£20m management buyout backs global future for Ross businesses

Four businesses from the Ross on Wye area now have a bright future after a £20m management buyout, backed by advice from Harrison Clark Rickerbys inc Shawcross.

The four businesses, HSL Compliance Ltd, Shield On-Site Services Ltd, Saferspaces Limited and Kiwa UK Compliance Holdings Ltd, are all part of Shield Group International (SGI), an international testing, inspection and consultancy business, which used to be part of the global inspection and certification group Kiwa. The businesses, whose staff will not be affected by the buyout, specialise in the environmental services market, which includes fire risk and legionella testing and compliance.

The deal was supported by the HCR Wye Valley corporate team led by partner Arpinder Dhillon and leading mid-market private equity firm LDC invested £20m to back the management buyout, led by CEO Frank-Maarten Gribnau and UK Managing Director Gavin Hartley.

Arpinder said: “This was a complex transaction because SGI encompasses companies in six different European jurisdictions, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway. We have worked with the Ross on Wye based businesses for eight years and this investment and buyout will enable them to increase their market share in their specialist areas in international markets. I’m delighted that Harrison Clark Rickerbys have been able to support the management team in that growth.”

Frank-Maarten Gribnau said: “This is an exciting time for all of us at SGI and we’re looking forward to extending our global reach so we can continue being a market-leading service to customers worldwide.”