|
FMW Corporate Risks has undergone a management buy-out from FMW Group for undisclosed terms. 22-Dec-2000 Trent Concrete has acquired Mouldform of Loughborough and Empire Moulds of Leicester, which will add 40 staff and £1m turnover to its pre-cast concrete products business. 21-Dec-2000 Co-op Travel has bought the Salford-based Travelogue chain of travel agents for undisclosed terms. 18-Dec-2000 Robert Fleming Insurance Brokers has undergone a management buy-out from Chase Manhattan of the US for undisclosed terms. 18-Dec-2000 Rayner Food, the flavourings and condiments manufacturer, has undergone a £40m management buy-out. 14-Dec-2000 Northpoint, the Manchester-based manufacturer of anti-corrosion coatings, has undergone a £2.7m management buy-out. 13-Dec-2000 Aupec, the petroleum economics and benchmarking consultancy created at Aberdeen University, has undergone a management buy-out. 13-Dec-2000 ABCO Engineering Hydraulics has bought the franchise and assets of Pirtek Lincolnshire, the on-site hose replacement specialist, for undisclosed terms. 12-Dec-2000 Hymatic, the cryogenics and aerospace engineer, has undergone a £53m management buy-out. 12-Dec-2000 Halliday Catering Services is to merge with Wilson Storey to create a leading independent contract catering business called Wilson Storey Halliday Group. 11-Dec-2000 Brooks Service Group, the linen rental and services company, is to undergo a £26m management buy-out. 06-Dec-2000 Eclectic Group, the Glasgow-based IT consultancy, has been sold by Reading-based Druid Systems to a management team for undisclosed terms. 05-Dec-2000 Haley Somerset, the quantity surveyor, has merged with Ventris Associates of Australia. 30-Nov-2000 Firststake has acquired Bowman International, the North American betting operation, for £12m. 28-Nov-2000 Aram Resources, the quarry operator, has been acquired by Colas, a subsidiary of the French Bouyges group, for £13m. 27-Nov-2000 Newmond has completed the acquisition of Baxi Holdings to create a combined building products business with 7,500 employees. 27-Nov-2000 RRG Group, the Manchester-based Toyota and Lexus car dealership, has been acquired by Marubeni Corporation of Japan for more than £15m. 23-Nov-2000 Square Mile, the financial public relations firm, is to be acquired by BSMG Worldwide of the US for undisclosed terms. 23-Nov-2000 Fraser Williams Pharma Systems, the pharmaceutical software company, has undergone a £7m management buy-out, and plans to move into larger premises in Birmingham soon. 21-Nov-2000 Company-Net, the Edinburgh-based software house, has undergone a £4m management buy-out, and is now looking to expand its 30-strong workforce. 20-Nov-2000 Bowen Travel has bought the travel division of the Appleby's holiday firm, which operates 115 buses in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. 17-Nov-2000 Classic Couverture, the Speke-based chocolate manufacturer with 50 employees, has been acquired by Billington for undisclosed terms. 15-Nov-2000 Leagas Delaney, the advertising agency, is being acquired by Envoy Communications of Canada for up to £59m. 07-Nov-2000 Dresdner Kleinwort Benson is to acquire Elderstreet Investments for undisclosed terms, and will help the venture capital operator expand into continental Europe by setting up a team in Germany. 07-Nov-2000 AFM Lighting has secured £6m of venture capital to fund the acquisition of Mr Lighting of London, in order to become a leading supplier of broadcast media facilities. 07-Nov-2000 Thrings & Long, the Bath-based law firm, has merged with Townsends of Swindon to create an enlarged legal resource for commercial and private clients in the South and South West. 06-Nov-2000 ABM, the Widnes-based manufacturing process automation company, has acquired Control Systems & Services for undisclosed terms. 06-Nov-2000 Edwards Geldard of Cardiff has merged with Eking Manning of the East Midlands to create a combined law firm with 40 partners and 300 staff. 03-Nov-2000 C Spencer, the civil engineering contractor, has acquired Northern Electrical Systems of Sheffield for undisclosed terms. 03-Nov-2000 Hawes Creamery has acquired North Yorkshire cheese-maker Fountain Dairy Products, in order to increase capacity for the production of its Wensleydale cheese. 