Member Article

Newcastle corporate finance company enjoys record year following multiple deals

Newcastle-based Ryecroft Glenton Corporate Finance (RGCF) enjoyed an excellent 2014, advising on a number of notable transactions.

These deals included advising the shareholders of Integral Search & Selection on the sale of the business to Manpower Inc, and assisting Sunderland-based Maxim Facilities Management Limited to raise finance to fund the acquisitions of Ross Cleaning Services, and regional competitor New Life Cleaning Systems (North) Ltd.

RGCF was positioned fifth in the 2014 Experian North East M&A league table, and won, or was shortlisted for, a number of regional and national awards.

RGCF successfully advised on acquisitions, disposals and fund-raising projects for companies of varying sizes across a variety of sectors. A number of transactions are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2015, with the remainder of the year looking set to be even busier than 2014.

Carl Swansbury, RGCF partner, said: “We advised on more transactions during 2014 than ever before. This reflects the growing confidence shown by many businesses in the region, as well as the improving access to funding and development capital.”

“We’re delighted to have made it into the top five in the Experian North East M&A league table, especially as RGCF is only a four year old business. We were pipped to the post by three of the ‘big four’ national firms and a long-established regional corporate finance firm.

“We also scooped a top industry award when we were named North East Independent Firm of the Year in ‘Acquisition International’s’ annual M&A Awards in September 2014, which was great news.”

Deals completed by RGCF during 2014 included advising on the sales of Leicestershire-based Flex Plus to US Nasdaq-listed Corporate Resource Services Inc., London-based professional services search firm Integral Search to Manpower Inc., Repet to Petec, Mc2 and NEC to Jark Plc and the acquisition by Lowe Clothing International Limited of Worcester-based Ellis Rugby.

RGCF also advised on a number of fund raising projects, for Newcastle creative consultancy DECIDE, Sunderland-based Maxim Facilities Management, unified communications provider UC&C and Northumberland based Aartoft, all of which secured development capital to fund their businesses’ future growth and development plans.

Talking about these fundraising projects and RGCF’s pipeline, Carl Swansbury said: “The fundraising transactions we advised on during 2014 represented a step change for our clients. The funding they secured means that they can now invest in their businesses by increasing headcount, improving systems and procedures, and developing new products and services, which will start to have a positive impact on performance and profitability during 2015 and beyond.

“Clients are now focused on growth, which gives rise to broader discussions about the funding of organic growth, compared to growth through acquisition. We have seen renewed appetite for securing private equity investment and I’m sure we’ll see a number of large, private equity funded, transactions completed during the course of 2015.

“In addition to being engaged to advise new clients on acquisitions, disposals, and fund raising projects, we have also been engaged by a number of companies to carry out strategic reviews of their businesses in anticipation for transactional events during 2015 and beyond, which gives us great visibility over our pipeline.

“Every deal is challenging, and it is a process many shareholders and companies will only go through once, which means that diligent advice is a necessity. Our careful approach to ensuring that we fully understand our clients’ aspirations before embarking on a transaction means that we only go ahead with a deal when we and our client are sure that those aspirations can be achieved.

“We never over-complicate the process and we work exceptionally hard to bring each deal to a successful close. We give each transaction the same level of commitment from engagement to completion, however large or small our client: we appreciate that a small North East business, if given the right advice and support, has the potential to become a regional champion of the future.”

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