WOODS MANAGEMENT BACKED FOR GROWTH BY CONCERTARE PARTNERS AND SANTANDER
Specialist charity fundraising services provider, The Woods Group Ltd (“Woods”) based in Chippenham has been acquired by their incumbent management team with backing from Concertare Partners and Santander.
Woods provides specialist fund raising services to the charity sector through raffles, weekly lotteries, response handling and fulfilment. Woods key customers include many of the UK’s major charities.
The transaction provides the existing shareholders with an exit and allows the business to continue to provide its services to customers in an undisturbed manner. The consideration for the transaction value of the deal was not disclosed.
Concertare Partners is a private equity investor lead by Nick Baker, who previously had led the growth of Sharps Brewery and several other businesses. Concertare focus on deploying capital to enable successful entrepreneurs realise the value from the commercial opportunities they have open to them.
Commenting on the transaction, Ian Scarr, Managing Director of Woods said: “The management team of Woods would like to thank the Shutter family for their support of the business over numerous years. We are delighted to have found a partner who shares our long term values for the business and with similar long term growth aspirations. We are looking forward to working with Nick and the Concertare team over the coming years.”
Nick Baker from Concertare Partners said: “We are delighted to be able to provide support to Woods and we are looking forward to enabling the business to continue to provide outstanding services to their clients in the charitable sector. Woods is an outstanding business with a core focus on providing high quality services to the charitable sector.
Woods management team were advised by Isca Ventures (Lead Advisory), Clark Holt (Legal) and Bishop Fleming (Taxation), with bank funding provided by Santander. The exiting shareholders were advised by Baker Tilly and Withy King. Concertare received legal advice from TLT, with Grant Thornton undertaking financial due diligence.
Al Halcrow, Director at Isca Ventures, commented “Woods is a high quality business with strong management. We were pleased to have advised the management team on this transaction and look forward to following their success over the coming years.”
