Business News

SME Capital funds acquisition of Bristol-based Avon Combined Electrical Services

Published by
Nicky Godding

Bristol-based mechanical and electrical engineering firm Avon Combined Electrical Services Ltd (ACES) has been sold for an undisclosed sum to construction engineering specialists RDCP Infrastructure.

SME Capital supported construction engineering specialists RDCP Infrastructure.

RDCP Infrastructure is a part of investment firm RDCP Group, which controls $450 million of investments in the UK. Led by Gareth Dillon, Sameer Rizvi and Iryna Dubylovska, RDCP Infrastructure is the group’s construction arm. With 260 full-time staff members and a balance sheet worth over £65 million, RDCP Infrastructure is one of UK’s leading construction engineering specialist contractors, offering fully integrated delivery of complex construction projects featuring engineering solutions across key building and infrastructure sectors.

The recent acquisition of ACES sees RDCP take a 90 per cent stake in the £15 million turnover business which generates £1.5m in EBITDA. Funding to assist the transaction was provided by SME Capital who were introduced to RDCP by TML Finance and Advisory.

ACES is a leading South-West mechanical and engineering firm that has been trading for over 30 years. It has an established reputation and a proven management team led by Managing Director Stephen Sage. Stephen will continue in his role following the acquisition and work closely with Gareth Dillion and the RDCP Infrastructure team to grow the business further.

Sameer Rizvi, Founder & CEO of RDCP Group, said: “The acquisition of ACES brings a high quality, growth-focused construction business to RDCP Infrastructure. It is a well-established and highly respected business with a strong management team. Their impressive client list includes high profile names including Galliford Try, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and NHS. We are thrilled to welcome the ACES team to the RDCP Group and look forward to working together to maximise ACES potential and enhance further the company’s outstanding reputation and services.”

Stephen Sage, Managing Director ACES added: “Joining RDCP is the next step in the evolution of ACES into a stronger regional M&E engineering business. Sameer and his team will enhance the professional service already offered by ACES and open new opportunities for growth and expansion. I’m personally looking forward to working closely with Gareth and the RDCP Infrastructure team to understand their aspirations and explore the close synergies with sister companies within the group. Not only does this provide an excellent opportunity for both RDCP and ACES it also allows for personnel within the current business to expand their own personal aspirations.”

Stuart Watson, Regional Director, Business Development SME Capital said: “RDCP (through its Infrastructure business) knows the M&E sector very well and identified ACES as a perfect fit as part of its acquisition strategy. ACES has an excellent, long-standing client base, a high profile in the industry and proven management team."

“We have been pleased to support RDCP in this acquisition with a bespoke five-year loan including both a capital repayment holiday and bullet repayment structure to help with the initial integration and maximise cash headroom given current macro-economic uncertainty. This is another excellent introduction from Neil Sharp of TML Finance & Advisory. Thanks to all involved particularly Matt Ingram and the team at Squire Patton Boggs.”

Neil Sharp, Director at TML Finance and Advisory, who structured the lending package to assist with the purchase, added: “It was great to see all the moving pieces align from the start to the final agreement. We have extensive experience in working on these types of deals for clients and it’s always good to put that experience to good use for a positive outcome for RDCP. It was also a great experience working with Stuart and the wider team at SME Capital, who went above and beyond to make this transaction happen.”

 

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.

Recent Posts

International students are worth £651m to the city of Coventry

International students are worth £651 million to the city of Coventry, new figures show.  The…

12 mins ago

Intelligent Safety Electronics extends offer to acquire FireAngel Safety Technology Group

Coventry-based fire alarm manufacturer FireAngel Safety Technology Group, has received an unconditional offer from Singapore-based…

30 mins ago

Glastonbury pee to help research into bio-fertiliser

NPK Recovery, a company that recovers nutrients from human urine to create a novel, bio-based…

20 hours ago

Crawley’s Bramble Energy enters next phase of hydrogen bus project

Crawley cleantech firm Bramble Energy has marked a ‘significant milestone’ in its Hydrogen Electric Integrated…

23 hours ago

toob hits 50,000 broadband customers across the South

toob, a Hampshire-based full-fibre broadband provider, has just connected its 50,000th customer ahead of its…

23 hours ago

Oxford’s PQShield raises £29m for quantum-proof cybersecurity tech

PQShield, an Oxford firm developing cybersecurity measures to counter the growing threat of quantum computers,…

23 hours ago