Benchmark International has advised water technology expert, Veolia Water Technologies UK (VWT UK), on the acquisition of water and wastewater treatment specialist, Biochemica Water.

VWT UK provides the complete range of services required to design, deliver, maintain, and upgrade water and wastewater treatment facilities and systems for industrial clients and public authorities. By optimising both processes and monitoring, VWT UK helps clients reduce their water footprint whilst generating considerable savings in energy and chemical consumption.

Biochemica Water is a national water and wastewater treatment specialist. Its key service areas include Legionella control, monitoring and management services, wastewater treatment, boiler water treatment, cooling water treatment and chemical supply. The company’s unique Total Water Management approach – encompassing influent and effluent process requirements – accurately diagnoses water and wastewater operating issues and delivers the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions.

The move will see the organisation become one of the UK’s leading end-to-end suppliers to the municipal and industrial sectors – one of the few genuinely able to provide a complete technologies and services solution.

After over three years since the EU referendum, where the UK voted to leave the EU, Boris Johnson signed the Withdrawal Agreement last Friday after the bill was passed to Royal Assent, therefore the UK will officially leave at 11pm (12am in Brussels) on 31st January.

So, what will officially leaving the EU mean for your business and investment into it?

Research by IW Capital, in which it asked 2,000 investors about life post-Brexit and the opportunities that will arise after the 31st January, has indicated that there will be an uptick in mergers and acquisitions. The research suggests that investors are positive about the UK’s prospects out of the EU, with 46% believing that if handled correctly, Brexit could be the best thing to happen to the UK economy. It also showed that 36% of those questioned believed that the UK will be a wealthier country, boosting their investment profile post-Brexit.

It transpires that for 30% of those asked, it was in fact the handling of negotiations that affected investors’ decisions and not Brexit itself, so now that a date has been set and there is more certainty around Brexit, more investors will look to use their capital.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce that it has successfully facilitated an £8m deal between Total Resources and Mercia.

Founded five years ago after Managing Director, Les Thompson, acquired the assets of Lincolnshire-based Traffic Control and Management, South Tyneside-based Total Resources now operates across five depots throughout the UK, employing around 140 people and offering all aspects of traffic management.

A rapidly growing business, Total Resources was the winner of the fastest growing small business award at the annual Fastest 50 event at the end of 2018. Turnover has soared on a local level due to work at major concerts for Rihanna, Take That, and Bruce Springsteen, and the forthcoming Spice Girls tour, all at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

Mercia, provider of both equity and debt finance to small businesses based in the UK, will now allow Total Resources to expand throughout the UK.

The £8m deal for Total Resources has been a syndicated investment across three different funds bringing its venture, debt and growth investment teams together in a single transaction.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the transaction between global technology group, Wärtsilä, and Ships Electronic Services (SES), specialists in navigation and communication electronics, installation, maintenance and repair services, primarily for commercial and leisure vessels.

Established in 1974, SES has its headquarters in Rochester along with nine other offices in the UK, where the company employs 47 staff. Together with its wholly-owned subsidiary Greenham Regis Ltd, SES holds a strong presence across the local marine services market.

Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation listed on Nasdaq Helsinki that operates in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets, maximising the environmental and economic performance of vessels and power plants for its customers. The company has operations in over 200 locations across more than 80 countries around the world, employing approximately 19,000 staff. In 2018, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled €5.2 billion.

Shareholder of SES, Paul Rees, said: “We are very excited to join Wärtsilä. We have already identified several shared opportunities between the companies and look forward to bringing the enhanced service offering to our customers.”

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the transaction between Dublin-based managed print services company, Office Technology, and leading certified technology company, Intuity.

Established in 1988, Office Technology oversees all aspects of clients’ print infrastructure, supplying and servicing Canon multi-functional devices as a gold member, as well as providing the software to manage the cohesion of machinery, predominantly for SME and corporate clients.

Benchmark International has advised on the transaction between Manchester-based fire engineering consultancy, Omega Fire, and specialist fire consultant firm, BB7, to create the UK’s leading independent fire and security advisory firm.