02-Nov-2000 Nuffield Press of Abingdon has undergone a management buy-out, with HSBC Ventures providing finance of £0.9m. 01-Nov-2000 Mayne Nickless is selling its UK express transport businesses, including Parceline and Interlink Express, to GeoPost Intermediate of France for £188m. 01-Nov-2000 Biovation, the Aberdeen-based biotechnology company, has been acquired by Merck of Germany for about £20m. 30-Oct-2000 Yelo, the Carrickfergus-based manufacturer of electronics testing equipment, has been acquired by Mindready Solutions of Canada for undisclosed terms. 30-Oct-2000 Westinsure Anada has bought Brunsdon, Swindon, and Frilsons Insurance Brokers for undisclosed terms, as part of a strategy to create a chain of brokerages covering the West Country. 27-Oct-2000 Infolines has merged with IPM Communications to create a new UK payphone network, and is now looking to benefit from the NHS target to install bedside television and telephones in every major hospital by 2004. 24-Oct-2000 Darenth, the vending machine manufacturer, has undergone a management buy-out and is now planning to expand production at its Sheffield factory. 20-Oct-2000 Frank Usher is to sell its women's evening wear business to management for £6.9m, in order to transform itself into a cash shell called Avingtrans. 16-Oct-2000 Saxon Homes has bought the residential arm of Quintain Estates & Development for £5m, which will enable it to expand its housebuilding activities in Cornwall, Dorset and Oxfordshire. 16-Oct-2000 Osprey Project Management has acquired Project Management International from BAe Systems for undisclosed terms, which will give it 40 new staff and offices in London, Edinburgh and Warsaw. 12-Oct-2000 CFS Group, the software leasing company, is to acquire Decision Systems of the US in a £90m deal, and the enlarged company will be named IDS. 27-Sep-2000 Mettis Group has acquired High Duty Alloys of Redditch for £42m, in order to strengthen its position in the market for aerospace forgings. 26-Sep-2000 Skelgate Holdings, the Yorkshire-based transport company that specialises in the delivery of electrical goods, has been acquired by the Lane Group for undisclosed terms. 26-Sep-2000 Lewis C Grant, the Kirkcaldy-based manufacturer of sheet metal enclosure systems, has been acquired by Segerstrom & Svensson of Sweden for £20m, which is expected to lead to the expansion of its 340-strong workforce. 22-Sep-2000 Microbio Group, the developer of natural pest controls with 50 staff, has been bought by Becker Underwood of the US for undisclosed terms. 21-Sep-2000 Strainstall Engineering Services, the provider of load measurement and stress analysis services, has undergone a £1.5m management buy-out from parent company TT Group. 20-Sep-2000 Moxon Traffic Management, the Huddersfield-based supplier of road marking and traffic management services, has been acquired by Stenoak for undisclosed terms. 20-Sep-2000 Whitacres, the specialist coach builder, has been acquired by Chesterfield-based Frank Guy for undisclosed terms, and there are plans to double production at the Stoke-on-Trent site within five years. 19-Sep-2000 Stenmar of Aberdeen has acquired Sonavision, the developer of underwater sonar products, for undisclosed terms, and the two companies will move to larger premises in Bridge of Don. 19-Sep-2000 HL Engineering has bought Engineering Diamonds and MA Engineering of Coventry, to create a combined group employing 50 staff in the supply of components to the automotive and defence industries. 18-Sep-2000 James Gilbert, the manufacturer of rugby balls, has been sold to a management buy-in team for £11m. 18-Sep-2000 Integriti Solutions has acquired InterCorr International, the US corrosion testing and research company, for undisclosed terms. 15-Sep-2000 Cavell Management Services has acquired Peter Blem Adjusters, the London market claims adjusting specialist, for undisclosed terms. 15-Sep-2000 Hi-Tec Sports, the footwear manufacturer, is to undergo a £16m management buy-out. 15-Sep-2000 Baynflax, the food machinery company, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms, and plans to develop into a £30m business through acquisitions and strategic alliances. 14-Sep-2000 David Henley Systems, the developer of products for car fleets, has been sold to CFS Group in a £7m deal. 12-Sep-2000 Multi Metals, the Belshill-based aluminium stockholder, has undergone a £5m management buy-out. 11-Sep-2000 Dawsongroup, the distribution company, is to quit the stock market, having received a £60m takeover offer from the founding family. 