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Has the deal making market remained resilient again the pandemic? The second quarter of 2020 experienced a sharp drop in mergers and acquisitions deal volumes due to the impact of COVID-19 Lockdown 1.0. However, the North West market rebounded for Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 as professionals…

How can a business fast track growth? The £5 million turnover, Manchester-based advisory business Winning Pitch has been sold to Newable, a London-based provider of workspace, money and advice to small firms. In 2005, Winning Pitch was founded by John Leach. During this time, Winning Pitch has…

How can one business get ahead in a highly fragmented sector? The private equity house Livingbridge has sold Broadstone, a specialist pensions provider, trustee and employee benefits solution provider, to the asset management company Intermediate Capital Group (ICG). Founded in 1989, Broadstone now manages over 1,500 clients…

In 2020, BGF’s (Business Growth Fund) North West team backed seven business and exited three. Overall, bringing the fund’s regional total to £340 million which is invested in over forty businesses. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, BGF had a very active year and recent investments include A…

How can North West business get back on track? The mid-market private equity firm LDC is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and believes that the private equity community will play a vital role in stimulating the UK’s economic recovery over the next decade. As a result,…

What are your plans for 2021? Based in Adlington, Cheshire, Bollington Wilson is one of the UK’s leading insurance brokers. The business was formed in 2017 with the support of Inflexion, when Bollington Insurance Broker and F Wilson Insurance Brokers, two long-standing North West insurance brokers, merged….

Will businesses that have suffered from the coronavirus pandemic bounce back? Inspired Energy is one of the UK’s leading energy procurement groups. The Preston-based PLC has disposed of its SME Division, which is comprised of Energisave Online Limited, KwH Consulting Limited and Simply Business Energy Limited, through…

Managing Director – Private Healthcare Provider Steven Taylor placed as part of a board build out to drive rapid growth plans & allow Founders to move into Non-Exec Background Established in 2010 by Drs Sanjay & Shikha Pitalia, Pall Mall Medical is a family owned, private healthcare provider….

Do you think businesses can grow while prioritising sustainability? This year, Duo, a Manchester-based packaging manufacturer, consultancy and supplier, has doubled UK-based production. The family business has invested £1.85 million in new equipment and facilities, resulting in the ability to manufacture 58 million more mailing bags. It…

Do you think businesses can boost productivity in the current turbulent market? The government initiative, Made Smarter, aims to increase the capacity of manufacturers in the North West. The programme was launched two years ago and has introduced industrial design technologies to 542 businesses, enabling SMEs to…

The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has collaborated with IN4.0 Group and The Landing at MediaCityUK to bring opportunities for growth and world-class innovation to SMEs in the North West. IN4.0 runs training and digital technology courses, while The Landing is a tech and innovation hub based…

Manière De Voir, the online fashion retailer founded by former Manchester City and England Under 20s footballer Reece Wabara, has secured a significant finance facility from HSBC UK. The financial assistance program will enable the privately-owned company to purchase further stock, matching the increased customer demand that…

Evohold, an eco-friendly ID cardholder manufacturer based in Preston has been sold to cards-x. The German-headquartered company, cards-x, which is a European ID card printer distributor, expanded to the UK just two months ago and based their operations in York. Max Fretwell, Chief Executive Officer, founded Evohold…

Cheshire-based Pets at Home, the UK’s leading pet care business, has sold Specialist Group to Birmingham-based Linnaeus Group for £100 million. Linnaeus Group is a highly-regarded operator of veterinary practices across the UK and a subsidiary of Mars Veterinary Health. Specialist Group is comprised of several veterinary…

O’Neill Patient Group (ONP), a top 70 law firm based in Stockport, has acquired Conveyancing Alliance (CAL) from ULS Technology Plc for an undisclosed sum. CAL is an Oxford-based, broker platform that focuses on the requirements of brokers, estate agents and their clients. ONP specialises in providing…

