Solent: Deals Awards demonstrate strength of Solent market
Last night’s 2018 Solent Deals Awards celebrated the region’s dealmaking and corporate finance activity.
Over 630 nominations from a wide range of dealmakers underlined the depth of support for the region’s companies, management teams, founders and shareholders.
More than 250 guests attended the awards evening at the Hilton Ageas Bowl. David Murray, publisher of awards organiser The Business Magazine, said: “The entries this year and the high turnout this evening are indicative of the buoyant state of the market.”
The awards were sponsored by Blake Morgan, Clarke Willmott, CMA Recruitment, Coffin Mew, HSBC, IGF, Meridian Corporate Finance, Paris Smith, and Taylor Made Computer Solutions.
The evening’s host was Mark Durden-Smith, who has presented ITV’s This Morning, is a regular guest presenter on BBC Radio London’s The Breakfast Show, and has hosted Sky’s rugby coverage.
Generous donations from guests on the night raised £4,000 for Brain Tumour Research, the charity dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours.
Awards chairman David Murray said: “It was a great night – congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and special congratulations to the six management teams we highlighted for our final category of the night.
Management Team of the Year
To highlight the fact that deals activity is all about the businesses being advised, the top award of the evening was for the company Management Team of the Year.
It went to Lucketts Travel, the acquisitive family firm that operates the region’s largest coach fleet. The award was ‘a real recognition of the team’s hard work and determination’.
Lucketts’ managing director Tony Lawman said: “We have worked really hard to get a new team to bond by being open and learning from each other. That’s crucial when you’ve got so many challenges. The pace of what we’ve been doing has been phenomenal and everyone has embraced it.
“We completed two deals in the last 12 months that has seen our turnover grow 30% to £26m. We are the UK’s second largest independent coach operator and this industry is ripe for consolidation. We plan 10 more deals in the next three years to grow turnover to £50-75m.
“Winning this award is a real confidence booster for us and highlights the fact that banks, lenders and advisers can have confidence in us.”
THE AWARD WINNERS
Private Equity Firm of the Year sponsored by Taylor Made Computer Solutions
Winner: Meridian Growth Capital
Holding 13 minority equity stakes including 2 new investments in the year.
Finalists:
- BGF – investing in Dolphin Homes and DB Food Group.
- LDC – continuing to support Solent businesses such as BOFA and Magicard.
Lawyer of the Year sponsored by Meridian Corporate Finance
Winner: Sophie Eales
Banking partner, experienced in managing cross-department and multi-disciplinary teams on deals.
Highly commended: Hayley Bevis of Coffin Mew
New head of the firm’s corporate team and making her mark as the firm grows its footprint.
Finalists:
- Steve Cole of Blake Morgan – commercial finance specialist with extensive experience of advising banks.
- Stephen Porter of Shoosmiths – longstanding Southampton-based and a leader in the field.
Due Diligence Team of the Year sponsored by Clarke Willmott
Winner: BDO
20 deals in the year with a transactional value of £400m.
Finalists:
- Mazars – 14 deals with a value of £460m.
- RSM – a raft of transactions including complex cross-border deals.
Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year sponsored by Paris Smith
Winner: Stewart Lambert of James Cowper Kreston
20 deals in the year with a transactional value of £400m.
Finalists:
- Michael Barcia, of Meridian Corporate Finance – deals included six MBOs, 2 sales and a fundraise.
- Darren Miller of Spectrum Corporate Finance – deals included ICS Cool Energy and Tructyre.
- Darren Thompson of Meridian Corporate Finance – deals included four lead advisories plus a host of investments.
- Rob Holmes of Wilkins Kennedy Corporate Finance – deals included ChamSys and GeoTech Soil.
Law Firm of the Year sponsored by Taylor Made Computer Solutions
Winner: Blake Morgan
‘Quality in execution and an ability to be pragmatic’, says one nomination.
Finalists:
- Clarke Willmott – ‘responsive and proactive’.