11-Sep-2000 Speyside Distillers, the Scottish whisky company with 90 staff, has been sold by Swiss company Scowis to a group of private investors for undisclosed terms. 07-Sep-2000 Bostrom, the manufacturer of vehicle seats, has agreed to a £38m takeover offer from a new company called Commercial Vehicle Systems. 06-Sep-2000 Johnsen & Jorgensen, the Dartford-based agency for imported glass and plastic packaging, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 05-Sep-2000 Christows, the stockbroker, has been acquired by eVestment, the investment group, for £39m. 05-Sep-2000 Brunswick has acquired SRU, the corporate research consultancy, for undisclosed terms. 04-Sep-2000 Bilston & Battersea Enamels, the ceramics company, is to undergo a £3.5m management buy-out. 04-Sep-2000 AI Group has acquired the mechanical components operation of Stafford-based Alstom T&D Protection & Control for about £2m, which will involve the transfer of 150 staff. 31-Aug-2000 Telecom Potential, the Bristol-based customer service group, has been acquired by iSKY of the US, to create a combined group with 1,400 staff operating from six locations. 30-Aug-2000 Checkpoint, the e-commerce software company, is being acquired by Bottomline Technologies of the US for £53m. 30-Aug-2000 Sherman Cooper, the shirt manufacturer, has undergone a £120m management buy-out with the backing of venture capitalist 3i. 28-Aug-2000 Interlube Systems of Plymouth has undergone a management buy-out from Invensys, and plans to create up to 30 skilled engineering jobs. 28-Aug-2000 Madison Filter has acquired Southwestern Wire Cloth of the US for £25m, to create a global industrial screening and separation business. 28-Aug-2000 Gilders has acquired the Chevin Audi business in Derby for £3m, as part of a strategy to expand its Volkswagen and Audi franchises across the Midlands. 25-Aug-2000 Luxfer is to sell the bulk of its remaining aluminium operations to Alcoa of the US for £182m, and the proceeds will be spent on acquisitions to increase its focus on gas cylinders, zirconia products and magnesium alloys. 25-Aug-2000 Fairway Reprographics of Southampton has acquired Cedar Colour for undisclosed terms, in order to expand its graphics and print capabilities. 23-Aug-2000 Anglo Communications, the Suffolk-based cabling network installer with about 100 staff, has been acquired by Black Box (UK) for undisclosed terms. 16-Aug-2000 Prime Time Recruitment of Leeds has acquired ORS Recruitment Services for £5m, in order to gain 10 new branches in the North West. 16-Aug-2000 Camber International, the Leicester-based textile machinery manufacturer, has been bought out of administration by Falmac of Singapore, safeguarding 39 jobs. 11-Aug-2000 Data Marine Systems, the Aberdeen-based supplier of satellite technology to offshore oil and gas platforms, is being acquired by Schlumberger for undisclosed terms. 10-Aug-2000 Dencora, the commercial and industrial property company, is being acquired by Sandy Lane, a subsidiary of Cargill of the US, for £75m. 09-Aug-2000 Firth Holdings, the cash shell, is planning a reverse takeover of Kinetech, the e-business subsidiary that is being demerged from broker Prebon Yamane. 08-Aug-2000 PPH Commercial has acquired DDM Commercial to create a combined commercial property group with 45 surveyors and offices throughout the Humber and parts of Yorkshire. 08-Aug-2000 Burnham International, the distributor of company annual reports, is being acquired by Barclays Private Equity in a £6m deal, and the business will be merged with Tecmail to create one of the country's largest independent mailing groups. 07-Aug-2000 Liberty Occupational Health has been acquired by Aon Corporation for undisclosed terms, and will be renamed Aon Occupational Health. 03-Aug-2000 TrustMarque is acquiring Internet Software Corporation of York for undisclosed terms, which is expected to lead to 30 new jobs in York over the next year. 02-Aug-2000 Charterhouse Securities is to be acquired by ING for £127m, enabling the Dutch company to expand its UK corporate broking business. 31-Jul-2000 Timothy Benn Publishing is to merge with City Financial Communications to create a combined financial publications group called City Financial Media. 31-Jul-2000 Arthur Bown and PM Martin have merged their Leicester-based insurance broking businesses to form the Martin Bown Group. 