Catering firm bosses complete buyout

TWO bosses of a catering equipment supplier have bought it from its founders.

Robin Williamson and Stephen Hewitt have led a management buyout of  Design Catering Equipment, which was founded 20 years ago by husband and wife Paul and Joanne Rawlinson.

The company employs 35 people and last year had sales of £11.5m. As well as its Stockport base it has an office in Essex to service customers in the south.

After the deal, funded by through management equity and term debt from NatWest, the Rawlinsons have now retired.

The new owners, Williamson and Hewitt have held senior management positions within the company for the last 17 and 10 years respectively.

Robin will be contracts director and Stephen sales director.

Design Catering has recently supplied and installed new kitchens and services into 14 new and remodelled schools and six new academies in Manchester, as well as two new restaurants at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds.

Contracts director Robin Williamson said: “It has been a long held ambition of Stephen and myself to take over the business once Paul and Joanne had indicated their desire to retire.

“We have all worked closely for a long time building the business into what it is today, so we see this very much as a logical progression for the company. We know the customers, we understand the contracts and we also have some ideas that we want to introduce into the business.

“Our order book looks healthy and we are keen to develop it further. Now we have completed the buyout we look forward to an exciting future whilst also wishing Paul and Joanne well in their retirement and thanking them for their input into the business.”

Mike Johnson, director, structured finance at NatWest who put in place the funding added: “Robin and Stephen have had distinguished and successful careers with Design Catering Equipment.

“Between them they have a great understanding of the market, the opportunities that exist and the key attributes of the firm. Paul and Joanne can look back with pride on what they have achieved, whilst Robin and Stephen look to write the next chapter in the company’s evolution.”

Baker Tilly advised the company on the transaction with RSM Tenon and Knight & Sons advising NatWest.