Regional View: Mergers & Acquisitions in Yorkshire

Yorkshire has a thriving and diverse economy, with major cities such as Leeds, emerging as centres of trade, commerce and finance. Other areas of Yorkshire which were typically associated with industries such as wool, coal mining and steel, have modernised into diverse business hubs, hosting a mix of retail and commercial companies, whilst Sheffield has reinvented itself as a hub for engineering.

Across Yorkshire, there has been substantial change, but also economic upturn, as the region diversifies and shows substantial growth across most major areas, including increased levels of tourism, manufacturing and registered businesses.

2018 has been a positive year for Yorkshire, with 279 deals recorded in the first half of the year, according to research by Experian. The region is demonstrating upturn deal volumes across a wide variety of sectors, with buyer interest coming from both UK and overseas acquirers.

Experian has reported that total deal value for the region has increased by 487% since 2017, demonstrating the sudden spike in both activity levels and deal values completed. The mid-market was one of the most active, with an 85% increase in the number of mid-market deals announced, compared to 2017 figures.

Activity across all sectors has increased, with manufacturing seeing the highest number of deals completed, followed by wholesale and retail, accounting for a 35% and 33% respective share of the M&A market.

KBS Corporate have a strong presence within the region, with a number of significant deals completed throughout 2018, and many more in the pipeline. Recent deals completed by KBS Corporate across the region include the acquisition of Coaching for Change, a management consultancy firm, which has been acquired by GLD Management, a Yorkshire based international business consultancy. In the deal advised by KBS Corporate, GLD have been able to acquire the company as a bolt-on to its existing service offering.

Within healthcare, Yorkshire based Mercury Healthcare Communications Limited was acquired by Home Digital Holdings Ltd, showing that a wide variety of sectors and companies have been involved in recent M&A activity across Yorkshire.

Our Regional Directors, Steve Dorkings and Sam Roser, are based in Yorkshire and have extensive experience in advising and guiding businesses of all sizes to achieving maximum value.

If you are a Yorkshire based business and are interested in learning more about our services, you can contact our office to learn more about either a company sale, or acquisition, or arrange an informal, no-obligation meeting with our Regional Directors.