A list of company mergers and acquisitions that took place in the UK between January and June 2022.
June 2022 Mergers And Acquisitions
Global-e buys ecommerce product developer
Thu, 30/06/2022 Pitney Bowes has sold Borderfree to Global-e. Borderfree develops cross-border ecommerce products.
BluprintX buys IO Integration
Thu, 30/06/2022 BluprintX has completed its third acquisition in the last seven months with the purchase of IO Integration. The two companies specialise in Adobe related technology and the deal expands BluprintX’s footprint in the North American market.
Cimlogic bought by ITI
Wed, 29/06/2022 ITI has increased its portfolio of digital manufacturing services with the acquisition of Cimlogic.
Progeny takes total assets under management to more than £5.5bn with The Fry Group takeover
Wed, 29/06/2022 Progeny has increased its total assets under management to more than £5.5bn following the announcement it has acquired the wealth management firm The Fry Group.
TriMech buys Solid Solutions from LDC
Tue, 28/06/2022 Private equity firm LDC has sold Solid Solutions to the American company TriMech. Based in Leamington Spa, Solid Solutions is a reseller of 3D design software.
£3.45m deal sees Appreciate buy MBL
Tue, 28/06/2022 Redu Group has sold gift card technology provider MBL Holdco to Appreciate Group for £3.45m.
Budworth Hardcastle to team up with Eddisons following Begbies acquisition
Mon, 27/06/2022 Business recovery and property services specialist Begbies Traynor Group (BTG) has acquired Budworth Hardcastle, a firm of chartered surveyors with offices in Northampton, Kettering and Peterborough. Budworth Hardcastle will be integrated into Eddisons, BTG’s property division.
Shaftesbury and Capital & Counties Properties discussing possible merger
Fri, 24/06/2022 Shaftesbury and Capital & Counties Properties have confirmed they are in advanced discussions regarding a merger which would create a company responsible for property in the West End of London with a portfolio of around 2.9 million square feet of lettable space located in high-profile destinations including Covent Garden, Carnaby, Chinatown and Soho.
Dutch company buys Fullwood Milking
Fri, 24/06/2022 Pindustry has sold Fullwood Milking to the Dutch company JOZ. Fullwood is a supplier of miling systems and robots to the agricultural sector.
4Com acquires Midshire Telecom
Fri, 24/06/2022 Midshire Telecom has been taken over by 4Com.
Beauparc buys Acumen Waste Services
Fri, 24/06/2022 Beauparc has moved into the specialist waste treatment sector with the acquisition of Acumen Waste Services.
Fisher German and Matthews & Goodman agree to merge
Thu, 23/06/2022 A £60m turnover property services company has been formed following the announcement that Fisher German and Matthews & Goodman have agreed to merge. Following completion of the deal, the firm will trade under the Fisher German brand.
ProAdjust bought by Davies Group
Wed, 22/06/2022 Davies Group has acquired ProAdjust, an Irish provider of loss adjusting and claims management services to the insurance market.
Cambridge Information Group buys Emerald Group
Tue, 21/06/2022 The independent publishing house Emerald Group has been acquired by Cambridge Information Group.
The Lettershop Group has been acquired by Paragon Customer Communications
Mon, 20/06/2022 Paragon Customer Communications has boosted its direct mail and packaging portfolios with the acquisition of The Lettershop Group.
Lloyds agrees £12m deal for Cavendish Online
Fri, 17/06/2022 Protection business Cavendish Online has agreed a deal which will see it taken over by Lloyds Banking Group. The £12m deal enables Lloyds to offer a greater range of customer protection across its Halifax, Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland brands.
KOMI Group buys travel and adventure brand
Thu, 16/06/2022 The travel and adventure brand Get Lost has been acquired by KOMI Group.
Renault buys Fixter
Thu, 16/06/2022 Fixter, developer of a digital platform which connects retail and professional customers to local garages for vehicle maintenance, has been acquired by French car manufacturer Renault.
ITV buys Plimsoll Productions for £103.5m
Wed, 15/06/2022 Natural history TV production company Plimsoll Productions has been acquired by ITV. The £103.5m deal sees ITV take a 79.5% stake in the company behind a range of shows including Tiny World and Giant World for Apple TV; Hostile Planet and Supernatural Planet for Disney; Night on Earth and Animal for Netflix and the upcoming A Year on Planet Earth for ITV. The deal strengthens ITV’s position in the international content market.
