The Business Magazine Solent October 2013

30 deals update

Latest deals data from across the region Sale of Top Attractions

Acquisition of Scientifica

Completion Date: 07/06/2013 Target: Top Attractions Acquirer: Take One media Deal Value: Not disclosed

Details: Whitley Stimpson LLP advised the shareholders of Top Attractions on its sale to Take One Media, specialists in media distribution

Corporate Finance Advisers: Whitley Stimpson Legal Advisers: Oxford Employment Law

Project Madagascar

Completion Date: 09/09/2013 Target: Madagascar Acquirer: Management Team Deal Value: £2.5 million

Details: Meridian Corporate Finance LLP advised the shareholders of Madagascar, a software developer, on the disposal of their shares to the management team

Corporate Finance Advisers: Meridian Corporate Finance Legal Advisers: Shoosmiths LLP and Paris Smith LLP Financial Due Diligence: James Cowper

Plaxica Completion Date: 06/09/2013

Details: Imperial Innovations Group plc, a leading technology commercialisation and investment group, has led an £8 million funding round in Plaxica, a technology and licensing company focused on the production of next generation biopolymers and platform chemicals from renewable resources

Funding: £8m series ’C’ funding round

Legal Advisers: Manches LLP. Plaxica was advised by the Manches’ Thames Valley corporate team, led by Reading office partner Justin Starling with associate Elizabeth Yell

Acquisition of Hammerhead Television Facilities

Completion Date: 17/09/2013 Target: Hammerhead Television Facilities Acquirer: Procam Television Deal Value: Undisclosed

Details: HMT LLP, led by partner Andrew Thomson and director Paul Read, undertook financial due diligence for Procam Television, the UK’s largest broadcast hire company, and Foresight Group, on the acquisition of Hammerhead Television Facilities, a major player in the Scottish broadcast hire market

Funding: Foresight Group Corporate Finance Advisers: Marsden Clark

Legal Advisers: Marriott Harrison Financial Due Diligence: HMT

Acquisition of KnowledgeCenter

Completion Date: 06/09/2013 Target: KnowledgeCenter Acquirer: Charles Taylor plc Deal Value: Undisclosed

Details: Acuity acted as exclusive corporate finance adviser to KnowledgeCenter, to secure agreement from Charles Taylor plc to purchase the business and its assets. KnowledgeCenter will become part of Charles Taylor Insurance Services. The acquisition is in line with Charles Taylor’s strategy to deliver growth in its professional services businesses

Corporate Finance Advisers: Acuity Advisors www.businessmag.co.uk

Completion Date: 06/2013 Target: Scientifica Acquirer: Judges Scientific plc Deal Value: £12 million

Details: Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Thames Valley Transaction Advisory Services team provided financial and tax due diligence in respect of Judges Scientific Plc’s acquisition of Scientifica. Scientifica designs, manufactures and distributes optical microscopes and micromanipulators to academic institutions, research centres and pharmaceutical companies worldwide

Funding: Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets

Corporate Finance Advisers: Realise Capital Partners LLP (Target advisers)

Legal Advisers: Hogan Lovells International LLP (Acquirer advisers) Financial Due Diligence: Grant Thornton UK (led by Bob Alsop) Commercial Due Diligence: Boxford Hadley Consultancy

MBO of Kirton Healthcare Group

Completion Date: 06/2013 Target: Kirton Healthcare Group Acquirer: Newco Deal Value: £5.5 million

Details: Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Thames Valley Transaction Advisory Services team provided financial and tax due diligence in respect of the NVM Private Equity backed MBO of Kirton Healthcare Group. Kirton are the leading UK manufacturer and supplier of specialist seating for the elderly and disabled

Funding: NVM Private Equity Legal Advisers: Wragge & Co Financial Due Diligence: Grant Thornton UK (led by Bob Alsop) Commercial Due Diligence: CIL

GLI Finance invests in Platform Black

Completion Date: 06/09/2013 Target: Platform Black Acquirer: GLI Finance Deal Value: Confidential

Details: GLI Finance has invested £2 million in the online crowd-funding platform, Platform Black in the form of equity and preference shares, in return for which GLIF will own at least a 20% stake in the business. RSM Tenon carried out the due diligence for GLIF, this their second peer to peer acquisition in the past four months following a similar investment to Funding Knight

Financial Due Diligence: RSM Tenon: Peter Vandervelde, partner. Jonathan Wade, partner. Andrew Choy, transaction services executive

Oxford PharmaGenesis

Completion Date: 17/08/2013 Target: Oxford PharmaGenesis Acquirer: Oxford PharmaGenesis Holdings Deal Value: Undisclosed

Details: Oxford PharmaGenesis is an independent Health Science communications consultancy based in Tubney. The acquirers, Oxford PharmaGenesis Holdings, is owned by the senior managers of Oxford PharmaGenesis. As a result of the deal, the company remains customer focused while also facilitating future growth

Corporate Finance Advisers: James Cowper Legal Advisers: Morgan Cole

Completion Date: 31/08/2013 Target: Kent Chamois Company Acquirer: Armored Auto UK Deal Value: Undisclosed

Details: Armored Auto UK (a subsidiary of Armored Autogroup Inc, which is, in turn, owned by Avista Capital Partners) purchased Kent Chamois Company, a company specialising in selling car care products under the Kent Car Care brand in the UK and Europe

Corporate Finance Advisers: Castle Corporate Finance

Legal Advisers: Purchaser – Penningtons Solicitors LLP, Sellers – Cooper Burnett LLP

Acquisition of UK Express Couriers

Completion Date: 30/08/2013 Target: UK Express Couriers Acquirer: Citysprint Deal Value: N/A

Details: VentureCF (Drew Mellor/Naomi Bushrod) have continued to support Dunedin’s growth strategy by assisting CitySprint with their acquisition of Leeds-based courier company UK Express Couriers. An efficient process has ensured that UK Express Couriers has maintained operational functionality while now benefiting from CitySprints extensive

Corporate Finance Advisers: VentureCF – Drew Mellor/Naomi Bushrod

Acquisition of BFC Group

Completion Date: 06/2013 Target: BFC Group Acquirer: Tibbetts Group Deal Value: Undisclosed

Details: Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Thames Valley Transaction Advisory Services team provided financial and tax due diligence in respect of Tibbetts Group’s acquisition of BFC Group. BFC manufactures and distributes components, fasteners, pressings and turned parts to the automotive, engineering and aerospace industries

Corporate Finance Advisers: Pace Equity (Acquirer advisers) Legal Advisers: Darbys LLP Financial Due Diligence: Grant Thornton UK (led by Bob Alsop)

Next Deadline

The next Deals Update will appear in our November 2013 issue

Deadline for submissions is Monday October 15

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

David Murray • 0118-9766410 • david@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 – OCTOBER 2013 Project Duchess

Completion Date: 05/09/2013 Target: Beovax Computer Services Acquirer: Pervasive Networks Deal Value: N/A

Details: Meridian Corporate Finance LLP advised the shareholders of Beovax Computer Services on its disposal to Pervasive Networks

Corporate Finance Advisers: Darren Thompson & Joe Jeffers of Meridian Corporate Finance

Legal Advisers: Shoosmiths LLP (for Beovax) & Lamb Brooks LLP (for Pervasive)

Project Margaux

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