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
Holding 13 minority equity stakes including 2 new investments in the year.
Finalists:
Banking partner, experienced in managing cross-department and multi-disciplinary teams on deals.
New head of the firm’s corporate team and making her mark as the firm grows its footprint.
Finalists:
20 deals in the year with a transactional value of £400m.
Finalists:
20 deals in the year with a transactional value of £400m.
Finalists:
‘Quality in execution and an ability to be pragmatic’, says one nomination.
Finalists:
Lead advisory on £180m worth of transactions.
Finalists:
Supporting 150 businesses across the region, and involved in countless deals.
Other finalist:
Finalists:
Involving HSBC, Oasis, WKCF, Gateley, and Blake Morgan.
Finalists:
MBO involving HSBC, Meridian, Shoosmiths, Blake Morgan, James Cowper Kreston and Taylorcocks.
Finalists:
Sale to Ingersoll Rand – involving Spectrum, Moore Blatch and Osborne Clarke.
Finalists:
Sale to Ingersoll Rand – involving Spectrum, Moore Blatch and Osborne Clarke.
Established in 1992., a nationwide company dedicated to supplying its customers with the best fire safety solutions.
Finalists:
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