- Moore Blatch – ‘they act expertly with no fuss’.
- Paris Smith – ‘made the whole process of selling the business easy; everything went so smoothly’.
- Shoosmiths – ‘they deliver consistently’ and have ‘broad experience’.
- Trethowans – ‘highly regarded and communicative’
Corporate Finance Team of the Year sponsored by HSBC
Winner: Meridian Corporate Finance
Lead advisory on £180m worth of transactions.
Finalists:
- BDO – 7 deals in Solent and a whole more across the south.
- James Cowper Kreston – 17 transactions on both the buy and sell side.
- Spectrum Corporate Finance – a record year for the team across the south.
- Wilkins Kennedy Corporate Finance – a portfolio of deals up to £50m value.
Bank of the Year sponsored by Blake Morgan
Winner: HSBC
Supporting 150 businesses across the region, and involved in countless deals.
Other finalist:
- NatWest – extremely active, with £300m of new money lent to local businesses.
Young Dealmaker (under 35) sponsored by Coffin Mew
Winner: Philip Mettam of Meridian
Finalists:
- Chantelle Dabek of Blake Morgan
- Gemma Spiceley of Blake Morgan
Small Deal of the Year – under £10m sponsored by The Business Magazine
Winner: Lucketts Travel acquisitions
Involving HSBC, Oasis, WKCF, Gateley, and Blake Morgan.
Finalists:
- BGF investment in Dolphin Homes – involving BGF, Santander, Coffin Mew and Paris Smith.
- Burgon & Ball sale to Venanpri Tools – involving Spectrum and Clarke Willmott.
- NMT Holding BV acquisition of AB Plant Shipping – involving Coffin Mew, Nederhof, Ashtons and Taylorcocks.
- Oyster Marine rescue (and acquisition by Richard Hadida Yachting) – involving KPMG, Spectrum, PwC, Pitmans Law and Blake Morgan.
- Powertecnique sale to Riello UPS – involving Meridian, Trethowans, Taylor Wessing and Dains.
Mid-range Deal of the Year – £10m to £50m sponsored by IGF
Winner: The Quarr Group
MBO involving HSBC, Meridian, Shoosmiths, Blake Morgan, James Cowper Kreston and Taylorcocks.
Finalists:
- Churches Fire Security investment by Lyceum Capital – involving Lyceum, HSBC, PwC, Paris Smith, Travers Smith, Addleshaw Goddard and Smith & Williamson.
- R&M Electrical Group MBO – involving Meridian, NatWest, Trethowans, Shoosmiths, BDO and DSA Prospect.
- Shorefield Holidays refinancing – involving HSBC, Blake Morgan and Tozers.
- Tructyre sale to Michelin – involving NatWest, Spectrum, Moore Blatch, Deloitte and Covington & Burling.
Large Deal of the Year – over £50m sponsored by CMA Recruitment Group
Winner: ICS Cool Energy
Sale to Ingersoll Rand – involving Spectrum, Moore Blatch and Osborne Clarke.
Finalists:
- Diversi Foods sale to Oetker Gruppe – involving Paris Smith, Argo, White & Case, Gateley and Houlihan Lokey.
- Independent Vetcare restructure – involving HSBC and EQT.
Management Team of the Year sponsored by CMA Recruitment Group
Winner: Lucketts Travel
Sale to Ingersoll Rand – involving Spectrum, Moore Blatch and Osborne Clarke.
Highly commended: Churches Fire Security
Established in 1992., a nationwide company dedicated to supplying its customers with the best fire safety solutions.
Finalists:
- R&M Electrical Group – Formed in 1987, one of the largest electrical distributors in the UK.
- Selwood (Workdry International) – the world-famous pump manufacturer with a pedigree which spans seven decades.
- Shorefield Holidays – the family-owned business operating holiday parks since 1958.
- The Quarr Group – founded in 1992, the group services the public and private sectors with contract catering, cleaning, facilities management and more.
