Roger Esler, Director of Dow Schofield Watts’ corporate finance team in Yorkshire & the North East, has been recognised as the region’s pre-eminent dealmaker at the Insider‘s Yorkshire Dealmakers Awards 2016.
Roger was named Dealmaker of the Year, while the team also scooped the Corporate Finance Advisory Team of the Year and the Deal of the Year (below £25m) award for the MBI of windows and decking fabricator Sash UK.
The sale of Colt Industrial Services to Augean PLC and the cross border sale of Simon Gibson Transport to French logistics giant, GCA were also nominated in the same deal category.
The Yorkshire & North East office of Dow Schofield Watts has acted on 12 deals with a combined value in excess of £100m in the past 12 months, comprising trade sales, MBO/MBIs, growth finance deals, acquisitions and refinancings. The judges said that among a field of the big players, Dow Schofield Watts stood out, punching well above its weight.
The management buy-in of Sash UK backed by Praesidian Capital led by Tony Norwood saw Safestyle founder John Ross return to the market. Sash UK’s owners had been seeking a trade buyer. The deal was the first in the region for private debt fund Praesidian Capital and was completed on the day of the EU Referendum. Dow Schofield Watts’ task was to structure and present a compelling deal to the vendors on behalf of the MBI team and have the conviction that their business plan for Sash UK could be funded.
The awards were presented before a packed audience at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Insider editor Adam Lovell said that the decision by the UK to leave the EU has created challenges but added: “One thing will remain, irrespective of the wider market conditions, is that the people in this room will make companies fit-for-purpose, stronger, and better-equipped to take advantage of the opportunities which will be created by the volatility the disaggregation from Europe will create.”
Roger commented: “We are delighted with our hat trick of awards. More importantly we want to extend our sincere gratitude to all those in Yorkshire & the North East that have encouraged, supported, helped and worked alongside us (and been on the other side of the negotiating table to us) as we have sought to establish DSW across this region over the last few years. With corporate finance, transaction services, forensic and wealth advisory teams on the ground here, together with access to the firm’s equity fund (PHD Equity Partners), we feel very optimistic about 2017 and beyond.”
Rob McCarthy, lead partner for Dow Schofield Watts Transaction Services team in the region, added “The entire Yorkshire & North East team are absolutely delighted by these awards against tough competition in every category. The award reflects the depth of expertise within the teams, and the success of our senior led approach and focus on client service. This caps a great year for the team and especially for Roger Esler, being recognised as a leading figure in the region’s corporate finance landscape.”
James Dow added: “We are absolutely delighted that the Leeds team’s considerable sustained efforts have been recognised by their peers. This is the second ‘hat trick’ of awards for Dow Schofield Watts and demonstrates that we are the leading advisory firm across the North of England.”