THE ART OF THE DEAL
A busy summer for Seneca Corporate Finance has seen the team involved in a record number of deals . We caught up with the Head of Seneca Corporate Finance , Gordon Lane , to find out more about what lies behind this recent success .
The Seneca Corporate Finance team have been in the news a lot recently – it sounds like you have had a busy summer ?
Yes you could say that ! What we have seen recently is a flurry of fantastic deals which actually represents the culmination of a lot of hard work by the team over a number of months , and in some cases years . We invest a lot of time getting to know local businesses and their owners and it ’ s very satisfying when all that time pays off and we help deliver a transaction that exceed our clients expectations .
Which deal would you say has given you the most satisfaction ?
They are all satisfying in their own way and it is hard to single one deal out , but clearly it has been well publicised that the Clarke & Clarke sale was a market leading transaction . We first met Lee and Emma Clarke back in 2014 and have worked with them on a growth strategy and exit plan since then . It is extremely gratifying when all that hard work pays off and we are able to help deliver such a great outcome for our clients . Lee and Emma have built Clarke & Clarke over many years into a first class business and the result was richly deserved . types that we see in the North . This is best demonstrated by our recently completed deals ; the sale of Clarke & Clarke to a PLC trade buyer for up to £ 42.5m , a £ 5m growth capital fundraise for an innovative technology business and the management buy-out of a £ 70m brick supplier to a specialist private equity buyer . This range of experience of different businesses and deal types gives us credibility when we talk to clients , as well as ensuring that no two days are ever the same .
What plans does the Seneca Corporate Finance team have for the future ?
It ’ s an exciting time for the team at the moment . The recent deals have given us some great publicity , there is a lot of interest in the wider Seneca business and we have a strong pipeline of future deals . We are keen to keep this momentum going and will continue with our strategy of engaging with as many businesses as possible to understand how we might be able to help them . Over the next couple of years we expect to continue the strong growth of our corporate finance business and ensure that we continue to be an important player in the Northern deals market .
What does a typical deal look like for you ?
It ’ s a bit of a cliché but there really isn ’ t a typical deal for us . We have purposefully brought together a team with a broad range of skills and experience to enable us to work alongside the wide variety of businesses and deal
Thanks to Gordon for his time . For more information regarding Seneca Corporate Finance , please contact a member of the team on 01942 295 983 . In the meantime , highlighted on the following pages you will find details of two of the team ’ s recent successes , being the fundraise for Rockar and the sale of Clarke & Clarke .
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