Jamieson is delighted to announce that it has advised the management team of NEC Group on its acquisition by Blackstone from the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, LDC.

Birmingham-based NEC Group is formed of the NEC, Resorts World Arena, ICC Birmingham and Arena Birmingham.  In addition, it operates caterer Amadeus and national ticket agency The Ticket Factory. LDC originally backed an MBO from Birmingham City Council in 2015 and has supported a successful four-year transformation programme alongside significant capital investment. The deal follows Blackstone’s acquisition of Clarion Events (UK-based international events & exhibitions group) last year and is expected to play to their strengths in the real estate sector.

NEC Group CEO, Paul Thandi, commented: “In the blur that can be the last few weeks of a transaction these days, Jamieson were exemplary. Beside me every step whether I wanted a call or an email early or late and at weekends nothing was an issue for Tom and the team. Their work was accurate, helpful and supportive exactly what any CEO or management team want and need in any transaction.“

The Jamieson team of Tom Burton, Ross Wheeler and Pippa Knowles advised CEO Paul Thandi, COO John Hornby, and the rest of the team during a competitive process on the terms of the transaction and the management incentive arrangements proposed by their new owner.

Jamieson has advised CEO Søren Poulsgaard Jensen, CFO Per Madsen and the wider management team of European ferry operator Scandlines on the sale of a majority stake in the business from 3i Group to First State Investments and Hermes Investment Management. The infrastructure arms of First State Investments and Hermes Investment Management have acquired 65 percent of Scandlines from 3i. At the same time, 3i also made an immediate reinvestment into the business and bought back a reduced 35 percent stake in Scandlines. Headquartered in Copenhagen, Scandlines operates two ferry routes between Germany and Denmark. Its eight ferries serve the freight and private passenger markets, with more than 42,000 departures annually.

Søren Poulsgaard Jensen, CEO of Scandlines said, "I have been very pleased with the cooperation with 3i to transform the company and develop its growth potential. I am looking forward to working with the new owners. Scandlines is a great company with dedicated employees; we will all benefit from this long-term investment". The three shareholders want to support Scandlines' continued growth, including further investment in green technology, and will continue to support management in delivering good customer service, safe operation and further optimizing green initiatives.

The Scandlines management team were advised by Stuart Coventry, Ross Wheeler and Jack Yang on their investment and the new management incentive.

Jamieson is pleased to have been able to advise the management team of the global private schools group, Cognita, on its sale from Bregal & KKR to Jacob’s Holding (Zurich-based family office).

Cognita, headquartered in London, was formed in 2004 by Sir Chris Woodhead (former Chief Inspector of Schools England) alongside Bregal with the acquisition of a single school in the UK and has since successfully expanded into Europe, Asia and Latin America. The Group now operates 70 schools across 8 countries, employing over 7,000 teachers and educates 40,000 pupils.

Chris Jansen, CEO of Cognita said, “KKR and Bregal have been long-term, supportive and excellent owners of Cognita.  Equally, we are delighted to secure a new partnership with Jacob's Holding, who we are confident will be excellent owners.  Changing ownership can be a challenging process but we have been expertly advised by Jamieson.  As a result the entire management team are all personally invested and highly motivated for the future.”

The Cognita management team were advised by Ian Jamieson, John Greenland, Ross Wheeler and Pippa Knowles on their re-investment and the new management equity plan going forward.

Jamieson is pleased to announce that it has advised the management team of Tangerine Confectionery on the acquisition of the business by Valeo Foods Group. Valeo is partly owned by private equity firm Capvest.

The deal will result in the combination of Tangerine, which has been majority owned by Blackstone since 2011 and has an extensive range of iconic UK sweet brands such as Barrett’s, Taverners, Jameson’s and Princess, with Valeo’s confectionery division. Valeo acquired Big Bear confectionery in the UK and Candy Plus in the Czech Republic during 2017.

Tangerine CEO, Anthony Francheterre, commented: “Tangerine and Valeo share a strong entrepreneurial culture and a shared focus on adaptability, innovation and agility, and we look forward to being part of an ambitious and fast-growing international food business.

Jamieson through their experience as well as values have been a tremendous help to support the management team in a challenging process. I highly recommend them.”

The Jamieson team of Ian Jamieson, Stephen Maxwell and Pippa Knowles advised Anthony Francheterre and the team on the terms of the transaction and the management incentive arrangements.

Jamieson advise the management team of Helly Hansen on the sale to Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited.

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited has agreed to acquire Helly Hansen Group AS, from Teachers' Private Capital for $985 million. Founded in 1877, Helly Hansen is known for its professional grade gear and for being a leader in designing innovative and high quality technical performance products developed for the harshest outdoor conditions. Within its core categories of sailing, skiing, mountain, urban, rainwear and workwear, Helly Hansen designs and delivers products used by professionals and outdoor enthusiasts around the world. With wholesale and retail distribution capabilities across more than 40 countries, Helly Hansen is a trusted and celebrated brand worldwide.