£650m deal sees Go-Ahead get Australian owner
Tue, 14/06/2022 The bus and train operator Go-Ahead Group has agreed a £650m deal which will see it taken over by the Australian bus operator Kinetic Holding. Go-Ahead runs Govia Thameslink Railway, which comprises Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Thameslink.
The Citation Group buys cyber security specialist
Fri, 10/06/2022 Compliance services provider The Citation Group has acquired Mitigate Cyber. Established in 2013, Mitigate provides a range of business focussed services which aim to prevent data breaches.
Gem Scientific bought by SLS
Thu, 09/06/2022 Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) has acquired Gem Scientific. SLS will use the deal to expand its product portfolio, and Gem Scientific will continue to operate independently.
GIC and Greystar form joint venture to buy Student Roost
Thu, 09/06/2022 Student accommodation provider Student Roost has been taken over by a joint venture consisting of GIC and Greystar.
JMG buys GS Group
Wed, 08/06/2022 GS Group, Scotland’s largest independent insurance broker, has been taken over by JMG Group. GS Group hopes the takeover will see it become a £50m gross written premium business.
Irwin Mitchell increases asset management business with TWP Wealth acquisition
Tue, 07/06/2022 Irwin Mitchell has strengthened its wealth management team with the acquisition of chartered financial planning company TWP Wealth. The deal means Irwin Mitchell Asset Management now has £1.1bn assets under management.
Sage acquires Futrli
Wed, 01/06/2022 Futrli, a developer of cash flow forecasting software, has been bought by Sage.
Carter Jonas buys Tomorrow Advisory
Wed, 01/06/2022 Real estate strategy practice Tomorrow Advisory has been acquired by Carter Jonas.
Winch & co buys haulage firm
Wed, 01/06/2022 The haulage company DTS has been taken over by Winch & Co.
GT Certification bought by Construction Testing Solutions
Wed, 01/06/2022 Construction Testing Solutions has made another acquisition as it continues its growth strategy of becoming a leading provider of services to the construction industry. The latest deal is the purchase of GT Certification, a calibration services specialist based in the West Midlands.
Law firms Ampa and Mayo Wynner Baxter agree to merge
Wed, 01/06/2022 The law firms Ampa and Mayo Wynne Baxter (MWB) have agreed to merge. MWB will work closely with Ampa’s existing consumer-focused law brand, Lime Solicitors.
Endless eats up another deal with acquisition of edible oils supplier
Wed, 01/06/2022 The private equity firm Endless has acquired edible oils supplier KTC. Based in Wednesbury, KTC operates from four production sites across the UK and supplies more than 250 million litres a year of edible oil to manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers.
Online risk intelligence specialist bought by Kroll
Wed, 01/06/2022 Online security specialist Kroll has acquired Crisp, a provider of real-time risk intelligence services that helps companies and individuals protect themselves from security threats and online harms.
May 2022 Mergers And Acquisitions
Daisy buys Communicate Better
Tue, 31/05/2022 Technology provider Communicate Better has been taken over by Daisy Communications.
Foxtons buys two London property companies for £10.55m
Tue, 31/05/2022 Foxtons has strengthened its position as the leading lettings agent in London with the £10.55m double acquisition of IMM Properties and Stones Residential.
Progeny buys Coll Perkins
Tue, 31/05/2022 Financial planning specialist Coll Perkins has been acquired by Progeny. The transaction enables Progeny to expand its footprint in the south of England.
£1.75bn to be invested in Chelsea FC as new owners confirmed
Mon, 30/05/2022 The protracted ownership saga surrounding Chelsea FC has finally been resolved, with a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital Group taking joint control and equal governance of the club. Mr Boehly is a well known owner of sports teams in the USA, including the Dodgers, Lakers and Sparks in Los Angeles. The deal will see £2.5bn be deposited in a frozen UK bank account, with the aim that 100% of this money is donated to charitable causes in a process overseen by the UK Government. The new owners have said they plan to spend £1.75bn in redeveloping the club’s stadium, Stamford Bridge and invest in the academy, the women’s team (winners of the 2021-22 Women’s Super League) and Kingsmeadow stadium. Chelsea FC has operated under licence since March 2022 following the sanctioning of former owner Roman Abramovich by the UK Government.
