DEALS & MERGERS
A military first for Cathelco
Cathelco’s desalination division is continuing to win orders worldwide in the commercial and military sectors. For the first time, Cathelco
has supplied water desalinators to the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command. They were installed on MV
Capt David I Lyon, a container ship which supports US Air Force missions, and MV LTC John UD Page, which provides ocean transport to sustain US Army operations. One of the most distinctive
vessels in the history of Remontowa shipbuilding will be installed with two Cathelco desalinators. El-Mellah is a 110-metre,
three-masted frigate, which is being built as a sail training vessel for Algerian Navy cadets. In addition to providing two
desalinators, Cathelco is also supplying hull protection. “Cathelco offers a portfolio
of products to the marine industry and we are delighted to have supplied two types of systems for this very impressive vessel,” said Chris Bell, General Manager of the company’s desalination division.
Focus and MES merger
Midland Energy Services has a focus on the future
Focus Consultants has acquired a controlling interest in Newark-based sustainable building consultancy Midland Energy Services, trading as MES Building Solutions. The move will strengthen the
sustainable development services already provided by Focus, the firm reports. It follows an announcement last
year by Nottingham-based Focus that it planned to develop its structure. The existing MES management
team will remain and MES will be run separately for the foreseeable future, said Focus Consultants Partner Kevin Osbon.
Support for new phase
Babington Group, the skills and corporate training business owned by Bridges Ventures, has been acquired by private equity firm RJD Partners. The deal will support
Babington’s next phase of growth as it seeks to strengthen its position in the training market.
‘RJD’s impressive track record of investing in and supporting entrepreneurial and growing businesses will be invaluable’
Founded in 1974, Babington
employs more than 310 staff and operates in the fast-growing technical and professional training sector, providing Government- funded apprenticeship training, including accountancy, financial services and digital media. It also offers privately-funded
programmes including leadership and management. The company, based on Pride Park, Derby, currently works with around
12 business network June 2016
12,000 learners a year nationally. RJD Partners is an independent
private equity investor focused on lower mid-market companies predominantly in the services and leisure sectors in the UK. RJD provides equity funding solutions for buyouts, buy-ins and businesses requiring development capital, investing between £5m and £25m of equity in transactions valued at up to £75m. Carole Carson, Chief Executive of
the Babington Group, said: “We are looking forward to working alongside RJD in the next phase of growth. “RJD’s impressive track record of
investing in and supporting entrepreneurial and growing businesses will be invaluable as we seek to grow Babington.” Alex Hay, Partner, RJD, said: "We
believe the business is exceptionally well placed to benefit from the recently announced Apprenticeship Levy, as employers, learners and Government all increasingly focus on training providers, such as Babington, which offer high-quality and relevant training courses.”
“We see this as an exciting opportunity to work in partnership with MES to help both businesses grow,” said Kevin.
‘Focus Consultants views the arrangement as a partnership, which will allow us to undertake joint initiatives’
“Focus Consultants views the
arrangement as a partnership, which will allow us to undertake joint initiatives to support our clients,” he added.
Focus, which is based at Phoenix
Business Park, Nottingham, and has branches in London, Leicester, and in Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services in the fields of funding, project management and chartered surveying. Its sustainable development
department provides services such as low carbon refurbishment support, Code for Sustainable Homes assessment, energy/sustainability statements for planning and BREEAM assessments. The acquisition of MES is
expected to bring a combined turnover of more than £5m for 2016/2017 for the Focus group.
Cartwright leads town regeneration
PR and digital agency Cartwright Communications has been appointed by West Lindsey District Council to support an £18m project to drive investment and regeneration into the Lincolnshire town of Gainsborough. Following a competitive four-way pitch, Nottingham-based
Cartwright was appointed to carry out strategy planning with public relations and provide digital support to the authority. The Gainsborough ‘placemaking’ project will see the authority aim
to boost jobs and housing in the town and drive economic growth to the area. Liz Cartwright, Managing Director at
Cartwright Communications, said: “We are really pleased to be working with West Lindsey District Council to help promote Gainsborough as a place to live, work and invest. “As a Midlands-based agency, with
many team members from Lincolnshire, it is great to secure such an important piece of work.” Eve Fawcett-Moralee, Strategic Lead for
Economic Development at West Lindsey District Council, said: “We were impressed by Cartwright Communication’s high level of expertise in construction, built environment and its extensive contacts nationally and regionally.”
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