Professionals: Law firm advises on Swedish acquisition; Gordons invests six-figures in office enhancement

Squire Patton Boggs in Leeds has advised Pirtek Europe, which has a strong presence in Yorkshire, on the acquisition of Slangakuten AB, one of Sweden’s leading hydraulic hose replacement businesses.

Pirtek Europe, established in the UK in 1988, provides emergency hydraulic hose replacement services. The company currently operates 185 service centres and has over 725 mobile service vehicles in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Ireland and the UK, with seven service centres located in Yorkshire.

This acquisition establishes Pirtek in the Scandinavian market and strengthens its position further in Europe.

Alex McNutt, group CEO Pirtek Europe, said: “I am delighted that Slangakuten is now part of the group and we all look forward to working with Stefan Fallenius as Managing Director to expand the business throughout the region. Slangakuten is a very well-managed company and is a great addition to our European operations.”

Stefan Fallenius, Slangakuten’s CEO and founder, said: “I am extremely happy to enter into this partnership with Pirtek Europe, which will allow us to strengthen our position in the marketplace and drive the business forward. Over the coming months Slangakuten will begin the transition to the familiar Pirtek branding and will continue to deliver excellent service to Slangakuten’s existing and new customers.”

The Squire Patton Boggs team was led by Leeds Corporate partner Richard Hunt and included Craig Pettit, Hollie Burdiss, Katherine Warren and Peter Morley.

Hunt said: “We have worked with Pirtek Europe for many years and are pleased to advise on the acquisition of Slangakuten, which will expand the company’s footprint in Western Europe.”

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Yorkshire law firm Gordons has completed a six-figure investment in its Leeds office to create an innovative working environment designed to further enhance interaction, problem solving and team work.

As part of the re-design of two floors of its Whitehall Road office, breakout spaces have been created to allow Gordons’ people to work away from their desks, along with a relaxation area.

An activity room has been built to be used for fitness sessions and as a practice space for the firm’s resident band and choir.

The layout of the office space has been specifically designed to enable the firm’s fee earners and support services teams to integrate, rather than sit in specialism-based silos.

The investment project was led by Gordons partner and head of operations, Victoria Davey. She said: “We understand the importance of creating work spaces that facilitate interacting, working, relaxing and socialising,

“When designing our new office, we looked at a variety of different themes and layouts and chose a route which is distinct to Gordons that reflects our brand and values.

“The end result is an enhanced environment which improves everybody’s working day, boosts our productivity even further and fosters greater collaboration, all of which ultimately benefit our clients.”

Gordons has offices in Leeds and Bradford and employs 196 people. Clients include retailers B&M, Iceland and Morrisons; construction and high performance materials manufacturer Saint Gobain; international brewers Molson Coors; and the world’s largest electrical heating business Glen Dimplex.