Omega Fire is a fast-growing, highly profitable fire safety property consultancy using computational modelling to assess fire engineering proposals and address potential fire hazards and risks.

Founded in 2009, BB7 is a fire safety and security consultancy with eight offices nationwide and 60 expert advisers. It offers three core services to clients: fire engineering, fire risk management, and security consultancy and has a client base of building developers, local authorities, housing associations, and hotel and leisure groups. As such, the two companies complement each other in terms of client spread and services offered allowing the combined entity to continue to build its strong reputation.  

Following the acquisition, Omega Fire will continue to operate from Manchester and Leeds, and trade as Omega Fire Engineering Limited throughout 2019, and the amalgamation of the two companies will create a firm with just under 100 people and 10 offices nationwide.

BB7 has been backed by the Business Growth Fund (BGF), which is the UK and Ireland’s most active investor in growing businesses. The investment from BGF will support BB7’s longer-term growth strategy, providing the capital and experienced resources to accelerate its growth plans.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Imscan Systems to Charles Street Solutions.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Warwickshire based manufacturer of riser doors, steel doors and access panels, Profab, to home security specialist, ERA.

Established in 2000, Profab provides to a B2B client base worldwide, with its products featuring in a number of prestigious buildings.

ERA, a division of Tyman Plc, is a specialist in the design and manufacture of window/door hardware and home security alarm systems. In 2017, Bilco UK Ltd, a provider of standard and bespoke roof access hatches, floor doors, ladders and smoke vents, and Howe Green Limited, a manufacturer of fabricated floor access covers, linear drainage, tree pit covers and bespoke metalwork, became a part of ERA, following the acquisition of Howe Green.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of a Rugby-based family bakery firm to Bridgwater Bros.

Founded in 1986 by John and Jacqueline Dwyer, John Dwyer Bakery produces, supplies and delivers one-off and batch baked goods to supermarkets, schools, universities and catering companies.

The acquisition increases Bridgwater Bros’ portfolio of companies to twelve and enables the buyer to focus on expanding on its existing food company, The UK Foodhall, a producer of quality British frozen food. In Bridgwater Bros and The UK Foodhall, Benchmark International sourced an acquirer that adhered to the same values and traditions that have made John Dwyer Bakery a success and all parties involved are looking forward to the future under new ownership.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of South Wales based VCUK Services and VCUK (trading as Vision Communications) to technology provider, Communicate Better.

The acquisition of telecommunications company, Vision Communications, will enhance its product portfolio of telephony, IT, and vehicle telematics, whilst it retains its brand, management and staff.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Taylor Partnership to Newland Chase.

Taylor Partnership is an immigration law firm specialising in a niche market, preparing and submitting visa applications for students worldwide and managing Tier 4 licences awarded by the Home Office for prestigious, independent boarding schools in the UK that need to maintain compliancy in order to retain the licence.

Newland Chase, a wholly owned subsidiary of CIBT, is a global immigration company providing specialist immigration services worldwide. The group of companies provide best-in-class visa and work permit services for expats and businesses, from large multinational corporations to small and medium-sized companies and start-ups, in more than 180 countries around the world.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of system integrator ECA to Israeli based IT infrastructure specialist, E&M Computing, trading as EMET.

Based in Reading, ECA has a presence throughout the UK and Ireland as an IoT and embedded industrial computer systems integrator providing core technology from world leading IT manufacturers, Advantech and DellEMC. Technology is utilised to create solutions for ticketing systems on buses and railways which has included work on the London Underground payment system, NHS Trust critical care patient record systems and BT's billing system.

Founded in 1984, EMET specialises in data centre, cloud, and information technology. The company has offices in Ramat-Gan, Rosh Ha'ayin, Petach-Tikva, Haifa and Ashdod with worldwide distribution hubs and a workforce of 850.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of CSM to OASIS.

CSM is a provider of storage for confidential archive material, confidential data and document destruction services. The company also provides services such as file and box retrieval, unit/furniture storage and an ISO accredited document scanning and digitalisation service. Operating around Central London from a freehold premises, the company is ideally placed to serve hospitals, legal firms and architects.

