Parking ANPR company secures PE backing for expansion

Published by

Nicky Godding

Law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys has advised shareholders and management at Devon-based Premier Park on their private equity funding from Sovereign Capital Partners.

Premier Park, based in Exeter, installs and manages Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras for more than 1,000 car parks across the UK, as well as offering payment management and patrol services.

Customers include shopping centres, health clubs, managing agents, facilities management companies, social housing providers, convenience stores and local authorities.

Sovereign will work with the management team to grow the business both organically and through strategic acquisition to meet the increasing demand for its services.

The HCR team from it Cheltenham office was led by Rich Wilkey, with Rachael Reeves and Louisa Leach.

Rich said: “This gives Premier Park a great way forward for the future; they have a new CEO in Paul Dawson and a very strong management team. We were very glad to have been able to support this investment and we look forward to working with them as they grow.”

Sovereign has also brought on board new CEO Paul Dawson who has worked at Capita plc for the last 15 years, holding various roles including being CEO of ParkingEye. Andy Parker, former Group CEO of Capita plc, joins the business as non-executive chairman.

Paul Dawson, CEO, Premier Park: “I’m delighted to join Premier Park at this exciting time. This is an evolving market influenced by an increasing demand for spaces and the evolution of electric vehicles - consumers are constantly looking for an improved experience and ease of access. We are well placed to develop the business by broadening our service proposition and continuing to deliver the efficiency and customer satisfaction this business is recognised for.”

Harrison Clark Rickerbys has more than 500 staff and partners based at offices in Cheltenham, the Wye Valley, Hereford, Worcester, Birmingham, the Thames Valley, Cambridge and central London.

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.