31-Jul-2000 H Roberts & Son, the Leicester-based supplier of precision measuring equipment, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 25-Jul-2000 Tanner Foods has acquired the long-life milk business of Lancashire Dairies, and production will be moved to its site in Essex. 24-Jul-2000 Standard Engineering, the Leicester-based shoe machinery specialist, has acquired rival Whitfield Wylie for undisclosed terms. 24-Jul-2000 CLS Holdings is to acquire Citadel, the property company that operates mainly in France, for £36m. 21-Jul-2000 RP Hodson has bought a 76% stake in John Wimble Insurance Brokers, the London City brokerage, for about £1.8m. 19-Jul-2000 SmartStream, the banking software and services company, has been acquired by 3i from Geac of Canada for £71m. 14-Jul-2000 Bridgend Group is to undergo a reverse takeover by Hemscott.net, the online financial information company that is also raising £16m in a share placing. 14-Jul-2000 Dial Direct is to buy 0700 2 Insure, the Redditch-based insurance intermediary that collapsed last week, and expects to re-employ up to 130 staff. 14-Jul-2000 Fourth Estate, the independent publishing house, has been acquired by HarperCollins for undisclosed terms, and its 36 London-based staff will move to new offices. 12-Jul-2000 Propertyfinder, the online estate agency, has been acquired by a consortium of Arts Alliance and Hamptons International in a £5.5m deal. 10-Jul-2000 Hickson International is to be acquired by Arch Chemicals of the US for £97m, enabling Arch to expand its international operations and increase its presence in the biocides and performance urethanes markets. 07-Jul-2000 Access Plus, the marketing services company, is to acquire Software Stationery Holdings, the supplier of printed products and print management services, for up to £11m. 07-Jul-2000 Oxford Cryosystems, the life sciences research group, has been acquired by Ferraris for £6.7m. 30-Jun-2000 Platignum, the Royston-based pen manufacturer, has been acquired by Universal Writing Instruments of Italy for undisclosed terms. 26-Jun-2000 Crown Eyeglass, the Aim-listed spectacles company, is to undergo a £1.4m management buy-out. 23-Jun-2000 Hampden Agencies and SOC Group are to merge to create the largest members' agency in the Lloyds insurance market, and their tax consultancy divisions will also be merged. 22-Jun-2000 Freshfields has announced plans to merge with Bruckhaus Westrick Heller Lober of Germany to create a combined law firm with 30 offices in 19 countries. 21-Jun-2000 Impact Fork Lifts, the Immingham-based Toyota forklift dealer, has been bought by Saficon Industrial Equipment of South Africa, and a £16m expansion programme will result in more depots being opened across the country. 20-Jun-2000 Nurseryworks, the operator of nine nurseries in the London area, has been acquired by Bright Horizons Family Solutions of the US. 19-Jun-2000 Knutsford is to acquire WILink, the US-based supplier of financial information, for £55m, as part of a strategy to transform itself into an online investment bank and information group. 19-Jun-2000 Moorland Poultry of Dalton has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 19-Jun-2000 Heatsave, the building services and energy management company, has been acquired by Gaz de France's Cofathec subsidiary, and is recruiting new staff to meet rising demand. 19-Jun-2000 Nelson Hind, the catering company that operates 250 restaurants and corporate dining rooms, has been acquired by Elior of France for undisclosed terms. 14-Jun-2000 WF Electrical, the electrical products distributor, is to be acquired by Hagemeyer of the Netherlands for £85m. 14-Jun-2000 John Mansfield has sold its Waddington North America disposable plastic tableware business to management for £140m, in order to transform its Waddington packaging division into a printing business. 13-Jun-2000 PSL, the Aberdeen-based oil services group, has acquired the AGR Ability Group of Norway for £20m, in order to expand its well services and subsea products business. 13-Jun-2000 Freedom Group has acquired VIP Bin Cleaning, the international franchise company offering wheely bin cleaning from 80 depots, for undisclosed terms. 