About
We are a specialist company sale consultant working with business owners of SME’s with revenues £2M - £50M.
We act as an intermediary between company owners wishing to sell and buyers wishing to acquire.
Our sell-side clients engage with us to lead the sales process to realise maximum gain and place their company with a strategic or financial buyer.
Our buy-side clients engage us to source off-market opportunity.
We provide a fully-managed service with an experienced approach. Capping the number of projects at any one time ensures that we devote sufficient time to create the optimum outcome for each project.
We engage with a wide network of reputable accounting and legal firms. Much of our work comes through referrals.
We have a growing reputation as one of the best boutique M&A firms to work with in the south-west and have delivered successful deals in South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Germany, UK and Ireland.
Services
Our service options are:
We provide sell-side services to SME's and buy-side services to private equity and corporate firms.
Sell-Side Services
For business owners wishing to sell, we provide a full-service sell-side capability. From initial instruction through to completed sale, we specialise in identifying strategic buyers both nationally and globally. With a strong conversion ratio, we deliver exceptional outcomes.
Advisory
For business owners wishing to set out a roadmap for a 3 – 5 year exit, our M&A Blueprint allows business owners to analyse ‘where the business currently is’ and to help shape ‘where the company needs to get to’ in terms of a successful exit.
Buy-Side Services
For corporate firms wishing to acquire bolt-on acquisitions or technology extensions, we provide a forensic research capability together with financial & strategic analysis. We provide global outreach, deal-making and co-ordination of due-diligence.
Leadership
Supported by a dedicated team, our Managing Director Justin Levine provides hands-on leadership of all client projects.
Prior to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Justin Levine enjoyed a fast-track career as an MD, CEO and VP within a global enterprise specialising in high-technology industrial products. With over twenty years business experience in Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe, he struck out full-time in M&A in 2011. He was educated at Imperial College (Aeronautical Engineering) and Kingston Business School (MBA). Justin is a guest-speaker at the West London Business Forum and acts as a non-executive Director to several successful companies.
Justin is supported by a Co-Director, together with an eight-strong team of analysts, researchers and graphic design studio. A virtual team since the outset, the team is execution-focused and have worked with us for at least seven years.
Without the expensive overhead cost of maintaining real-estate, the team is lean, focused and the company offers exceptional value.
Industries
Client projects have widened exponentially over the last ten years to encompass a number of industries.
Whilst we will consider any project where we can add value, our specialism runs deeper in the following industry segments.
MANUFACTURING
Companies that design, engineer or manufacture parts, products, sub-assemblies, machines or services. All technology platforms across the electro-mechanical spectrum including Industry 4.0 and IIoT.
TECHNOLOGY & IT
Companies that create intellectual property wrapped into a range of services, products and technologies whether deployed as cloud-based SaaS or as on-site solutions.
HEALTHCARE & MEDICAL DEVICES
Companies that manufacture medical products, devices and solutions that are sold direct or through clinical services to consumers.
DIGITAL & eCOMMERCE
Companies that engage in ‘digital’ such as marketing (e.g. SEO, digital design, branding, print design, analytics, websites), through to pure play eCommerce companies that provide wholesale or retail distribution B2B or B2C.
WHOLESALE & DISTRIBUTION
Companies that provide wholesale & distribution channels and trade outlets across industries such as aerospace & defence, automotive, consumer markets, construction, engineering, food and beverage, health and leisure, industrial automation.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES & CONTRACTING
Companies and contracting firms providing value-added manufacturing, assembly and on-site services ranging from event-management, tourism and leisure through to the construction industry.
Clients
We have a growing reputation as one of the best boutique M&A firms to work with in the south-west.
Projects over the years have covered sectors such as manufacturing, engineering, technology, IT, wholesale, distribution, healthcare, digital, retail, food & beverage & education.
Our forte lies with investing sufficient quality time with each client to truly understand his or her company, market and USP.
Many of our client projects remain confidential due to the various partners we work with. But where possible, we can publicise selected past clients across a variety of projects.
