Vodafone Global Enterprise. Bluefish was formed in 2004 and subsequently featured for three consecutive years in the Microsoft/Sunday Times Tech Track 100 and Deloitte Fast 50/EMEA Fast 500 league tables


Corporate Finance Advisers: KPMG Legal Advisers: Charles Russell


Completion Date: 16/12/2011 Target: A1 Print Acquirer: MCAARP Holdings Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Sale and purchase of A1 Print, the holding company of A1 Trade Print Services and A1 Integrated Documents, specialising in security printing solutions to the print trade


Legal Advisers: Thomas Eggar LLP for the Purchaser, George Green LLP for the Vendors


8 Solutions


Completion Date: 12/2011 Target: 8 Solutions Acquirer: Sovereign Capital Deal Value: Undisclosed


Details: Spectrum Corporate Finance LLP successfully supported Sovereign Capital in the re-capitalisation of 8 Solutions Funding: Sovereign Capital Corporate Finance Advisers: Spectrum


Next Deadline


The next Deals Update will appear in our March 2012 issue


Deadline for submissions is Monday Feb 13


If you would like to submit deal information or to advertise on this page contact:


Tanya Liddiard • 0118-9766411 • tanya@elcot.co.uk Elcot Publications is not responsible for the accuracy of information in the deals update section which is supplied by individual firms


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – FEBRUARY 2012 Project 22 Management buyout of Popshots Studios DEALS SNIPPETS


• Ferndown-based Jason’s Cradle, the global market leader in marine safety equipment, is celebrating winning a contract to equip more than 500 fast rescue craft with its man overboard systems. The exact value of the order has not been disclosed, but is described as running into six-figures. Advisers to Jason’s Cradle include Dorset and New Forest-based Princecroft Willis (PcW).


• NatWest has announced its support to Salisbury-based independent undertaker IN Newman, by providing £260,000 of funding facilities to include the purchase of premises adjacent to the existing funeral parlour in Fordingbridge and refurbish the existing premises.


• Poole-based stationery company Pukka Pads has purchased manufacturer and supplier of business forms Inspired Forms as part of its bold statement in entering the business forms market. Although the company’s name will be changed to Pukka Pads Business Forms, Inspired Forms’ management structure will remain the same, with the factory and jobs kept in the town.


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