Quercus Corporate Finance is delighted to announce the sale of the business and assets of Camp Hopson Funerals on behalf of Camp Hopson & Co Limited.

The Quercus team advised the Board of Camp Hopson & Co Limited (“Camp Hopson”) on the sale of the business and assets of Camp Hopson Funerals to Dignity plc for an undisclosed amount.

Camp Hopson is a 5th generation family business that has been in the heart of Newbury for over 100 years. The sale of the funerals business is the third M&A transaction that Quercus have advised on for Camp Hopson over the past 18 months and clearly demonstrates our focus on building longstanding trusted adviser relationships with our clients.  Quercus previously advised on the successful sales of the group's retail operations in 2014 and their removals business earlier this year.

Neil Giles, Senior Director, said:

“We value our relationship with Camp Hopson very highly and these are excellent deals for both the group, and the management and staff of the various businesses involved.  Across three complex transactions we have sourced partners in Morley Stores (retail), Dignity plc (Funerals) and Ward Thomas (Removals) who have excellent track records of acquiring independent businesses, maintaining brands and using their expertise to develop businesses and giving staff enhanced opportunities as part of a larger group.”

Jonathan Hopson, Director of Camp Hopson added:

“Over the past 18 months we have been delighted with the advice, quality of service and the seamless manner that Quercus integrated into our team.   We are extremely grateful to them and in particular the skills they demonstrated in presenting the various businesses to prospective buyers with the focus very much on future potential rather than historical performance."

The Quercus team advised the Board of Camp Hopson & Co Limited (“Camp Hopson”) on the sale of Camp Hopson Removals Limited to London-based removals group, Ward Thomas, for an undisclosed sum.

Camp Hopson is a 5th generation family business that has been in the heart of Newbury for over 100 years.  This is our second transaction for the Group in two years as we successfully sold their retail operations in November 2014.

Following this sale and a strategic review undertaken by the Board, the decision was taken that it was in the best interests of both the shareholders and employees to sell Camp Hopson Removals to an organisation that had the expertise, experience and track record to fully exploit the opportunities available to the business.

New Giles, Senior Director at Quercus said:

“This is an excellent deal not just for Camp Hopson, but also for the staff and management of Camp Hopson Removals.  We have sourced a partner in Ward Thomas who understands the removals market and has a successful track record of acquiring family owned businesses, investing in them and leveraging their USPs. We are delighted to have been lead adviser on this transaction."

Jonathan Hopson, Director of Camp Hopson added:  

“We are delighted that we appointed Quercus Corporate Finance as our adviser.  Their understanding of how best to present our business secured us a first class price and also made sure there were no surprises for us or Ward Thomas.  This made a significant difference to the outcome. As with all transactions there were some complexities, however Quercus’s ability to find solutions and to bring parties together in a non-adversarial way to find solutions is very impressive.”

Quercus Corporate Finance is delighted to announce it has successfully raised funds in the retail software sector as ImpulseLogic Limited ("ImpulseLogic") receives new growth capital.

The Quercus team introduced two new investors and advised the Board of ImpulseLogic Limited on its latest funding round.  Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

ImpulseLogic's pioneering solutions suite for the retail sector, Dynamic Store Merchandising ("DSM"), automaticaly applies advanced store inventory management to optimise gross margin return on inventory performance across all products within all stores, with particular emphasis on the recovery of losses in perishable products.

ImpulseLogic is headquartered in Reading with offices in San Ramon, California.

Andrew Clegg, Partner of Quercus said:

“We are delighted to have been able to work with the ImpulseLogic team and to introduce new investors to such an exciting business.  ImpulseLogic has developed a highly differentiated proposition for the retail sector and we wish them well as they seek to accelerate their growth plans".

Les McNeill, ImpulseLogic's CEO and Chairman added:

“We are delighted to have worked with Quercus on this important transaction.  Through their extensive contacts they were able to identify two new investors for the business with relevant skills and experience and the new capital will enable us to maximise the global opportunity.  We look forward to working with Quercus again in the future".

Quercus Corporate Finance LLP is delighted to announce that one of its partners, Andrew Clegg, has been crowned Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year at the 2016 Insider Dealmakers Awards.

This is the second time Andrew has won this prestigious award which is voted on by the Corporate Finance community across the South East of England.

Nick Standen, Chairman of Quercus, commented:

“I am delighted that Andrew's achievements have once again been recognised this year.  He remains a key figure in the south east M&A arena with a deserved reputation for providing high quality advice and getting deals done."

Andrew added:

"I am very grateful that my peers chose to honour me this year.  It is always a special feeling to be recognised with an award of this kind, which reflects not only a very successful year but also an enormous amount of hard work put in by the whole of the Quercus team.  The good news it that we continue to see strong momentum in the mid-market and expect 2016 to be another strong year for deals."

The Quercus team, led by Andrew Clegg and Nick Standen, advised James and Vicky Nyssen, founder shareholders of Reading-based Pharma Professional Group Ltd (trading as “Clinical Professionals”), on the sale of their shares to CPL Resources Plc, a leading staffing group headquartered in Dublin.

In total, CPL Resources Plc acquired 89.8% of the issued equity with the remaining 10.2% retained by Clinical’s senior management team who will remain with the business.

Financial details have not been disclosed.

Founded in 2006, Clinical Professionals is Europe’s leading life sciences staffing business and includes the highly respected Only Medics and Regulatory Professionals brands within its portfolio. It provides outsourced recruitment and life sciences staffing expertise to more than 200 customers including some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical, biotech and medical technology companies. Clinical Professionals benefits from a broad base of long-standing customer relationships based on their ability to deliver a consistently high level of service and innovation within professional staffing.