12-Jun-2000 Rotrax Engineering Services of Middlesbrough is merging with CJ Bartley and Total Environmental Maintenance Services to create a new mechanical and electrical contracting group called Mea. 08-Jun-2000 Pall Mall Support Services has acquired Compass Cleaning for £23m, in order to create the country's largest retail cleaning business. 05-Jun-2000 Meadow Farms, the Devon-based organic milk supplier, has been acquired by Horizon of the US for £16m. 02-Jun-2000 ISI Group has announced the demerger of McLaren, its Glasgow-based document management software business, with Penta Capital acquiring a £10m stake. 30-May-2000 Flow Industries has acquired Shipham, the Hull-based manufacturer of valves for the oil industry, for undisclosed terms. 26-May-2000 Taurus Design, the Horsham-based project engineer, has been acquired by Weeks Group to create a combined consultancy group with 450 staff. 24-May-2000 Proudfoot Consulting has sold its Japanese management consulting business to local management for about £29m. 23-May-2000 3i is acquiring SFK Finance of Finland for an initial £6.9m, in order to expand its share of the venture capital market in Scandinavia. 19-May-2000 Tequila Manchester is to merge with BDH to create a combined £10m direct marketing group, and 27 staff will be brought together at new offices in Didsbury. 19-May-2000 Lombard Street Research, the financial research house, has undergone a management buy-out from Gerrard Group for undisclosed terms. 16-May-2000 LSC Group of Tamworth has acquired the electronic document management business of Pennant International Authoring Group for undisclosed terms. 16-May-2000 Alltruck, the Ashby-based contract hire company, has sold its two main businesses to a management buy-out, including transport management, contract hire of commercial vehicles, truck rental, and an ERF dealership in Leicester. 15-May-2000 Romac Gloucester Rewind, the Gloucester-based electric motors and transformers company, has been acquired by the Nottingham-based Ford Group for undisclosed terms. 09-May-2000 CallCentric has acquired Datapoint, the US call centre specialist, for £38m, and the merged business will be called Datapoint and have its headquarters in Windsor. 04-May-2000 Zeus Group, the Dudley-based supplier of castings to the motor industry, has undergone a management buy-out, and is planning to invest in new equipment and new staff. 04-May-2000 Worldmark, the East Kilbride-based labelling manufacturer, is expanding into China with the £2m acquisition of Lion City Packaging. 02-May-2000 Rodamco is to acquire Scottish Metropolitan Property for £152m, in order to increase its investment in the retail and industrial property markets. 28-Apr-2000 Currie European Transport, the Dumfries-based independent road haulage firm, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 27-Apr-2000 Perkin Elmer has sold its Cambridge-based healthcare imaging division to a management buy-out for £0.8m, in order to focus on life sciences. 27-Apr-2000 Momentus, the London-based e-consultancy, is being acquired by Diamond Technology Partners of the US for £6.2m. 26-Apr-2000 Confetti Network has acquired Braut.de, the German online wedding business, for undisclosed terms, as part of a strategy to expand across Europe. 25-Apr-2000 Timtec International, the Somercotes-based interior contractor, has been bought by EuroTelecom Communications of Mexborough, Yorkshire, for £0.6m. 25-Apr-2000 Johnstone Douglas, the financial planning consultancy, has been acquired by Alexander Forbes of South Africa for £42m. 20-Apr-2000 HLM Architects and Osprey Communications are planning to merge to create a combined architectural and communications group called RockArchimedia. 20-Apr-2000 Pure Asphalt of Bolton has bought the mastic asphalt division of TotalFina, in order to increase its UK market share to 25%. 20-Apr-2000 John Collins, the Nottingham-based printing company, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 19-Apr-2000 The Real Soup Company of Hexham and frozen ready meals company Danby's Foods have been acquired by Authentic Speciality Foods for undisclosed terms. 17-Apr-2000 Gunn Bros, the Cumbrian chain of builders merchants, has been acquired by Builder Center. 13-Apr-2000 CCM Distribution, the Altrincham-based computer components company, has undergone a management buy-out, and is now planning to develop a new range of hard drives, fax modems and other components. 