Evesham forensics business goes for MBO

Award-winning Evesham forensic science equipment supplier, Foster + Freeman, has undergone a management buy-out, supported by UK private equity company Primary Capital Partners, with the balance of funding coming from debt facilities provided by HSBC.

Foster + Freeman was founded in 1978 by Doug Foster and Bob Freeman and has become one of the foremost forensic science equipment suppliers in the world, exporting market-leading, and in many cases unique, products from the UK to more than 160 countries worldwide.

The business has a world-class R&D team with a track record in producing industry-leading technology, including the new Recover product which is the only technology available worldwide for developing fingermarks on fired ammunition casings / bomb fragments.

In May Foster + Freeman won a Highly Commended award from The Loughborough University Enterprise Awards, which recognise ‘game-changing’ achievements of academics engaging with business, public and voluntary organisations. The award was presented to Foster+Freeman for their development of RECOVER, a unique technology capable of revealing ‘impossible’ fingerprints.

Using RECOVER, forensic examiners can develop identifiable fingermarks on metallic items that have been subjected to extreme conditions, for example, a fired bullet casing, fragments of an explosive device, or even the blade of a knife that has been purposely washed clean.

With forensic experts still relying on fingerprints ahead of DNA as the primary method of identifying suspects, the new RECOVER device has been an immediate commercial success with police forces in the UK and USA placing advanced orders.

Exporting forensic science instruments to the world’s most prestigious police labs, Foster + Freeman employs more than 100 staff and were recently named in the top 3 small to medium-sized enterprises in the Midlands.

Foster + Freeman continues Primary’s strong track record of investing in high-quality, differentiated niche leaders in specialist manufacturing and industrial products and services. Primary’s deal team was led by Alistair Armstrong supported by Pete Lyons.