News

20 December 2017

Harwood Private Equity invests in Tradewise

Harwood Private Equity has invested in Tradewise Group of Companies Limited, an Enfield-based, market-leading provider of road risk insurance to the UK motor trade sector (dealers and repairers), underwritten through a partner company in Gibraltar. Tradewise also offers cover within other niche commercial and non-standard vehicle insurance categories in the UK and certain European countries. James Humphreys is CEO and will continue to lead the company.

13 April 2017

Harwood Private Equity exits Essenden

Harwood Private Equity has achieved an exit from its investment in Essenden plc through an initial public offering of the group’s shares on the London Stock Exchange, resulting in a successful outcome for investors. The business has been renamed Ten Entertainment Group plc. Ten Entertainment is a leading operator of indoor bowling and family entertainment centres in the UK, operating under the Tenpin brand. Harwood Private Equity acquired the company in 2015 and since then has backed further site acquisitions and organic operational initiatives driving significant sales and profit growth.

9 February 2017

Harwood Private Equity invests in Inspecs

Harwood Private Equity has invested in Inspecs Limited, the Bath-based eyewear design, manufacturing and distribution business. The company produces spectacles for various brands, both under licence and private label. The investment enabled Inspecs to acquire the highly complementary Killine Group, which offers a wide range of optical products designed in Europe and produced in two proprietary factories in China and Vietnam. Robin Totterman is the founder and CEO of Inspecs and will continue the lead the company.

15 November 2016

Harwood Private Equity acquires Journey Group

Harwood Private Equity has acquired Journey Group plc through a public-to-private transaction for £32 million. Journey Group is a provider of in-flight catering to the airline industry. It services Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Memphis International Airport (MEM) under the brand name Airfayre™. Joe Golio will continue to lead the company as CEO, and Bob Gates, founder of R&R Uniforms, Inc., has been appointed non-executive chairman.

16 September 2016

Harwood Private Equity acquires Source BioScience

Harwood Private Equity and Continental Investment Partners have jointly acquired Source BioScience plc through a public-to-private transaction for £65 million. The company provides laboratory services and products to the healthcare and clinical, life science research and biopharma industries. Services include diagnostic testing for cancer and other infectious disease, DNA sequencing and contract research activities, cryostorage and stability testing. Products include serology products for blood and tissue banking, life science research reagents and controlled environment chambers. Source BioScience operates ten facilities across the UK, Ireland, Germany and the US and has customers in over 90 countries. Dr Nick Ash is the CEO of Source BioScience and will continue the lead the company.

11 March 2016

Harwood Private Equity backs CoventBridge

CoventBridge Group Limited, a new company formed by Harwood Private Equity, has acquired and merged the businesses of ICS Merrill and GlobalOptions, making it the largest outsource provider of insurance claims investigative services in North America, in addition to its UK trading operations. CoventBridge is pursuing a buy-and-build strategy to expand its UK and Continental Europe footprint led by non-executive chairman Roger Day, a former Ace and Zurich executive, and Dave Merrill, formerly CEO of ICS Merrill.

5 February 2016

B&G rebrands to ‘Curtis Gilmour’ and expands through acquisition

Harwood Private Equity portfolio company B&G, a leading manufacturer of specialist equipment for the control of insects and rodents, has adopted the name Curtis Gilmour and expanded through the acquisition of two new businesses. Curtis Gilmour acquired Cardiff-based Agrisense Industrial Monitoring Limited and Silvandersson AB of Sweden. The new acquisitions expand Curtis Gilmour’s range of pest-control solutions through the addition of crawling and flying-insect traps, and increase UK and European distribution.

7 August 2015

Harwood Private Equity acquires Essenden

Essenden plc has been acquired through a public-to-private transaction for £40 million. Essenden is the second largest operator of indoor bowling and family entertainment centres in the UK, operating under the Tenpin brand. It currently has more than 30 sites offering ten-pin bowling games, bar and restaurant services, amusement and gaming machines and other related leisure activities. Nick Basing, an operational adviser to Harwood Private Equity, is the current CEO of Essenden. Nick will be continuing in the capacity of executive chairman of the business.