Active Supply Holdings Limited group (“Active”), provider of indirect supply chain management services to large manufacturers was sold to IESA Limited (“IESA”), the Gresham Private Equity backed Business Process Outsourcer.
Founded in 1999, based in Stoke on Trent and with a turnover above £40 million, Active has particular capability regarding OEM supply chains in the Aerospace, Automotive and Energy Industries, with customers including Michelin, Rolls Royce, Siemens and Toyota.
IESA, with revenues of £180 million, also provides integrated procurement (sourcing and buying indirect goods) and operations (inventory and stores management), delivered through a cloud enabled and award winning technology platform. Strong across the UK and Ireland, IESA is expanding across Europe and beyond.
“We’ve achieved massive growth in revenues since our management buyout and have recently set up a subsidiary in the Far East to take advantage of opportunities in those markets. We had no intention of selling Active – however, the case for merging Active into the IESA Group was convincing. There is such a great fit between our two businesses and the combined group will provide our clients with even more comprehensive and compelling solutions.”
Under 3 years earlier, Strategic Corporate Finance had also advised on the management buyout of Active Integrated Supply Limited.
Two of the three Active shareholders, Managing Director Richard Bennell and Operations Director Ian Whinray, became IESA shareholders and joined the IESA management team.
“Having founded Active in 1999 and having recently surpassed revenues of £40 million, I am hugely proud of what we have achieved. I am delighted that Active has become part of the IESA Group and have no doubts that the enlarged business will prosper and thrive going forward.
Whilst the case for putting the 2 businesses together was compelling, the process to complete the sale was complex and took many months and I am grateful to Strategic Corporate Finance for their advice and help in finding solutions that led to a successful transaction.”