13-Apr-2000 Clarity, the internet consultancy, has been acquired by Proxicom of the US for £46m, which will increase its technical capacity and provide access to overseas markets. 12-Apr-2000 Clansman Monarch, the Edinburgh-based travel operator, has acquired Scottish Farmhouse Holidays for undisclosed terms. 12-Apr-2000 Barkbury has acquired Crosbee & Atkins of Warwick for undisclosed terms, to create a combined construction group with 300 employees. 12-Apr-2000 Keystone Software has acquired the legal software division of US-based BISPoint Technologies for £5m, partly funded by a £2.4m share placing. 07-Apr-2000 Pattern Equipment Company, the Leicester-based tooling business, has undergone a management buy-out, and is now looking to invest in new facilities. 07-Apr-2000 Hunting Gate has sold its construction division to a management buy-out, and the business has been renamed HG Construction. 06-Apr-2000 William Wilson, the Aberdeen-based builders merchant, has acquired GL Headley, the Lancashire-based chain of six electrical wholesale branches, for undisclosed terms. 06-Apr-2000 Adams Healthcare of Leeds is to be acquired by Medical Solutions in a £13m reverse takeover, financed by a £20m share placing. 06-Apr-2000 Lloyds Equipment Hire, the specialist lifting company, has acquired Lloyds British Testing in a £5m deal, creating a combined group with 26 outlets and 300 staff. 05-Apr-2000 In4tek, the Altrincham-based developer of software for health and social services staff, has undergone a £3m management but-out from Systems Team. 04-Apr-2000 London & Edinburgh Publishing is planning to acquire Profile Pursuit, the publisher of corporate magazines, for up to £21m. 31-Mar-2000 Webfell has acquired demolition contractor Loxley to create a combined group with 130 staff and £18m turnover. 29-Mar-2000 AR Daunt of Nottingham is to acquire GT News, the chain of 80 newsagents and convenience stores in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands. 28-Mar-2000 Allied Mechanical Services, the Newmarket-based building services company, has been acquired by the Keller Group for £3.6m. 28-Mar-2000 Norscot Pharmaceuticals, the Aberdeen-based pharmaceutical wholesaler with 56 staff, has been acquired by Germany's Phoenix Pharmahandel for undisclosed terms. 27-Mar-2000 Dialog is to sell its core information services division to Thomson Corporation of Canada for £174m, in order to focus on its technology assets under the new name of Bright Station. 21-Mar-2000 Cochran Boilers, the Dumfriesshire-based boiler manufacturer, has been sold by Rolls-Royce to the Lincolnshire-based BIB Group. 21-Mar-2000 Geoconference, the Glasgow-based teleconferencing group, has been bought by a subsidiary of Bermuda-based Global Crossing for £20m. 17-Mar-2000 Greatminster has sold its Yachtline marine insurance business to management for undisclosed terms. 17-Mar-2000 Greenway Holdings of Leeds is to be acquired by OSS Group, the Liverpool-based waste oils recycling group, for £7.6m. 15-Mar-2000 Elgro has sold its Freshtime vegetable growing business in Boston to a management buy-out, in a £4m deal backed by 3i. 14-Mar-2000 Deanes Holdings is to undergo a reverse takeover by Hunters Leisure, the health club operator that is looking to raise £4.1m and open six new outlets. 14-Mar-2000 The Ninth Floor is acquiring Farsight Surveillance Technologies and a 60% stake in its software development division IO MM Software, for £5.6m. 14-Mar-2000 Brimur and Rocor, the Cambridgeshire-based corrugated packaging companies, have undergone a £3.8m management buy-in, arranged by Watersheds of Northampton. 10-Mar-2000 Container Sales Hire, the County Durham-based supplier of storage accommodation, has been acquired by Mobile Storage Group of the US for undisclosed terms. 08-Mar-2000 Balfour, the operator of 120 convenience stores and newsagents, has been acquired by a management buy-in team with the backing of 3i, for undisclosed terms. 08-Mar-2000 Mother Hubbard Cakes of Manchester has been sold to management by Whitworths for undisclosed terms. 07-Mar-2000 Joseph Thompson, the Sunderland-based timber firm, has been acquired by North Yorkshire Timber. 07-Mar-2000 Herald International Mailings has been acquired by Deutsche Post, the German post office, for undisclosed terms. 02-Mar-2000 Cameron Holdings, the Bristol-based manufacturer of hot air balloons, has bought Sky Balloons International of Wrexham for undisclosed terms. 