IMI buys German manufacturer for £83m
Mon, 30/05/2022 IMI has strengthened its industrial automation business unit with the £83m acquisition of Bahr. Based in Luhden, Germany, Bahr is a provider of electric linear motion systems which are used in the automation, warehouse automation and robotics sectors.
Flowtech bought by PumpServ
Mon, 30/05/2022 Flowtech Water Solutions has been bought by the pump engineering company PumpServ.
Urbaser buys Biowise
Mon, 30/05/2022 Recycling and waste management company Biowise has been taken over by Urbaser. The transaction grows Urbaser’s waste treatment and commercial services portfolio.
Britishvolt powers up development with £30m German acquisition
Fri, 27/05/2022 Battery cell technology developer Britishvolt has moved to scale up production of its next generation car battery products with the acquisition of German company EAS. Based in Nordhausen, EAS specialises in advanced technology battery cells and the takeover values it at £30m.
Shakespeare Martineau increases turnover by £4.5m with GL Law takeover
Thu, 26/05/2022 Law firm Shakespeare Martineau has acquired Bristol-based GL Law. The deal will see GL Law adopt the Shakespeare Martineau brand and become its 11th office hub location in the UK.
Anderson Anderson & Brown reaches £50m turnover following FPM merger
Wed, 25/05/2022 Anderson Anderson & Brown and FPM have agreed to merge. FPM is an audit, accounting, tax and business advisory firm which has offices in Belfast, Balbriggan, Newry, Dungannon and Mallusk.
£124m takeover sees Moonpig acquire Buyagift
Tue, 24/05/2022 Online greeting card Moonpig has bought Buyagift. The £124m deal gives Moonpig greater access to the £6bn UK gift experiences segment of the gifting market.
M&C Saatchi bought by Next 15 for £310m
Tue, 24/05/2022 Next Fifteen Communications Group is to acquire M&C Saatchi in a deal which values the well known advertising agency at £310m.
HomeServe goes private in £4.1bn deal
Tue, 24/05/2022 Homeserve has agreed a deal which will see the home insurance and emergency assistance company taken over by Brookfield Infrastructure Funds. The deal values HomeServe at £4.1bn.
Naylor toughens its position in pipes market with Tuffpipes takeover
Mon, 23/05/2022 PVC pipes manufacturer Tuffpipes has been taken over by Naylor Drainage, in a deal which enables Naylor to offer its customers an expanded range of products.
RSK bolsters key divisions with Fellows purchase
Thu, 19/05/2022 RSK group has strengthened its geosciences and engineering divisions with the acquisition of Fellows. Established in 2013, Fellows is a construction project and cost management consultancy firm with offices in London, Birmingham and Bournemouth.
Inflation hits 9 per cent
Thu, 19/05/2022 UK inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index rose to 9% in the 12 months to April 2022, up from 7% in March. The jump in the inflation rate was largely driven by the rise in energy prices but prices were increasing rapidly across almost all categories of goods. One year ago the rate of inflation stood at 1.5%.
Clarity buys digital agency as it increases scale of business
Wed, 18/05/2022 Digital agency 93degrees has been bought by Clarity. The transaction is the latest step in Clarity’s transformation from being a pure PR firm into a fully integrated marketing communications agency.
C>Ways bought by FourNet
Tue, 17/05/2022 Contact centre and unified communications specialist FourNet has acquired C>Ways. Established in 1997, C>Ways is a networking and cybersecurity company.
Mitie buys 8point8 for £10m
Mon, 16/05/2022 Mobile telecoms tower infrastructure specialist 8point8 has been acquired by Mitie Group. The £10m deal is part of Mitie’s strategy to develop a market leading telecoms support services company.
KPMG faces £14.4m fine over Carillion collapse
Mon, 16/05/2022 KPMG is to be fined £14.4m for deliberately misleading regulators in relation to the failed outsourcing firm Carillion. The penalty by The Financial Reporting Council is the second-biggest in UK audit history. Carillion was working on hundreds of UK government projects when it collapsed in 2018 with debts of £7bn.
