Lethargy and a little sunshine
Rainmakers stay mostly in the shade, looking to avoid any possible turbulence
Hello Rainmakers,
A week that started with England’s middle-of-the-night victory against Mexico then meandered through the latest heatwave has given the past few days a decidedly-lethargic, waiting-for-the-beach feel.
Still, there are deals being worked on and done, while the rest of us ponder what good value looks like when it comes to easyJet. Heat, high pressure and some turbulence might be a feature of the summer weeks ahead…
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The deal sees Gleeson join the Samsic family alongside Manchester recruiter Sellick Partnership, although both firms will keep their own brands and leadership teams.
Founded in 2011, Gleeson has grown from a Midlands recruiter into a nationwide specialist spanning everything from finance and tech to legal, HR and life sciences.
The three founders - Jason Blakey, Tony Gleeson and Jason Granger - are all staying put, with Samsic backing the next stage of the firm’s growth.
With operations in 27 countries, €4.1bn in turnover and 155,000 employees, Samsic clearly wasn’t headhunting just anyone.
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The deal keeps 33 jobs on display at the Denby site, with the business set to continue trading as Mailway Displays.
Derwent, which has been making retail and point-of-sale displays for more than 30 years, entered administration on 8 July. Now, thanks to the takeover, it’s getting a fresh start.
Mailway says it plans to invest in the business, improving engineering, research and development, and operations, while creating more jobs as it grows.
CEO Johannes Rosenthal said the deal builds on a long-standing relationship between the two businesses and praised Derwent’s experienced team and loyal customer base.
The business will continue serving existing customers as part of the wider Mailway group.
Gateley Legal advised the joint administrators, while Hill Dickinson acted for Mailway.
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The group, now under the control of Zuber Issa, after brother Mohsin’s exit, is adding the 85-location Prax forecourts business to its control, for an undisclosed sum, it announced this week.
The acquisition expands EG On The Move’s national site network to approximately 285 locations in the UK, bringing together a portfolio of well established forecourts operated by experienced independent retailers.
The acquired business will continue to operate under a commission operator model.
In May the Blackburn group acquired MPK Garages, an independent petrol forecourt operator with 27 sites across the Midlands.
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Leeds-based law firm Switalskis has secured an eight-figure funding package from HSBC UK to fuel nationwide expansion, setting ambitious growth targets as it pursues a consolidation strategy.
The firm has already added ten new directors in the last 12 months and opened an office in Grimsby. Now, with HSBC backing, it’s targeting 20% turnover growth over the next year through further acquisitions and workforce investment.
CEO John Durkan framed it as fulfilling a long-held vision: “This funding has allowed us to accelerate our growth strategy and fulfil the vision that we’ve had for the business since we started the company.”
For Switalskis, it’s M&A-led expansion with the firepower to make it stick.
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