SME Capital

13/04/2022

We are delighted to have supported Northfields Kelvinside with their acquisition of Howard Yarnold Windows and Doors.

Howard Yarnold is a long-established manufacturer and installer of quality glazing solutions supplying commercial and residential clients. Since founding in the 1960s they have established an excellent reputation with thousands of business and domestic clients.

The acquirer Dr Tahsin Yasin is a highly experienced multi-national corporate CEO. Following his return to the private sector he identified Howard Yarnold as an excellent acquisition target after an extensive national search. Northfields Kelvinside is the parent holding company which seeks to acquire majority stakes in UK SMEs in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors. The aim is to create added value for businesses seeking new strategic growth pathways for the next phase of their evolution.

Dr Tahsin Yasin commented, "The acquisition secures employment continuity for all existing employees and anticipates further expansion to meet the ambitious growth targets in a robust market. I'm looking forward to delivering our new strategic plan assuring the future success of the company. I would like to recognise the excellent support of the experienced buy-side advisory team. All were instrumental in completing this deal."

SME Capital Regional Director, Stuart Watson said, "This is a well-respected business with an excellent reputation for quality products and service, where Tahsin will be able to develop the business further alongside the existing management team."

05/04/2022

We are delighted to have supported the The Beauty Academy on their management buy-in.

The Beauty Academy provides high quality and accredited beauty therapy training courses. The company offers over 120 courses all year-round, providing online courses and classroom based training from their permanently established and highly equipped training centres located across England.

Having started the business over 30 years ago, pioneering short-term beauty courses, the current owners wanted to retire with the business in safe hands. In Lee Wojtkiw they have found a buyer who will continue the successful growth of this well regarded independent business and take it to the next level.

Lee Wojtkiw commented, “I am delighted to have worked with SME Capital to fund my latest investment. Their funding solution will provide an excellent platform for the company to further develop its standing as the UK’s leading provider of beauty therapy training courses.

Huge thanks to SME Capital's team and platform, their innovative and pragmatic approach to the transaction was invaluable in what proved to be a complicated process.”

01/04/2022

What is a management buy-out (MBO)? We unpack the process in which a company’s key management team acquires all or part of the company they manage, and the potential issues to watch out for

Management Buyout (MBO) is a process in which a company’s key management team acquires all or part of the company they manage.

31/03/2022

We are delighted to have supported Enix Ltd on the acquisition of Eco Web Hosting Ltd

Enix is a UK based provider of web, email and cloud hosting services to individuals and small to medium sized businesses formed in 2006 by Elliot Pearse and Nick Webb.

The business has grown through a combination of organic growth and, more recently, strategic acquisitions, now serving a customer base of over 13,000. As the name suggests Eco Web Hosting are committed to sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint.

Enix co-founder, Elliot Pearse said, “Enix are delighted to have worked with SME Capital to fund our latest acquisition, which has enabled us to grow our portfolio of brands in the web, email and cloud hosting sector. Eco Web Hosting will join our established brands such as HostPresto already providing hosting solutions to home users and small businesses.

Thanks to SME Capital's team and platform, their innovative approach to lending allowed us to move quickly to secure funding and complete our target acquisition within a tight timeframe.

SME Capital's expertise in the sector, coupled with a desire to work with us for the long term made it an easy choice, and we look forward to growing our business alongside them in the future.”

10/03/2022

You may be looking to acquire a business for skills or technology, to scale or improve, or just found a likely winning business.

Here are 15 things you should avoid in your search for debt finance to support an acquisition or management buyout, laid out by Regional Director Adrian Reeve.

There are pitfalls for potential borrowers to avoid when it comes to putting in place the debt piece of the funding structure.

08/03/2022

Happy International Women's Day 2022.

Women-led SMEs contribute around £85bn to economic output in the UK, with evidence suggesting companies with more female leaders outperform those dominated by men, according to new parliamentary research.

Though the number of women running their own small business in the UK is on the rise, research shows that only 16% of small business employers and one in three entrepreneurs are women. Fewer women are accessing business loans, with only 15% of bank financing applications and 22% of new primary business bank accounts openings coming from women.

Why? Lack of access to capital, lack of network, and childcare responsibilities are reasons cited. It is estimated that up to 250bn pounds of value could be added to the UK economy if women launched and grew new businesses at the same rate as men.

SME Capital COO, Kate Kennedy, “Women can play a central role in the UK’s post-pandemic economic recovery. SME Capital is committed to backing women in business.”

04/03/2022

We are delighted to have supported Leviathan Engineering on the acquisition of majority shareholding of GMD Eurotool.

GMD is a Plymouth based sub-contract engineering business providing a broad range of precision engineered components and designs solutions.

Leviathan brings significant additional expertise to manage, improve and grow the business alongside the Sansom brothers who remain within the business they started over 25 years ago.

Glenn Karlsson said, “We aim to create a first class, integrated engineering group based in Bristol. This acquisition is a great step in the right direction, made possible by access to this bespoke loan facility and the support of the team at SME Capital.”

We look forward to continued success for GMD and working with Leviathan again in this sector over the course of the venture lifecycle.

We are delighted to have supported Leviathan Engineering (Leviathan) on the acquisition of majority shareholding of GMD Eurotool Ltd (GMD).