Testimonials
Here’s what a few of our clients’ say:
Justin spent significant time to fully understand our business. He had an excellent understanding of the Groups financial structure with multiple holding companies and consolidations and joined me in trips to all our locations. I was very impressed by his quick grasp of the issues and his sound advise in dealing with them. Justin was superb at managing complexities across multiple financial and legal jurisdictions and drove the project for all sides. A first class M&A professional, highly recommended. You will not find better or a nicer guy to work with
Bill Cody, CEO and Chairman, Challenge Group
We’ve been working with Justin on a key strategic initiative since October 2019 and within that short amount of time we have found his advice and guidance to be invaluable. I would highly recommend Justin to other businesses.
Paul Benfield, Managing Director, P&I Group
A tough negotiator, persistent and worth his fee!
Paul Brook, CEO, ESET UK
Justin successfully negotiated the purchase of my partner’s shares. He made a very difficult and stressful situation manageable
Stephen Halliwell, Managing Director, Mellor Electrics Limited
I would once again like to thank you for your time in managing the sale of our business with all the professional negotiation and communication skills required from the start until completion. Understanding our company and our future requirements were key, and the complex selling process that you took responsibility for enabled us to keep our stress levels to a minimum. A highly recommended M & A Gentleman.
Steve Grinter, Managing Director, Hyphose Limited
We acted for the same client in a deal which involved the sale of shares in a high-profile business. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of it! Justin is a great guy to work alongside. He took the lead on the commercial negotiations and I on the legals. He is an excellent team player, a great communicator and was clearly focused on the best possible outcome for our mutual client.
Grant Esterhuizen, Partner & Head of Corporate, Lester Aldridge LLP
Justin has delivered a first class result by selling my business!
Bob Watts, Chairman, Dorset Orthopaedic Limited
Following his acquisition of EMD Drives, Justin’s business acumen positioned the company as the UK’s leading small electric motor & gearbox manufacturer.
Steven Clark, CEO, Clark Group
Justin was able to deliver real value to the selling shareholders by increasing, significantly, the price the buyer was prepared to pay for the business.
Nick Davies, Company Commercial Partner, Steele Raymond
I find Justin a joy to work with, good fun but also very professional. I tap into his vast knowledge and experience to help develop my own business.
Simon White, CEO, Enhanced Group
Justin offer’s clarity in judgment and commands only the highest level of achievement in deal making!
Chris Hutt, Managing Director, Unico
Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the work you put into making the deal happen – it turned out to be a long and complicated process, but we got the result we wanted in the end!!
Well done Justin – you earned every penny.
James Cody, General Manager, OBIT, Ningbo, China
I would once again like to thank you for all your efforts in getting the deal done. Your knowledge, help and support on my side was brilliant!!!
Graham Smit, Managing Director, Challenge Power Transmission (Australia) Pty Ltd
Justin has multi-dimensional business skills with international experience, the ability to distil a complex problem into its respective components and is a great communicator. I have been in business since the early 1980s and wish I had become acquainted with Justin much earlier than I did. He comes highly recommended by me.
Edwin Prescott. Chairman, Sprint Electric Ltd.
Justin Levine acted for us in the sale of our company and I am pleased to say that we made the right choice. Justin did everything he promised us and more. He has been completely professional throughout, yet always friendly and approachable. I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone seeking an M&A expert to act for them in order achieve the best possible outcome.
Anna Barwick, Finance Director, Hyphose Limited
Engagement
Our terms of engagement are simple, straightforward and jargon-free.
Initial Meeting
We invest time at the beginning to understand the overall objectives. And to explain how we work and add value. There is no cost – this is simply exploratory.
Scoping Meeting
If the client is interested to proceed, we will meet again to scope the project and to set-out deliverables. We will prepare an offer document and draft contract. There is no cost at this stage and no obligation to proceed.
Contract Phase
Once the client is happy with the terms and objectives, the client signs the contract. Any advance fees agreed (if any) will need to be paid and the project commences.
Project Phase
We will execute the project according to the timescales set-out in the contract. We maintain regular contact with our clients and keep them updated when each stage-gate is reached.
Success-Fees
If a success-fee is agreed for buy- or sell-side projects, success-fee become due on completion of the transaction.
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