Member Article

Wright Hassall complete 32 year business cycle with final acquisition deal for fellow Leamington firm

Leamington solicitors Wright Hassall has completed a 32 year business cycle with one of its longest serving family clients, by acting for them on the sale of Expo Management.

Wright Hassall acted for Expo Management as the Leamington based events and publishing company was acquired by Diversified Communications UK – the UK division of global publishing and media company Diversified Communications.

The deal has enabled Diversified Communications gain a foothold in the bus, coach and public transport market as Expo Management organise several industry leading events including the Euro Bus Expo exhibition at the NEC.

The company also runs Coach and Bus Live and publishes market leading sector titles Route One and Coach Monthly.

It marks the completion of an incredible 32 year business cycle for Wright Hassall and Expo Management with the Leamington solicitor’s Managing Partner Peter Beddoes and Expo Management’s Managing Director Mark Griffin playing pivotal roles in the first and last deals.

Prior to joining Expo Mark was MD of Leamington based G&G Coaches, the business his father Peter Griffin built up with the support of Wright Hassall before selling the business to Western Travel (now Stagecoach) in 1990.

Mark Griffin, who becomes Group Director for the new Diversified Communications division, said: “It’s incredible to think that in June 1982 Wright Hassall worked with us on our first acquisition deal for our family with local company GG Coaches.

“I had not long started working in the family coach business and Peter Beddoes had fairly recently joined Wright Hassall, when that deal was pushed through. Now 32 years later Peter and Wright Hassall’s corporate team find themselves working on this final deal for Expo Management.

“It’s a testament to the strong, family like business relationship that Expo Management has with Wright Hassall that they have acted for us this long. I see them more as a business partner than a supplier.”

Griffin adds that Wright Hassall’s familiarity with and understanding of Wright Expo Management has helped to ensure the success of the Diversified Communications deal.

“The Diversified Communications deal would not have got over the line had it not been for Peter, Rita Rajput and the corporate team,” he added.

“Over the 32 year period we’ve worked together on everything from HR, leases to corporate deals Wright Hassall has got to know every aspect of our business and that relationship counts for a lot. They have done all the legal support work for all of the family every year since my dad first used their services when he started in business.

“Wright Hassall was also incredibly flexible and dedicated in their approach, often working late into the evening and at weekends, and that level of commitment along with their understanding of the business enabled us to complete the deal.”

Rita Rajput, Associate in Wright Hassall’s Corporate Team, said: “This was at times a complex and highly pressurised deal to work on but knowing the client so well, really helped us get the job done.

“Working with Expo Management was a real team effort and that sense of everyone pulling in the same direction helped us achieve what needed to be done in the tight time frame available.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to know we have played our role in this final acquisition deal for Expo Management, given the long term business relationship we have with them.”

Expo Management organises three market leading events – the biennial Euro Bus Expo exhibition, Coach and Bus Live and Best of Britain & Ireland, all of which take place at the NEC, Birmingham.

Established for almost 20 years, the privately owned company has offices in Leamington Spa and Peterborough employing over 35 staff and a turnover of approximately £3.5m.

It publishes the leading range of trade magazines, supported by digital platforms, for the public transport sector.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .