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Moto picks up Roadchef site 

Motorway service station operator Moto Hospitality has expanded its operations on to the M3 after buying a business from a rival firm.  Mergers & Acquisitions / Friday, 28th November 2008

Vending machine company in secondary buy-out

N&W Global Vending, an Italy-headquartered manufacturer of vending machines, has been bought by Barclays Private Equity and Investcorp. Mergers & Acquisitions / Monday, 24th November 2008

Mamas & Papas in Asian expansion

Yorkshire family-owned business Mamas & Papas is to build its brand in Asia after signing a franchise deal with a Singapore-based distributor. Business News / Thursday, 6th November 2008

Rip-off Britain ‘best for bargains’

Online shoppers in the UK generally get a worse deal than those in France or Germany. But shopping around yields better discounts from the median price, according to research from French-based price comparison site Twenga. Business News / Friday, 29th August 2008

Floors-2-Go rescued from administration

Troubled retailer Floors-2-Go, which went into administration last month following the failure of a management buy-out backed by VC firm Alchemy Partners, has been bought by flooring and carpeting entrepreneurs the Hodges brothers. The deal has saved 200 jobs after the administrator, Kroll, made 91 staff redundant. Mergers & Acquisitions / Monday, 18th August 2008

Smoothie business to raise £500,000

The Original Smoothie Company, a recent entrant to the UK drinks market, is planning to raise £500,000 by a private placing of four million shares through corporate finance house City One Securities. The company will have a market capitalisation of about £1.75 million if the placing is fully subscribed. Fundraising Deals / Tuesday, 15th July 2008

Portuguese group buys salad supplier

A grower of watercress and other salad ingredients in the UK and Portugal is set to be acquired by RAR Group, a Portuguese private company. Hampshire-based Vitacress is to be sold for £52.5 million pending approval by the Portuguese Competition Commission. Mergers & Acquisitions / Wednesday, 2nd July 2008

Bridges Ventures flexes its muscles

A provider of low-cost gyms has received an investment of £1 million from Bridges Ventures, the venture capital firm ‘with a social mission’. The Gym will offer fitness facilities in poorer areas for a price of £14.99 per month with no membership contract. Fundraising Deals / Monday, 30th June 2008

3i buys 49% of handbag business

Private equity group 3i has invested €118 million (£93 million) in the handbags and accessories division of Italian leather accessories group Antichi Pellettieri. The deal buys 3i a stake of 49 per cent in the business, which owns the Biasia, Braccialini, Coccinelle and Mandarina Duck brands. Fundraising Deals / Monday, 23rd June 2008

Hornby’s model deal

A company famous for its model railways has diversified its portfolio after it completed a seven-figure acquisition. Hornby has bought die-cast model specialist Corgi Classics, which produces collectible trucks, buses, cars and aeroplanes. Mergers & Acquisitions / Thursday, 1st May 2008

Milestone acquires Coffee Nation

Self-serve coffee business Coffee Nation has been bought by private equity firm Milestone Capital Partners via a secondary management buy-out (MBO). The deal valued the £20 million turnover business at approximately £25 million. Mergers & Acquisitions / Thursday, 3rd April 2008

Discover drives off with motor home site

A caravan and outdoor leisure retailer has strengthened its motor home operations after buying a dealership in Staffordshire. Discover Leisure has moved into the Midlands market with the acquisition of the site in Cannock from the Brownhills Group. Mergers & Acquisitions / Wednesday, 12th March 2008

Graphite buys Kurt Geiger from Barclays

Mid-market private equity house Graphite Capital has backed a management buy-out of shoe retailer Kurt Geiger from its current owner, Barclays Private Equity. The deal is worth some £95 million, with Lloyds TSB and The Royal Bank of Scotland both providing debt. Mergers & Acquisitions / Monday, 25th February 2008

EPIC VCT makes its first investment

The first VCT ever launched by EPIC Private Equity has made its maiden investment, in salad bar chain Chop’d. EPIC VCT, which has raised £3 million of its targeted £15 million, will invest up to £1 million in Chop’d to accelerate the roll-out of new branches of the chain. Fundraising Deals / Tuesday, 12th February 2008

Octopus backs MBO of chauffeur company

Private equity house Octopus has backed a management buy-out (MBO) at Tristar Worldwide Chauffeur Services, a UK-based company which serves clients in 44 countries. The £9.75 million deal was part-financed by an investment of £4.8 million from Octopus’s private equity and intermediate capital funds. Mergers & Acquisitions / Friday, 11th January 2008

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