Today, Cheshire-based Pets at Home has announced the acquisition of The Vet Connection (TVC) for £15 million. Founded in 2002, The Vet Connection offers customised white-label veterinary telehealth solutions. As the largest provider in the UK, TVC uses an experienced in-house veterinary team to conduct c. 90,000…

The Manchester-based manufacturer and supplier of soft furnishings, Julian Charles, has signed a five-year contract with Expect Distribution. Expect Distribution is a family-owned, logistics and warehousing business based in Yorkshire. Julian Charles has 72 stores across the UK and a rapidly growing e-commerce platform. Therefore, the business…

Mr Flyer and Flow Solutions, both West Yorkshire print businesses, have completed a merger deal to form a £2.5 million company. The two businesses offer complementary services. Mr Flyer is a multi-award winning leaflet distribution business that collaborates with a variety of industries across the UK. Specialities…

Knights, a legal and professional services business with offices across the North West, has acquired the Exeter-based niche commercial law firm OTB Eveling. Unaudited accounts for the 2019/2020 tax year show that OTB Eveling turned over £2.1 million. The deal (£2.1 million) will add a further seventeen…

Flynotes, a Manchester-based digital healthcare consent platform, has secured funding from NPIF-Maven Equity Finance. The platform provides a simple and effective way for doctors and dentists to gain valid and informed consent from patients before delivering medical and dental treatments. The interface removes the inefficiencies of paper…

At the beginning of November, the mid-market private equity firm, LDC announced their £36 million investment in Cheshire-based manufacturer Rhino Products. Rhino manufactures van accessories, such as roof racks, bars, ladders and transportation systems. The business has two factories in the UK (Deeside and Ellesmere Port) and…

Earlier in November, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) went into administration due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on the retail sector. Over 900 jobs were lost. However, Peacocks and Jaeger, two retails brands belonging to Carlisle-based EWM continued to trade from a reduced estate. Peacocks was…

The laboratory software specialist, Genial Group, has been acquired by Harris, a division of Canada-based Constellation Software Inc, for an undisclosed amount. Based in Chester, Genial Group consists of Genial Genetic Solutions and Genial Compliance Systems. The two businesses provide laboratory and clinical process data management systems…

In October 2020, the mid-market private equity house LDC sold portfolio company Mitrefinch to Advanced, the UK’s third-largest provider of business software and services. Mitrefinch is a global provider of workforce management solutions. LDC’s successful exit is the result of a four-year journey that enabled Mitrefinch to…

Background CMAP is a SaaS business that develops bespoke project management software, selling into project-focused businesses such as architectural firms and creative agencies. In 2019, the business looked to strengthen its board with the addition of a CFO in order to: Explore external investment – de-risking the…

Background Social Chain are a highly profitable, fast-paced and entrepreneurial global social media marketing agency based in Manchester. After raising $2m of funding from the German’s “Dragon Den” (“The Lions’ Cave”, they needed to: Expand into international markets Improve reporting standards and controls Build out a board…

Background Family owned e-commerce business, with a disruptive model specialising in selling golf clothing & equipment internationally across both B2B and B2C. The 2 sons were looking to take PE investment to support an MBO. Sought additional funding to: Drive an ambitious, international growth plan (12m to 20m turnover in the…

The Manchester-based online travel agent, On the Beach Group, has declared that it is in a strong financial position to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic and grow its market share, having released a full year (to 30th September) trading update. Months of unpredictable trading conditions, further intensified…

In January 2017, Rowan appointed Danielle Davies as the Chief Financial Officer of Footasylum. In November of the same year, Footasylum floated on AIM and in March 2019, JD Sports reached an agreement regarding the business’ acquisition for £90 million. The strategic acquisition would enable both businesses…

Codemasters, a video game developer with three UK offices, including one in Runcorn, has received a £739 million takeover bid from Take-Two, the US gaming giant, which owns 2K and Rockstar Games. In June 2020, Codemasters announced a turnover of £76 million and profit increase of 4.5%…