Operating in the records and information management (RIM) industry, OASIS stores information securely, controlling costs, staying ahead of regulatory requirements and creating value from clients' stored information. Services include records management and document storage, scanning and digital access solutions, data protection services and media vault, shredding and destruction, business continuity and GDPR solutions, and industry solutions. A company operating in Western Europe, OASIS has more than 30 locations across five countries: Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, and Belgium.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Day 2 to Lynx.

Day 2 is an award-winning office furniture dealership and commercial furnishing scheme consultant acting as a subcontractor to architectural firms, as well as directly for private, public, and commercial clients. The company operates UK-wide although it has an international presence, conducting business in Europe and via a secondary premises in Qatar.

Lynx is a Canadian-based manager of private equity funds. The company seeks to invest in mid-market companies ($750k-$2.5M EBITDA) with the goal of building value through opportunistic acquisitions, strategic leadership and the timely use of financial expertise. Lynx finances its capital requirements through the issuance of high-yield debentures to qualified investors who enter into loan agreements with Lynx for periods of one to five years.

Commenting on the acquisition, Jim Meier, founder and Managing Director of Day 2 said: “I have been evaluating several options for the next chapter in the Day 2 story, and the Lynx team and company ethos have stood head and shoulders above the others.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Secure Care to BrightStar Capital.

Secure Care, established since 2013, is an ambulance service provider for forensic and acute mental health patients providing a 24/7, 365 day service for the movement and care of people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and dementia. Based in Sussex, the company is located across different sites throughout the UK including London, Leeds, and Birmingham with services provided to a range of clients including private hospitals, prisons, police custody suites and NHS trusts.

BrightStar Capital acquires or invests in stable, profitable businesses with untapped growth potential. The company works with shareholders that are looking to fully or partially exit and takes an active role in helping an existing or new management team grow the business. Typically, the company looks at businesses that have a turnover of £1m-£10m and a £250k-£1.5m EBITDA, operating in sectors such as manufacturing and distribution, media, services, health and wellness, leisure, and consumer and retail.

Benchmark International has successfully facilitated the transaction between McPhee Bros (Blantyre) (trading as McPhee Mixers) to Elaghmore for an undisclosed multi-million pound sum.

McPhee Mixers was established in 1971 and has developed since then to manufacture and supply its own brand of truck mounted concrete mixers for the construction and quarrying industry, as well as provide a servicing and repair facility.

The company provides its large multinational customer base with a unique product range, tailored to their requirements and, as a result, has been recognised as an industry innovator with a range of patents covering its products.

The company has a robust infrastructure, with a 70 strong team and premises in two locations, comprising a manufacturing plant in Blantyre and a service and repair centre in Chesterfield. As no other UK concrete mixer manufacturer has more than one location, this uniquely places the company in servicing its high profile customer base throughout the UK.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Intuition to LaingBuisson.

Established in 2003, Intuition is a specialist in the provision of media, intelligence and solutions for the delivery of consumer and B2B information on the private healthcare sector in the UK and for international travel. The company helps global healthcare providers all over the globe attract more clients through its range of consumer websites, which patients can use to make informed decisions regarding their choice of healthcare professional, hospital or clinic.

LaingBuisson, operating in a complementary sector and providing an excellent strategic fit for Intuition, is a leading provider of market intelligence, consulting and data solutions for the health and social care markets in the UK and the chosen provider of independent sector healthcare market data to the UK’s Office for National Statistics.

The first quarter of 2018 has seen a strong start in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) worldwide, with the volume of deals increasing by 67% in the USA, 11% in Asia and doubling in Europe.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce that it has successfully facilitated the transaction between DW Reporting and BigHand.

Benchmark International is delighted to announce the sale of Cumberland Platforms Limited (CPL) to GELEV Group, trading as KLUBB.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the sale of Jack Lilley Limited to the Lind Group Holding Company Limited.

Benchmark International is pleased to announce the acquisition of Orange & Gold by Milestone Partners for an undisclosed sum, the company’s second acquisition within the accountancy sector in as many months.

As was the case with Milestone Partner’s previous acquisition, Benchmark International acted on behalf of the buyer to source acquisition opportunities adhering to Milestone Partner’s set criteria.