News
LDC continues to back UK-mid-market with new investments and support for its portfolio companies
7 Jul 2021
LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, provided £180million of investment to back eight new management teams and to support its portfolio companies in the first half of 2021.
The firm said its eight new investments demonstrated an ‘increasing appetite and ambition for growth’ amongst the management teams of UK mid-market businesses. Spanning a broad range of sectors and regions, investments included Bristol-based digital media group Hybrid, Southampton-based equestrian brand LeMieux and Rochdale-based Wireless CCTV, a market-leading supplier of surveillance solutions.
In the first half of 2021, LDC supported its portfolio companies in making a total of 36 acquisitions, including Midlands manufacturer Stuart Turner’s acquisition of Mikrofill, B2B telecoms provider Onecom’s acquisitions of 9 Group and Olive Communications, and sales and letting agency Lomond Group’s multiple acquisitions across the UK.
Since the start of the pandemic, the private equity firm has provided more than £100million in follow-on funding to strengthen its 90-strong portfolio of mid-market UK businesses.
The businesses exited so far this year, on average more than doubled revenues and grew their employee numbers by nearly 90% during their partnership with LDC. Exits included Kee Safety which during its 10-year partnership with LDC grew sales to over £100million and employee numbers to 780 across 10 countries.
Since the onset of the pandemic, our teams have been focused heavily on the needs of our 90-strong portfolio, providing essential capital and expertise to support and position them for a post-Covid landscape. This included funding for a record number of acquisitions to expand scale and services. Now, as demand returns and the UK’s economy recovers, our portfolio is stabilised, strengthened and set for growth.”
John Garner, Head of New Business at LDC, added: “We’ve also seen demand for investment continue in the first six months of this year, having completed eight new investments across the UK – a reassuring signal of business owners’ appetite and ambition for growth.
“Once again, the performance of those companies we’ve exited so far this year is testament to the potential of private equity to add value when it’s done right, with our partnerships helping to build stronger, more resilient businesses.”
LDC, which has backed over 650 management teams during its 40-year history, said it remained committed to investing £1.2billion of equity over the next three years.
The firm has recruited four new investment professionals so far this year, with a further seven set to join over the coming six months as it ramps up its activity.
Last year, LDC invested £240million in 14 new companies despite a market-wide slow-down in UK private equity investment due to the coronavirus outbreak and resulting economic uncertainty.
The firm also said its partnership with The Prince’s Trust – which aims to help young people across the UK to explore and launch their own business – had continued to play an important role in stimulating enterprise in all parts of society. In the first two years of the Backing Youth Ambition partnership, LDC has supported more than 1,300 young people through a combination of donations, fundraising, volunteering and mentoring.
How to grow a successful business and stay resilient
As part our My Ambition series, in partnership with Management Today, we are sharing stories from a selection of business leaders who chose to partner with LDC, uncovering how they realised their ambitions and what they have learned on their journey to success.
Three business leaders joined a panel discussion, chaired by Management Today’s editor in chief Robert Jeffery, to talk about their experience of growing a business from a mid-sized firm to a multinational firm.