29-Feb-2000 Garma Foods International has acquired Kallo Group, the supplier of stock cubes and organic rice cakes, for £7.5m. 28-Feb-2000 Avro Industries has bought Almond Engineering, the Scottish supplier of thermoformed plastic packaging to the food sector. 25-Feb-2000 Penspen is acquiring Andrew Palmer & Associates, the offshore pipeline engineering specialist, for £1m. 24-Feb-2000 UKae, the Sutton Coldfield-based supplier of double glazing parts, has undergone a £8m management buy-out. 24-Feb-2000 Border Construction has bought Finlaysons, the Galashiels-based roofing and joinery business, from the Lothian and Borders Co-operative Society. 21-Feb-2000 Stewart Ivory, the fund manager, is to be acquired by Colonial First State Investments of Australia for £72m, prompting speculation that other smaller Scottish fund managers could also lose their independence. 18-Feb-2000 Telesmart Developments is to be acquired by Prism Holdings, the South African supplier of secure electronic transaction systems, for £4.5m. 18-Feb-2000 Tempered Spring, the Sheffield-based manufacturer of suspension systems and components, has been acquired by Meritor of the US. 15-Feb-2000 United Kenning Rental Group, the car and commercial vehicle rental company, has been acquired by Sixt Rent A Car of Germany for undisclosed terms. 14-Feb-2000 Bobcat has acquired Sambron, the French telescopic handling specialist, for undisclosed terms. 10-Feb-2000 Paragon Software, the Newbury-based developer of mobile phone software, has been acquired by Phone.com of the US for £314m. 09-Feb-2000 Westminster Scaffolding is to acquire MotionPoster in a £15m reverse takeover, in order to market electronic moving-picture advertising space in train tunnels. 08-Feb-2000 ADI Treatments, the West Bromwich-based metal treatment company, has been acquired by Hulvershorn of Germany for £0.3m. 07-Feb-2000 McKay Securities, the property company, has acquired Gibraltar-based Celina Holdings in a £10m deal. 04-Feb-2000 365 Corporation is acquiring Datanet Holdings, the developer of sports-based web sites, in a £31m deal. 04-Feb-2000 Fairfield Enterprises, the distributor of packaging and printing machinery, is being acquired by Bobst of Switzerland for £19m. 01-Feb-2000 Woods Car Rental of Reigate has been acquired by Budget Car & Van Rental for undisclosed terms. 31-Jan-2000 Deans Food Group has acquired Daylay Foods, the former chicken and egg subsidiary of Hillsdown. 31-Jan-2000 Hidden Hearing, the Kent-based manufacturer of hearing aids, has agreed to a £23m takeover offer from William Demant of Denmark. 26-Jan-2000 Software Box, the York-based software supplier, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 24-Jan-2000 Charles Manson Group, the Nottinghamshire-based timber merchant, has been acquired by Brooks Group of Ireland for undisclosed terms, and the new company will be called Brooks Manson. 21-Jan-2000 Herbert Green, the Silsden-based furnishing fabrics company, has undergone a management buy-out from Lifestyle Furnishings International, with the backing of Euro Sales Finance of Leeds. 20-Jan-2000 RW Buxton, the Birmingham-based contractor, has been acquired by Fifehead Group for undisclosed terms. 20-Jan-2000 Arthur Shaw is acquiring Belgravia Internet Productions for an initial £2.3m, in order to produce broadcasts for transmission over the internet. 19-Jan-2000 HM Group, the construction equipment dealer, has undergone a £18m management buy-out. 13-Jan-2000 Microcosm Communications, the Bristol-based microchip designer, is being acquired by Conexant of the US for £80m. 11-Jan-2000 Lovells, the Newport-based chocolate confectionery company, has been sold by NFF to a local businessman for £0.9m. 08-Jan-2000 Capita Property Services has acquired engineering company Edward Roscoe Associates for an initial £5m. 08-Jan-2000 Anix Group of Bristol has undergone a £16m management buy-out, and is planning an expansion programme in order to become a leading supplier of IT services. 07-Jan-2000 Maygay Holdings, the electronic leisure machines company, is selling a 70% stake in its business to Leisure Link Group for £18m, and the two companies are planning to network machines in pubs. 06-Jan-2000 Trent Insulations of Burton has merged with Orion Insulations, and the combined business is planning to open two new insulation distribution centres with the creation of 20 jobs. 05-Jan-2000
|