Gateley advises on package of recruitment deals for NGH
THE corporate team at law firm Gateley’s Birmingham office has closed its eighth acquisition deal in three months in the recruitment sector.
The firm has advised Midland based AIM listed client, Network Group Holdings on six acquisitions this summer, which together are worth in excess of £2m.
The deals complete a series of targeted acquisitions by the Solihull based recruitment and outsourcing business.
As NGH looks to expand its recruitment offering across the UK, it has recently acquired employment firms specialising in the engineering, construction, procurement and financial accountancy sectors. These include Birmingham based Procurement People Recruitment Ltd, Network Professional Recruitment Ltd, Options Network Ltd and Sheridan Maine Ltd.
The two most recent deals, completed in August, saw London based SSR Contract & Technical Ltd and SSR General & Management Ltd being brought into the fold to add to the recruitment firm’s experience in contract and management sourcing.
The firm also completed two acquisitions for Pertemps Recruitment Partnership Ltd. Meirden based Pertemps has acquired a majority shareholding in Nurture People Ltd, a group of 12 technical staff agencies with an annual turnover of approximately £30m, and a majority interest in Ashton Consulting (UK) Ltd, an IT consulting business with an annual turnover of approximately £6m.
The Gateley team on the eight deals was led by corporate partner Paul Cliff supported by associates Andrew Cowan and Rachael Campbell and solicitor Tom Rush, as well as banking partner Philip Alton and solicitor James Dyson.
Mr Cliff said: “We advised on all eight of the acquisitions recently undertaken by NGH and Pertemps. It’s encouraging to see Midlands recruitment companies acquiring interests that will help strengthen the local job market whilst ensuring niche recruitment firms can continue to flourish.
“We feel optimistic that Birmingham’s corporate transactional market is moving in the right direction and we have been considerably more active on the deals front than this time last year.”
Tim Watts, chief executive officer of Network Group Holdings and chairman of Pertemps, said: “It’s been a busy and exciting few months for NGH and Pertemps as we have undertaken these targeted acquisitions.
“The niche businesses that we have brought into the organisation will allow us to operate in a number of different recruitment sectors that complement our existing operations. Our approach to business is through a formula that will enable these acquisitions to grow and leverage the strength and resources that the group offers, whilst supporting the management and employees within the individual businesses.
“Gateley has been a great support through the acquisition process on all of these deals. We found their pragmatic approach to business mirrors our own and we enjoyed working with them on these important deals.”
