Insider Media Limited

Grant Thornton’s transaction advisory services team in the Midlands advised on eight deals in the second half of 2010. The acquisitions involved both regional and national companies, including Warwick-based Rhead Group’s acquisition of Always Silver Group.

Cirencester-based pest control services provider Green Compliance completed the acquisition of Pestfree Environmental Services in November with advice from the Grant Thornton team.

The Warwick based Rhead Group, a provider of professional cost and project control services for the delivery of international construction programmes, recently announced its acquisition of the Banbury-headquartered Alway Silver Group of companies.

Logistics business Uniserve, based in Essex, took a 50 per cent stake in Birmingham-based Metro Shipping, which was also advised by the Grant Thornton team.

In October, Sheffield-based Pressure Technologies acquired Lancashire business Hydratron. Hydratron designs, manufactures and sells air-operated high pressure hydraulic pumps, control panels and test rigs to the oil and gas industries.

Birmingham-based Alex Hyde, director and head of Grant Thornton’s transaction advisory services team in the Midlands, said: “A strong common denominator amongst all these recent deals is that, despite difficult trading conditions, businesses with strong balance sheets are still looking to make growth-enhancing strategic acquisitions. This is particularly so where they have prior knowledge of the target business and management team.”