The transaction will further help Helly Hansen to scale up its operations in Canada, and to strengthen its growth. "CTC provides us with the ideal platform to further accelerate our growth trajectory and also strengthen our Canadian presence. This is a great opportunity for Helly Hansen and our team," said Paul Stoneham, CEO, Helly Hansen. "As a Canadian, I am particularly proud to say that Canadian Tire is the new home for Helly Hansen."

The Jamieson team was led by Jonny Jones and Evan Alper.

Jamieson Corporate Finance US, LLC is a member of FINRA/SIPC. 

Jamieson is pleased to announce it has advised the management team of Great Rail Journeys (“GRJ”) on the acquisition of the business by Duke Street, the UK based mid-market private equity firm, from its previous Private Equity owners ECI Partners.

York based Great Rail Journeys is  the world’s leading provider of escorted rail holidays. GRJ offers almost 400 itineraries to over 50 countries globally. GRJ caters for a growing demographic group of culturally interested 55+ year old travellers who typically prioritise travel spend within their household budgets. Popular itineraries include a tour of India’s “Golden Triangle”, exploring the Swiss Alps on the Glacier Express and an iconic journey across Africa from Dar es Salaam to Cape Town. Last year, over 50,000 customers enjoyed a GRJ holiday and the Company is proud that over half of its business each year comes from its database.

Over the last five years GRJ has performed strongly, tapping into new source markets for its rail tours including Australia and more recently the US, following the establishment of an office in New York in 2017. The business has also just launched, for summer 2019, a unique and highly differentiated rail based premium river cruise offering which builds upon very strong pre-existing demand for such holidays from within its customer database.

The Jamieson team of Stuart Coventry and David Kirkpatrick advised the GRJ team on the terms of transaction and the management incentive arrangements to be implemented under Duke Streets majority ownership

Jamieson has advised CEO Saad Hammed and the management team of Key Travel on the acquisition of a majority stake in the business by Elysian Capital from Livingbridge.

Key Travel, which has offices in Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle, was supported by Livingbridge via a management buyout in 2013. Livingbridge's investment helped accelerate the group's US expansion through the opening of its Philadelphia office in 2013 and the development of KT Online; its proprietary online booking tool.

Elysian Capital has now backed the company as it prepares for the "next phase of our growth journey", with the firm set to assist Key Travel with its plans to ramp up its global presence.

Saad Hammad, Chief Executive of Key Travel, is leading the execution of a strategy designed to "ensure we innovate to maintain our market leadership in the sector and sustain our position as the ideal travel management partner for not-for-profit organisations".

The Key Travel management team were advised by Tom Burton, Andrew Cox and Jack Yang on their investment and the new management incentive plan.

Jamieson advise the management of Pure Gym on their sale to Leonard Green & Partners

Pure Gym Ltd (“Pure Gym”) and Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (“LGP”) today announced that they have entered into a binding agreement under which affiliates of LGP, a leading US buyout firm, will acquire a controlling interest in Pure Gym, the UK’s largest gym operator. 

LGP will replace current majority shareholder, funds affiliated with CCMP Capital Advisors, LP (“CCMP”), who bought a majority stake in the business in May 2013 and will no longer retain an interest in the business on completion. The transaction is timetabled to complete at the end of November. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Pure Gym is the UK’s leading gym operator providing low-cost and high-quality fitness facilities for more than 950,000 members spread across 189 sites. Pure Gym was launched in 2009 and pioneered the model for affordable, flexible, high-quality fitness clubs in the UK.

Tom Burton and Ross Wheeler of Jamieson advised Humphrey Cobbold (CEO), Adam Bellamy (CFO) and their management team on their reinvestment alongside LGP and the structure of a new management equity incentive plan.

Jamieson is pleased to announce that it has advised the management team of MATCHESFASHION.COM, a global luxury fashion retailer on the sale of a majority stake to Apax Partners.

 Founded in 1987 by Tom and Ruth Chapman MATCHESFASHION.COM is today a global luxury-shopping destination for men and women offering a modern edit of over 450 established and emerging designers, and delivering to 176 countries. Headquartered in The Shard, London, MATCHESFASHION.COM employs over 500 people.

The Jamieson team was led by Stuart Coventry, David Kirkpatrick and Laura Yell.

Global alternative asset manager, The Carlyle Group, have agreed to sell majority control of The Nature's Bounty Co., a global manufacturer, marketer and distributor of health and wellness products, to KKR. Jamieson advised the management team of Nature’s Bounty throughout the process and on the negotiation of their new incentive plan with KKR. 

Headquartered in Ronkonkoma, NY, Nature's Bounty's CPG business is a global market leader in wellness products. The Nature's Bounty Co. has developed CPG brands that are among the most recognized and trusted in the world. The company's commitment to excellence and vision for health and wellness has inspired brands such as Nature's Bounty, Sundown Naturals, Solgar, Osteo Bi-Flex, MET-Rx, Pure Protein, Body Fortress, Puritan's Pride and Organic Dr., among others.

This transaction was executed by Jamieson Corporate Finance US, LLC, a member of FINRA/SIPC.