Andrew Clegg, Quercus Partner said:

“I am delighted that Clinical Professionals is now joining forces with CPL Resources as this will help accelerate management’s ambitious growth plans in what continues go be an active segment of the staffing market.  James and Vicky have deservedly realized the considerable value they have built up in the company over the past nine years”.

James Nyssen, Clinical Professionals’ co-founder, added:

“Vicky and I are delighted that CPL have chosen to combine with Clinical Professionals as this will help the company to expand and achieve its full potential.  The advice provided by Andy and Nick at Quercus Corporate Finance was first rate; their commercial approach to problem solving and their relentless focus on achieving an excellent result for us both meant all the difference and we are very pleased with the result”.

“Andrew and I are pleased to have successfully unlocked the considerable investment the shareholders of IBA have made in the business over the last 25 years and we wish the on-going management team and Hockley Investments every success in the future.

“I am very pleased we have found a financial partner who is committed to investing long term in IBA and to helping the management team to grow the business from strength to strength. I am equally pleased to have worked with Amanda and Andrew on this deal. We appreciated their straightforward, objective advice and the years of tradecraft they bring to a transaction”.

Quercus Corporate Finance LLP is delighted to have been shortlisted for the coveted ‘Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year’, ‘Deal of the Year less than £25m’ and ‘Deal of the Year greater than £25m' awards in The Thames Valley Deal Awards 2015.

Nick Standen, Chairman of Quercus, commented:

“To be shortlisted in all three categories in our first full year of operation is very gratifying.  These nominations shine a light on our work on the Millgate merger with Countryside and the Acal Enterprise Solutions buyout; two important deals in the local market that showcase our ongoing commitment to providing high quality transactional advice to mid-market companies across the South of England.

These much valued nominations suggest that our work continues to strike a chord across the corporate and advisory communities and we are delighted to have been recognised for it.”

Quercus Corporate Finance is delighted to announce the sale of specialist eyewear group Fabris Lane to one of the world’s leading ophthalmic optics companies, Essilor International.

The Quercus team, led by Andrew Clegg and Nick Standen, advised the shareholders of Chessington-based Three Hundred Ltd (trading as “Fabris Lane”) on the sale of the company to FGX International, a leading eyewear designer and marketer and wholly owned subsidiary of French eyewear group, Essilor International.  The transaction includes Fabris Lane’s recent acquisition of fast growing on-line eyewear retailer, Red Hot Sunglasses.

Financial details have not been disclosed.

Fabris Lane, a business with a 33-year history, is a specialist eyewear company engaged in the sale of sunglasses. It sells to a wide range of retailers and opticians groups in 20 countries worldwide. Fabris Lane holds licenses for highly recognized brands including Karen Millen®, Lipsy®, Animal®, French Connection® and Oliver Goldsmith® and owns a portfolio of established brands including Monkey Monkey®, M:UK®, Freedom Polarised® and Suuna®. Fabris Lane also provides its customers with own label solutions using its in-house design capabilities and established supply chain and testing facilities.

Andrew Clegg, Quercus Partner said:

“My relationship with Fabris Lane stretches back many years and we are delighted to have been the lead adviser on this transaction; it represents another great example of our proven ability to match the needs of UK owner managers with an overseas buyer”.

Rod Lane, Fabris Lane owner, added:

“I am delighted that Fabris Lane is combining with an organization with the depth of resources and reach of FGX, which will help meet the needs of sunglass consumers. This is great news for Fabris Lane's customers, suppliers and employees.  I am also delighted that we benefited from the wise counsel and experience of Quercus Corporate Finance.  Andy and Nick’s transaction insights coupled with their total focus on achieving an excellent financial result and a smooth process meant all the difference and the shareholders are thrilled with the outcome”.

Quercus Corporate Finance LLP is delighted to have been shortlisted for the coveted ‘Corporate Finance Team of the Year’, ‘Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year’ and ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ awards in The Insider Deal Awards 2015.

Nick Standen, Chairman of Quercus, commented:

“Since the establishment of Quercus we have been committed to our strategy of providing high quality transactional advice to mid-market companies across the South of England.  These much valued nominations suggest that our work has struck a real chord across both the corporate and advisory communities and we are delighted to have been recognised for it. To be shortlisted in all three categories in our first full year of operation is very gratifying.”

Quercus Corporate Finance is delighted to announce the sale of the renowned Newbury-based Camp Hopson retail stores to Morley Stores Group.

The Quercus team advised the Board of Camp Hopson & Co Limited (“Camp Hopson”) on the sale of the business and assets of the group's retail operations. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Camp Hopson is a multi-award winning 5th generation family business that has been in the heart of Newbury for over 100 years.

Andrew Clegg, Partner, said:

“This is an excellent deal for all the shareholders, management, staff and customers of Camp Hopson & Co Limited. We have found a partner in Morley’s who understands retailing and has a very successful track record of acquiring family owned businesses, investing in them and building on the quality of those businesses. We are delighted to have been the lead adviser on this transaction."

Jonathan Hopson, CEO of Camp Hopson added:

“I am very pleased we have found a buyer who will not just keep the name, but invest in the Camp Hopson brand.  Equally I am delighted that we selected Quercus as our Corporate Finance adviser.  Their understanding of the dynamics of selling a 5th generation family business, alongside their tirelessness determination to deliver a premium price while ensuring a smooth transaction made a huge difference to the process and its outcome”.