Endless completes sale of communications provider
Endless has completed the sale of Adare SEC, the multichannel communications provider, to Leicester-based Opus Trust Marketing for an undisclosed sum.
Originally acquired by the Leeds-based private equity firm in 2015, the business was initially part of the Adare Group before being separated in 2017 into Adare SEC and Adare International, a marketing procurement services business.
Following the separation, the business which is headquartered in Huddersfield, has undergone a significant transformation, including the investment in best-in-class operations and a shift in focus towards a multi-channel and digital communications provider, resulting in EBITDA growth in 2020 of over 50%.
The deal will take Opus Trust Communications to a £110m turnover business increasing the headcount from 180 to 530.
James Woolley, partner, Endless commented: “The sale to Opus Trust today represents the culmination of six years of work to transform the business into a leading digital and integrated communications company in this industry. It has been a pleasure to work with Rachael and her executive team and I wish them and all of our colleagues at Adare SEC a bright future as part the Opus Trust Group”.
Rachael Nevins, CEO, Adare SEC said: “It has been an honour to lead Adare SEC and its fantastic workforce over the last 4 years. All of our
colleagues had to go the extra mile in recent times dealing with impact of the pandemic and I am humbled to have had the opportunity to represent them. I would like to thank Endless for the support, both from a financial as well as their insight which has been key to delivering the transformation of the company over the last few years.
“When we began the sale process of Adare SEC we wanted to ensure that the business found the right new ownership. We are delighted that Opus Trust are that new partner who share our vision of the future of the industry, our culture and our values.”
Tony Strong, CEO of Opus Trust Communications, added: “The acquisition of Adare SEC is a significant moment in the Opus Trust story. With complementary specialisms, we can now be even more competitive, but we don’t want to lose sight of our values or our wider ambitions. Our focus is to become the largest and best transactional communications partner in the UK market. As an acquisitive organisation we are already looking at further opportunities, however the relationships we have with our customers and the way we work so closely with them will remain our point of difference.”
Adare SEC and Endless (James Woolley and Stefan Nowakowski) were advised by EY Corporate Finance (Rebecca Rennison, Mitch Cox, Andy Thompson, Elle Swire), Squire Patton Boggs (Mae Salem, Emily Downie) and KPMG Tax (Steve Heath, Zak Hawley)
Opus Trust were advised by Pinsent Masons (Nicole Livesey, Nick Stones, Daniel Braithwaite) on legals and Quantum Advisory (Robert Palmer) on pensions.
