The Harrison Clark Rickerbys corporate team’s top deals: from subsea specialists to public relations restructuring

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Tim Ward, who heads the corporate team at HCR

The last six months have proved to be some of the best for HCR’s Cheltenham corporate team. Deals totalling approximately £236m have been brokered by the team in the year-to-date, led by Head of Corporate in Cheltenham, Partner Tim Ward.

From school furniture manufacturers to subsea specialists, the team have advised across a wide range of businesses to help bring a number of companies together, expanding their reach and diversifying their offering to clients both nationally and internationally.

In August, Partner Rachael Reeves advised the shareholders of transport systems experts Graffica on their sale to technology solutions business Sopra Steria. The two companies have a clear synergy, with the collaboration offering growth prospects for both.

October saw her again acting for Swindon-headquartered OutsideClinic during their acquisition of Bloom Hearing Specialists. The move allowed OutsideClinic to consolidate its position as the largest and fastest-growing provider of domiciliary eye and hearing care in the UK.

In November, Rachael advised on the acquisition of Lancashire-based CRP Subsea by Gloucester-based AIS. The deal has created one global-scale business by bringing the two industry leaders together.

Other deals of Rachael’s in the last six months have included acting for the second time for the Bristol-based Leviathan Engineering on their buy-and-build programme, including the acquisition of the majority shareholding of Exeter’s UK Precision Engineering.

Tim Ward, Head of Corporate in Cheltenham, hasn’t been resting on his laurels either. In the last six months his deals have spanned manufacturers, public relations companies and low-code app developers.

Metalliform, the leading furniture manufacturer supplying institutions such as schools and universities to offices and local authorities, was sold in November thanks to a deal which was led by Tim. The deal allowed Metalliform to retain its senior management while having access to a wider client base and sources of funding under its new ownership.

November was a busy month for Tim, as he helped public relations company Camargue transition seamlessly to an employee-owned trust. The move has given employees greater freedom when making decisions about their future as each has a financial stake and a voice when it comes to how their company is run.

That month also saw the team win South West Advisory Firm of the Year at the Business Leader Awards in Bristol.

Article_6 Months Deals

December has seen the completion of a deal which formed a global business – as low-code app developers Procensol were brought together with hyperautomation professional services company Roboyo.

Again, Tim led on the deal – with the two companies now having a combined business incorporating 600 employees across 15 countries.

“The last six months have been very busy for us,” Tim said. “This is just a snapshot of what’s been going on. It shows that the deal market is strong; in fact, we’ve been ranked first across the UK for M&A deals in the recent Experian report.

“It’s great to have been able to help so many companies achieve their goals across the South West, and to have brought these companies together to form a brighter future is a cornerstone of what the corporate team at HCR does.”

If you would like more information please Tim Ward, Partner and Head of Corporate in Cheltenham on [email protected]