Investment type
- Management buyout
The management team at Amberon always had ambitious plans for growth, and our support allowed the team to grow their business more quickly than they anticipated, all while protecting the Amberon culture. The £25m funding package we provided in 2017, alongside HSBC, kick-started a partnership which super-charged the group’s turnover by 23% to £37.5m during an 18 month period.
Invalid video URL
Headquartered in Paignton in Devon, Amberon is one of the UK’s leading providers of traffic management services. It offers a wide range of safety solutions to support planned and emergency repairs, from traffic lights, signage and convoy working to variable message signs and CCTV.
Accelerating success
Amberon secured a £25m funding package from LDC and HSBC in June 2017 to support its growth strategy.
Our partnership allowed the business to make an acquisition, invest in new equipment and upgrade its depot network, including opening six new locations across the country and adding 50 new vehicles. This created a 24-strong depot network with sites in Leeds, Liverpool, Hereford, Peterborough, Bridgewater and Lincoln, and gave the business a fleet of more than 400 vehicles.
The management team also undertook a recruitment drive and created 50 new jobs, increasing its headcount to 550 people nationwide.
Invalid video URL
Realising ambitions
Before the deal, Amberon’s ambitious management team were aware of the scale of the opportunities in the market and were looking for a way to unlock the potential of the business without losing control.
Working in partnership with us made this possible. Dan East, Commercial Director at Amberon, said: “The skill set that LDC brings, especially in our case when it comes to making acquisitions, is invaluable in terms of the quality of analysis and clear strategic thinking. It was that, as much as the financial backing, that made possible what we achieved in a relatively short period of time.”
The road ahead
In December 2018, we reached an agreement to sell our stake in Amberon. H2 Equity Partners acquired Amberon for an undisclosed sum as the business moved to the next stage of its growth strategy.
