Another successful year for Grant Thornton's Corporate Finance team in Scotland.

1. Scotland
Corporate Finance
Deal review 2017

2. 2 Deal review 2017
Our award winning
UK-wide team
Grant Thornton UK LLP is a leading financial and business adviser, operating
out of 27 offices, including three in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen).
Led by more than 185 partners and employing over 4,500 of the profession’s
brightest minds, we provide personalised assurance, tax and specialist
advisory services to more than 20,000 dynamic organisations across the
public and private sector.
2017 was another record year for Grant Thornton’s M&A team. 179 deals were completed –
up over 10% against an overall deal market down 10% – and £5.5bn total deal value.
As a result, Grant Thornton was ranked clear number 1 in the UK League Tables by volume.
Another record year for our M&A team
No.1 in the UK League Tables by Volume*
* Experian MarketQ
increase in
deals
total
value
deals involving
cross-border
increase in
deals involving
private equity
£5.5bn 26%25% 28%
Neil McInnes
Director
M 0141 223 0618
E neil.mcinnes@uk.gt.com
Barry Fraser
Director
M 01244 925 988
E barry.g.fraser@uk.gt.com
Ian Knott
Director
M 01244 925 987
E ian.a.knott@uk.gt.com

3. 3 Deal review 2017
Recent M&A deals
Idox plc
Acquisition of 6PM
Holdings plc
Software solutions
and services
£18.5 million
February 2017
Grant Thornton provided due
diligence services
Westwood Global Energy Inc
Acquisition of Energent Group
Software LLC
Oil and gas data analytics
£undisclosed
April 2017
Grant Thornton provided due
diligence services
MB Air Systems Limited
Sale to Ingersoll-Rand plc
Software solutions
and services
£undisclosed
June 2017
Grant Thornton provided corporate
finance advisory services
Scottish Enterprise
Funding from Scottish
Enterprise to Aberdeen
Harbour
Commercial port and marine
support centre
£11.7 million
July 2017
Grant Thornton provided due
diligence services
Maritime
Developments Limited
Refinance by Shawbrook
Bank
Oil and gas
£undisclosed
July 2017
Grant Thornton provided due
diligence services
Blackpool Council
Acquisition of Blackpool
Airport
Commercial airport
£4 million
September 2017
Grant Thornton provided due
diligence services

4. 4 Deal review 2017
Cross border
transaction
The Glenallachie Consortium
Acquisition of Glenallachie
Distillery
Scotch whisky distiller
£undisclosed
October 2017
Grant Thornton provided taxation and
financial advisory services
Laing The Jeweller
(Glasgow) Limited
Acquisition of Laing The
Jeweller Limited and
Parkhouse The Jeweller
Limited
Luxury watch & jewellery retail
£undisclosed
September 2017
Grant Thornton provided corporate
finance advisory services
Basalt Infrastructure
Partners II LP
Acquisition of North Star
Emergency response and rescue
services to the offshore industry
£undisclosed
November 2017
Grant Thornton provided due
diligence services
Thornbridge Sawmills Limited
Sale to Cairngorn Capital
Partners LLP
Building materials
£undisclosed
November 2017
Grant Thornton provided corporate
finance advisory services
Beeks Financial Cloud
Group Plc
Admission to AIM
Cloud computing and
connectivity provider
£24.5 million market cap
November 2017
Grant Thornton acted as
Reporting Accountant
Arpal Group
Sale to Ecolab Inc.
Cleaning and disinfectant
products
£undisclosed
December 2017
Grant Thornton provided corporate
finance advisory services

5. 5 Deal review 2017
"This was a particularly complex and demanding transaction and
one which we simply could not have managed without the help
and expertise of the Grant Thornton advisory team. For the sellers,
this was a one-off experience and was, at times, an arduous and
stressful affair, so the calming influence and professionalism of a
team that have seen it all before was invaluable to me personally
and to the shareholders as a whole. I am in no doubt that, without
the services of Grant Thornton, this transaction would not have
reached completion."
Robin Leith
Managing Director, Arpal Group
“They were responsive, did a good job and just in general it was a
pleasure working with them. Grant Thornton demonstrated that they are
a firm that can come up with new ideas, take a pragmatic approach to
the work, and understand our priorities in the focus area.”
Basalt Infrastructure Partners

6. grantthornton.co.uk
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