Berkshire equine training company Haddon Training sold to Welsh counterpart

By Nicky Godding

13 January 2022

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Welsh company, Educ8 Training has acquired Berkshire based Haddon Training in a deal that sees the group expand into England.

The deal sees Educ8 complete its third acquisition in the last few years. It follows the previous acquisitions of NTS in 2015 and ISA Training in 2018, and will result in the group’s turnover reaching c.£13.5m.

Haddon Training will continue to operate as a separate entity within the Educ8 Group. The business traces its roots back to Haddon Stud established in 1991 where its founder bred racing and competition horses. Haddon Training began in 1997 and is now an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ training provider employing over 50 people with a turnover of £2.5m.

The Educ8 Group was established in 2004 by Group Chairman, Colin Tucker, and provides apprenticeship programmes and training across South Wales. Now employing nearly 200 staff the business is run by CEO Grant Santos.

Offering apprenticeships and training in the workplace, it works across a range of sectors. From leadership and management, digital marketing and childcare, to hair, beauty and health and social care.

The acquisition of Haddon Training sees Educ8 not only expanding its footprint in the UK, but also its range of training; with Haddon Training specialising in the equine sector, as well as delivering apprenticeships in animal care, zookeeping and business.

Grant Santos said: “Haddon Training is a prestigious and well-respected provider. We are delighted to be given the opportunity to take the business forward as part of our group. Our ambition is to invest in the infrastructure and resources and grow the business over the next five years”

Colin Tucker, Chairman of Educ8 Training said: “We are very excited about the future. Educ8 Training is one of the top work based learning providers in Wales, contracted by Welsh Government to deliver apprenticeships. Our expansion into England means we can now work with even more businesses to help them develop their workforce.”

The deal was advised on by the GS Verde Group.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.