Growing Corporate Finance team celebrates ‘outstanding’ year

Armstrong Watson’s Corporate Finance team has almost doubled in size and successfully completed deals worth a combined total of more than £55 million over the last 12 months.

Throughout 2024, the team continued to see a high level of activity across a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, agriculture, risk management, contracting and legal, assisting more than 100 clients with their corporate finance requirements and completing a total of 16 M&A transactions.

Notable deals included the sale of Stokesley-based Genesis Brands Limited to French flooring giant Gerflor, the acquisition of R&A Kay Inspection Services by BES Group, the sale of Isocom Components 2004 to Foresight Group, and the acquisition of Waterfront Fluid Controls by Indian engineering firm Jash Engineering Limited.

A number of deals were completed shortly before the 2024 Autumn Budget and despite changes to Capital Gains Tax for transactions post-budget, the market has remained very active for both buyers and sellers. Currently, the team is involved in 19 potential transactions across various sectors, many of which include private equity involvement.

The growth of the team has been bolstered by the addition of some key hires, including the appointment of Financial Due Diligence Partner Stephen Green, Funding and Debt Advisory Partner Lee Hayes, Corporate Finance Partner Jonathan Lewis, and three new Corporate Finance Executives. The team, which also includes experienced managers and operates nationally from offices in Leeds, Newcastle, and Carlisle, works with businesses of all sizes and sectors across the UK, offering expertise and advice at every stage of the business lifecycle.

With growing confidence in the market and the skills and expertise of its expanding team, Armstrong Watson expects to achieve similar success in 2025.

Mike Kienlen, Armstrong Watson Chairman and Head of Corporate Finance, said: “The Armstrong Watson Corporate Finance Team has developed significantly over the last 12 months. It’s been an outstanding year. We now have six partners covering the UK, offering the full range of services including M&A support on both buyer and vendor side, financial due diligence and funding solutions support. This senior leadership group is well supported by an experienced, growing team and is very well placed to continue to support all of our clients’ corporate finance needs.”