Whitham Group, an assembler and supplier of waste recycling systems, has completed an MBO which has enabled investors introduced by Acceleris Capital to exit their investment with a total return, after EIS tax relief, of almost 3 times the cost of their original investment. 

Foresight Group has made the first investment from its East of England Fund, supporting the Buy-in Management Buyout of McIntyre Electrical Limited and the opening of its new office in Cambridge.

McIntyre Electrical is a leading provider of safety-critical fire and electrical inspection and maintenance services, primarily for housing associations. Based in Peterborough, McIntyre Electrical was established by Joe McIntyre and John Clifford in 2006 and today employs 158 people. 

An innovative funding arrangement is helping to accelerate the growth of an award-winning housebuilder and fast-track property ventures across the North of England.

MAVEN Bonds is providing short-term finance to County Durham developer Homes by Carlton, to drive forward several property schemes around the northern regions.

The Newton Aycliffe-headquartered firm recently used a £300,000 short term development finance loan to fast-track construction work on its Cathedral Gates development in Chilton. Situated eight miles from Durham City centre, the scheme comprises 14 spacious plots with a mix of three and four-bed detached and semi-detached homes. It has proved popular with ten of the plots already sold – giving the construction team the confidence to accelerate the building programme.

Direct Online Services, the UK’s largest online retailer of kitchen worktops, has announced a record year of sales and profits, as well as a £5m internal investment plan.

The Gloucester-based, family-founded business has seen a 150% increase in profits in the last 12 months, with an expected EBITDA in excess of £4m in 2019. This has been driven by margin and productivity improvements, as well as the fruition of operational investments over the last few years. The group has seen a 14% increase in UK sales, as well as a 22% increase in revenue for its German business.

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) Debt Finance, managed by Maven Capital Partners, has provided Black Country based Vacuum Furnace Engineering Ltd, with a £1.5m funding package. This will enable the business to increase output, fund several large projects and pursue its growth strategy.

Sheffield-headquartered Independent Forgings & Alloys, one of the UK’s leading independent aerospace and industrial forgers, has acquired Doncasters Precision Forgings, from Doncasters Group.

In March 2018, BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor in growing businesses, invested £8.5m in IFA. DPF was identified as a strategic acquisition opportunity as part of the business’ growth ambitions to reach £50m sales.

IW Capital has invested £2 million in Impact Recycling Limited. The investment will be used as development capital to drive growth by upgrading existing equipment in Newcastle, increasing the level of shift patterns, employing additional staff resource and funding the initial licence opportunities.  Impact Recycling Limited has developed a breakthrough plastic recycling technology which separates the components of post-consumer, mixed plastic waste to recover two consistent streams of plastic; polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), each with over 95% purity. 

BGF has invested a further £11m into Molson Group, the UK’s largest independent distributor of capital equipment to the construction and waste management sectors. The investment will be used to develop Molson’s existing sites and brands, as well as expand its international and waste management offerings.

Par Equity has concluded an £800k investment in Kibosh Ltd, designer of the world’s fastest leaking-pipe repair kit. 

The innovative Kibosh equipment enables DIY enthusiasts, professional plumbers and trades people to mend leaking pipes simply and quickly without having to turn off the water supply to water and central heating systems. 

The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm focused on the smaller end of the middle market, and co-investors have sold RE Panels S.A., parent company of EPCO and TECSEDO, to THI Investments. As the European leader in panels for overhead doors, EPCO makes sandwich panels for residential, commercial and industrial sectional overhead doors. The company completed the add-on of Swiss manufacturer TECSEDO in 2018, cementing RE Panels’ leadership position in the European market.

Jaltek Systems, a leading manufacturer of complex, electronics assemblies has secured a £1m funding facility from Independent Growth Finance, as it continues to deliver on its rapid growth strategy and support its clients to push the boundaries of technological innovation. The company provides a full suite of services to its clients, offering both design and manufacturing solutions to a diverse range of regulated sectors, from clean energy and aerospace, to space satellites.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), has invested £150,000 to support ProGen Services Limited as it seeks to recruit new staff.

Founded in 2014, the Grimsby-based company is an industrial and commercial electrical and mechanical contractor. Progen provides fully integrated mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation (MEICA) turnkey operations across the UK. 

The £150,000 funding will enable the creation of at least 10 new jobs, including a new apprenticeship programme. The investment will also be used to scale up the business by acquiring new customers.