McColl's bought out of administration by Morrisons
Fri, 13/05/2022 McColl's Retail Group has been rescued from administration by supermarket chain Morrisons. McColl’s operates more than 1,100 convenience retail stores and newsagents across the UK, and the deal secures the future of 16,000 employees.
FIFA score own goal as EA go it alone
Thu, 12/05/2022 Video game developer Electronic Arts (EA) and world football governing body FIFA have ended their licensing agreement, with FIFA 23 to be the last FIFA branded video game to be made by EA. The two companies have worked together since 1993, when FIFA International Soccer launched with England international David Platt on the cover. EA hopes that its existing range of licences with the world's top players and leagues, including the Premier League and La Liga, will enable it to continue producing market leading football video games when EA Sports FC launches in 2023.
BT Sport and Eurosport to merge as BT and Discovery agree joint venture
Thu, 12/05/2022 The future of sports broadcaster BT Sport has been secured following the establishment of a joint venture between BT and Warner Bros Discovery, owner of the Eurosport sports channel. BT owns the rights to exclusively broadcast Champions League football in the UK, while Discovery is the main broadcaster of the Olympics in the UK. BT Sport and Eurosport will initially retain their individual brand identities before being brought together under a single brand. BT will receive an initial £93m from Warner Bros Discovery and up to £540m from the joint venture depending on certain conditions being met. Warner Bros Discovery has the option of buying BT’s stake in the joint venture at certain points over the next four years.
TalkTalk buys Virtual1
Wed, 11/05/2022 TalkTalk has increased its share of the high bandwidth internet sector in the UK to 25% following the announcement it has acquired Virtual1.
Wolseley expands Irish operations with triple acquisition
Tue, 10/05/2022 Wolseley is to expand its operations in Ireland following the announcement it has agreed to buy the heating, plumbing, tiling and bathroom businesses Heat Merchants, Tubs & Tiles and Hevac.
Private equity firm buys financial adviser Ascot Lloyd
Mon, 09/05/2022 Financial adviser Ascot Lloyd has been acquired by the private equity firm Nordic Capital. Ascot Lloyd has nearly £10bn of assets under influence and provides a range of financial planning, wealth management and corporate benefit services.
Diploma keeps moving with £100m purchase of R&G Fluid Power
Thu, 21/04/2022 Technical products and services distributor Diploma has bought R&G Fluid Power. The £100m deal enables Diploma to continue with its strategy of regional growth across the UK.
April 2022 Mergers And Acquisitions
£370m deal sees Lowell Group buy Hoist Finance
Thu, 21/04/2022 Credit management service provider Lowell Group has increased its managed customer accounts by two million with the £370m acquisition of Hoist Finance UK.
LloydsPharmacy and AAH Pharmaceuticals owner bought
Thu, 21/04/2022 The private equity firm AURELIUS Group has acquired McKesson UK. The deal sees McKesson UK break off all links with its former parent company McKesson Corporation. McKesson UK owns LloydsPharmacy and AAH Pharmaceuticals.
Gallagher Bassett buys Claims Settlement Agencies
Thu, 21/04/2022 Gallagher Bassett International, the risk management services company owned by Arthur J Gallagher, has acquired Claims Settlement Agencies, a third-party claims administrator.
Sykes Cottages buys Forest Holidays
Thu, 21/04/2022 Forest Holidays, an operator of operator of environmentally sensitive cabins, has been acquired by holiday cottage rental agency Sykes Cottages.
£535m deal sees Marshalls buy roof specialist Marley
Wed, 20/04/2022 Pitched roof systems specialist Marley has been acquired by Marshalls in a deal worth £535m. Marshalls is aiming to become the UK’s leading manufacturer of ‘products for the built environment’.
Minimum wage increases to £9.50
Wed, 06/04/2022 New rates for the National Minimum Wage came into force on 1 April 2022. The rate for people over the age of 23 increased to £9.50 an hour. For those aged 21-22 it is now £9.18, for 18 to 20-year-olds it is £6.83 and for the under-18s it is £4.81. The Apprentice rate is also £4.81.
March 2022 Mergers And Acquisitions
Secondary care services provider acquired by Totally
Mon, 28/03/2022 Pioneer Healthcare, a provider of specialist NH secondary care services, has been bought by Totally for £13m. The NHS is set to receive a new £36bn funding package over the next three years and Totally is hoping to benefit from this with future profitable growth.