Key Capital Partners (KCP) has invested a significant minority stake (£7 million) in Darts Corner, an online darts and darts accessories retailer based in Bolton. Established in 2007, Darts Corner employs 50 members of staff and sells a broad range of products, including leading brands and its…

Today, ECI Partners announced the sale of MPM Products, a premium pet food manufacturer based in Manchester, to 3i Group for a 4.4x return on investment (subject to regulatory clearance completion). In March 2016, ECI invested in MPM Products to support the business’ international growth strategy. The…

As a business owner/leader, you will have already put in place cash flow management systems (phase 1), and you’ll now be getting used to the “new rhythm” of business life (phase 2). But what about phase 3? Have you shifted your focus to the next 18-24 months…

The world is moving fast. The current situation is rapidly accelerating the inevitable changes to business as we know it: creating an online service offering, utilising data to make decisions, pro-actively anticipating customer (B2B and B2C) behaviour changes, increasing engagement & brand loyalty. As a business owner/leader…

How are consumer facing businesses predicting demand amongst so many unknowns? How can you be agile to focus on what is in your control, to maximise activity, revenue & profits, rather than worrying about what is unknown? How does a multi-channel company shift its’ focus to become…

As Executives & Non-Executives – and as people – we often like to stay in our comfort zones, in both business and life. However, taking a leap outside of your comfort zone is a proven way to experience new opportunities and add new value. Our recent webinar…

How does an ambitious business find a suitable Private Equity partner? What determines a great relationship between Private Equity and an ambitious business? How does that relationship lead to building significant value? And what is the optimum outcome for all parties involved? On this recent webinar, Foresight…

With greater access to capital than ever available before, Private Equity houses are looking to significantly increase their deal flow as the world starts to return to relative normality. Rowan’s latest webinar focused on the multi-faceted world of Private Equity, where we heard insights from Malcolm Hughes…

The Manchester based property business has secured the 4.9 acre site (which currently houses Home Bargain, Pets at Home, The Food Warehouse and more) as part of their acquisition strategy over the next 12 months. Chris Lloyd, Investment Director at Glenbrook has commented on the resilience of…

The latest instalment of Rowan’s finance webinar series focused on a key turning point in the careers of many finance professionals, transitioning from Financial Controller to Finance Director. . This webinar, hosted by Rowan founder and Executive Finance expert Paul Waite, featured insights from two exceptionally qualified…

We were delighted to host our first ever webinar on 21st May 2020! Hosted by: Chris Ravenscroft, Portfolio Non-Exec & Associate Director for NEDs at Rowan Executive Search Presented by: Mike McGrath, current NED for several high-growth privately owned and private equity backed businesses in the technology…

Financial Controller appointed by Rowan, promoted to CFO and led MPM to PE sale for 4.4x return (from ECI Mar 16 to 3i Nov 2020). David Millward appointed as FC after first stage ECI Private Equity investment. Background MPM are a fast growing branded products business in…

Rowan, Cowgills and HSBC have joined forces to hear from some of the entrepreneurs who make Lancashire tick. Due to the uncertainty surrounding Coronavirus/COVID19, this event has been postponed. Further details on dates to follow. Chaired by award-winning journalist Chris Maguire, the early evening event will hear from two multi-sector panels…

One of the key issues raised during one of our recent events, in coordination with MHA Moore & Smalley and Barclays, was managing Cybersecurity at C-Suite level. This applied from a business perspective but also highlighted the risks that senior, high-ranking individuals face online. Of these risks,…

We are proud to announce that we have recruited 3 new permanent members of staff to strengthen our management team and research capability, following 23% growth in 2019. Simon Thorne and Scott Wilkinson join Rowan as Associate Directors for Finance and Sales & Marketing respectively. Traci Lingard…

The Red Rose Awards started in 2011 and set out to celebrate the businesses that keep the Lancashire economy thriving. We have sponsored the event for a number of years and will be doing so again this year, sponsoring the growing businesses award. This year however, we decided to…