Mergers & Acquisitions: EMC enjoys one of its busiest ever quarters

EMC Corporate Finance, the South East’s leading independent corporate finance boutique, is enjoying one of its busiest ever quarters with four deals already signed off and several more in the pipeline.

Of the four recently completed transactions, three involved an overseas dimension.

“In lots of ways these deals are typical of what we’re likely to see much more of in the months ahead,” said Nik Askaroff, EMC’s CEO. “Of the transactions we are currently negotiating, many involve overseas buyers. All the time the pound remains at its current low level, this is likely to be the norm rather than the exception.”

EMC’s four most recent deals are:

• The sale of a 20% stake in Berwick-based Posturite Ltd to Fellowes, the US-headquartered global manufacturer and marketer of business machines and office accessories. The deal offers Posturite, the UK market leader in the manufacture and supply of ergonomic office equipment, a major boost to its ambitious plan to double the size of the £25m turnover business over the next three years. Read the full story here.
• The sale of travel vaccinations and health needs firm Sussex Travel Clinic Ltd, in Hove and Worthing, to Vaccination UK Limited, a subsidiary of Denmark’s Danish Doctors Vaccination Service. It brings the number of clinics in the group to more than 40, seven of them in the UK, making it one of the largest specialists in Europe. Read the full story here.
• The sale of Surrey-based Starspeed, one of Europe’s oldest and most trusted corporate and VIP helicopter management, charter and training companies, to Luxaviation Helicopters, part of Luxembourg-based Luxaviation, the leading business aviation group in Europe and one of the largest in its field worldwide. Under the terms of the deal, Starspeed will retain its leadership, identity and personnel but have access to the expanded portfolio and Luxaviation’s resources.
• The sale of Brighton-based Bird Studios, which offers a range of dance, fitness, acting and vocal classes for adults and children, to the Brighton Institute for Contemporary Theatre Training (BRICTT) which runs degree-level courses for people looking to make a career in the performing arts

Nik Askaroff, who has been named the South East’s top dealmaker for the last three years, added: “We are now seeing clear evidence that an increasing number of owners of small and medium sized businesses are taking advantage of the current favourable market conditions to capitalize on their years of hard work by selling while the going is good.

“With the interest rate almost certain to rise in the near future and the current 10% rate of Entrepreneurs’ Relief coming under review from all political quarters, they have recognised that there is a little window of opportunity open to them now that may not be available for too much longer.”