600 Group sells division to Timesavers
Thu, 24/03/2022 600 Group has sold its machine tool solutions division to the American company Timesavers. The £16m deal enables 600 to focus on the high margin laser systems sector.
Poundland expands online with Poundshop.com acquisition
Wed, 23/03/2022 Value retailer Poundland is scaling up its online operations following the announcement it has acquired Poundshop.com.
Tactus aims to win with Box acquisition
Tue, 22/03/2022 PC gaming specialist Box has been acquired by Tactus Group. The deal gives Tactus access to a 120,000 sq ft logistics centre and enables it to expand its supply chain across the UK.
National Lottery takes a gamble on new operator
Tue, 15/03/2022 The UK’s National Lottery is to have a new operator following the announcement that Allwyn Entertainment has been named as a Preferred Applicant for the licence by the Gambling Commission. Launched in 1994 with a live draw hosted by Noel Edmonds, the National Lottery has been run by Camelot which has overseen the raising of more than £45bn for 660,000 good causes across the UK.
Waterstones buys Blackwell's
Tue, 08/03/2022 Academic bookseller Blackwell’s has been acquired by Waterstones. The deal further strengthens Waterstones position as the leading high street book retailer in the UK.
Finnish energy giant buys Brocklesby
Tue, 01/03/2022 Recycling specialist Brocklesby has been acquired by the Finnish energy company St1 Nordic.
February 2022 Mergers And Acquisitions
Glaxo announces Haleon
Wed, 23/02/2022 GlaxoSmithKline has announced that Haleon is to be the name of the new company created by the proposed demerger of its Consumer Healthcare division. The company says the name Haleon is ‘inspired by the merging of the words Hale, which is an old English word that means in good health and Leon, which is associated with the word strength’. As a standalone company, Haleon will be a new world-leader in consumer healthcare, with a portfolio of category-leading global brands, including Sensodyne, Voltaren, Panadol and Centrum.
HB Fuller has been bought by Apollo
Tue, 15/02/2022 Apollo, the UK’s largest independent manufacturer of liquid adhesives, coatings and primers has been acquired by HB Fuller.
Langleys bought by Knights
Fri, 11/02/2022 Knights has established itself as one of the top law firms in York with the acquisition of Langleys Solicitors.
Cranswick moves into pet food sector with Grove Pet Foods acquisition
Wed, 09/02/2022 Dried pet food manufacturer Grove Pet Foods has been taken over by Cranswick. The deal sees Cranswick enter the pet food sector for the first time.
January 2022 Mergers And Acquisitions
Away Resorts expands portfolio with Coppergreen acquisition
Thu, 27/01/2022 Away Resorts now operates from 27 locations across the UK following the announcement it has acquired Coppergreen Leisure Resorts.
GLC Holdings bought by Alcuin Capital Partners
Fri, 21/01/2022 Toughened glass manufacturer GLC Holdings has been acquired by the investment company Alcuin Capital Partners. GLC sells its products via its trading subsidiary TuffX Processed Glass.
£50bn deal sees Microsoft buy Call of Duty publisher
Tue, 18/01/2022 One of the biggest deals in videogame industry history has been announced, with Microsoft agreeing to buy Activision Blizzard for £50bn. The deals makes Microsoft the third largest gaming company by revenue, and gives it control of some of the most well known brands in videogaming, including Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Call of Duty and Candy Crush. Microsoft is aiming to make all these brands available on Game Pass, its subscription service which recently reached 25m subscribers.
Telent buys Harlequin Group
Thu, 13/01/2022 Technology services specialist Harlequin Group has been taken over by Telent.
Reconomy buys Casepak
Thu, 06/01/2022 Recycling facilities operator Casepak has been acquired by Reconomy Group.
Pelsis Group makes double Spanish acquisition
Wed, 05/01/2022 Pest control technology company Pelsis Group has expanded its southern European operations with the acquisition of the Spanish companies Sanitrade and Vesta Distribuciones.
Flutter gambles on £1.62bn Italian deal
Tue, 04/01/2022 Italian online gaming operator Sisal has been acquired by Flutter Entertainment. The £1.62bn deal further expands Flutter’s position in the Italian market, where it already trades through the PokerStars and Betfair brands.