The buy-out was led by existing directors and provides an exit for the three founder shareholders. Pascal Wittet led the investment for Connection Capital and joins the Board alongside incoming chairman, John Cleland.
Rowan sources, stocks and distributes a wide range of FMCG products that are considered by suppliers not right for the usual channels, such as the major multiples and convenience chains, and sells these products largely into the fast growing discount retail channel in the UK and mainland Europe.
Rowan’s leading position in the market is built on a 30-year track record and its reputation as renowned experts in a specialist field, its professionalism in maintaining brand integrity for suppliers and its speed and flexibility.
OCS Environmental Services Limited is a specialist asbestos removal business with operations in London and the south of England. The company has extensive experience and expertise in working with asbestos, successfully completing projects across the UK for both public and private sector organisations.
Leeds-based Lexia, whose divisions include Rhodar, is one of the UK’s biggest and longest established asbestos removal contractors.
Qwerkity started life in 1989 as Presents for Men when the founder, Jane Hudson, noticed that it was difficult to find unusual, good quality and inexpensive presents for the male members of her family. Over the years the business has grown considerably, becoming one of the foremost mail order gift companies in the UK selling gifts for men, women and children as well as practical products for the house, garden and travel. In 2014, Presents for Men was rebranded Qwerkity to reflect this broader offering.
Private Equity backed The Book People has been looking for ways to diversify away from its core market of high volume, low margin book sales. The acquisition of Qwerkity provides an established platform in the lucrative online/mail order gifting arena.
Variohm is an independent market leader in the design, manufacture and supply of motion, sensor and measurement solutions for businesses across Europe and the USA. Founded by Roy and Joan Moffat in 1974, the business offers a wide range of component parts and sub-assemblies to customers requiring control and sensing products supported by engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities.
Headquartered in the UK and employing some 150 highly skilled staff, Variohm comprises four complementary divisions operating across three UK sites and one in Germany.
AWC is a market-leading precision engineering business which provides technically challenging flat and round metal components for the European automotive industry. The group, which can trace its history back to 1919, employs over 700 staff across its modern facilities in the UK, Germany and Hungary.
AWC, backed by the Business Growth Fund, offers Sertec access to additional products, customers and international reach.
Headquartered in central London, Harbour & Jones is a privately owned pioneering and independent food services company, a leader in the field of contract catering and hospitality service with a clear ambition to grow both organically and via acquisition.
PCC is based in Beckenham and trades in both the events and business and industry fields as Fare of London, a prestigious contract catering and venue management business, and Principals Catering, a prominent education caterer.
The combination is highly complementary and provides Harbour & Jones with access to the schools catering sector.
Thomas Eggar is an innovative and highly regarded law firm operating across the South East of England. It has around 500 people including 70 partners and directors.
The merger with Irwin Mitchell will complement Thomas Eggar’s strong South-East practice with Irwin Mitchell’s national coverage and broader service offering. The combined firm will be the 11th largest in the country.
Founded in 2006, Clinical Professionals is Europe’s leading life sciences staffing business and includes the highly respected Only Medics and Regulatory Professionals brands within its portfolio. It provides outsourced recruitment and life sciences staffing expertise to more than 200 customers including some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical, biotech and medical technology companies.
Clinical Professionals benefits from a broad base of long-standing customer relationships based on their ability to deliver a consistently high level of service and innovation within professional staffing.
CPL Resources Plc acquired 89.8% of the issued equity with the remaining 10.2% retained by Clinical’s senior management team who will remain with the business.
AES, based in Nottingham, provides a comprehensive parts support service to both the OEM and maintenance markets. It primarily supports end of service life mid-range and mainframe enterprise systems, such as computer servers and data centres.
NVM Private Equity have backed the incumbent management team and the business will be remade Agilitas.
