
January 16, 2025
The event will explore various succession and exit planning options, from Management-Buy-Outs to Employee Ownership. The event will not only provide expert guidance for business owners, but also provide the opportunity for questions to be answered and the potential for support going forward. Find out more.
As part of another successful year of growth for Darwin Gray, our M&A experts have been supporting businesses with their growth goals and exit plans. Spread across Wales and the wider UK, the deals advised on this year include a wide variety of sectors including healthcare, construction and tech.
One of the companies we have recently supported is Gwasg Pia, who recently transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust, meaning that the company is now owned predominantly by employees, in the care of a trust. Another Welsh business, Flocon, is a family-run business that we supported with a company share buy-back, helping to ensure that the future of the business was in the right hands to continue and build on its success.
Darwin Gray’s head of Corporate & Commercial, Stephen Thompson said: “It has been a pleasure working with such diverse businesses over the past 12 months or so. There was a lot of activity in the M&A market ahead of the budget last November. This year, with the forthcoming tax changes at the end of the current financial year, the first quarter is proving to be equally busy.”
The succession planning event on 6 February will also welcome speakers from employee-owned organisations and also the Development Bank, that can offer insights to other business owners on their experience of the process and key considerations to be aware of.
Stephen added: “We are pleased to be holding this event in north Wales. We know that it is home to many successful businesses and business owners who will be looking at planning for the future. We have worked with Cwmpas and also the Development Bank of Wales on a number of deals so it will be interesting to hear their views on the kinds of issues that business owners should consider in relation to succession planning.”
Rhodri Packman, Market Development Adviser in the EO team at Cwmpas, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this event. In Wales we have what we call a ‘succession time bomb’ which means many smaller businesses are in the hands of long-term, aging owners, with little or no succession plan in place. This leaves them potentially relying on a difficult family take over, a trade sale or an unnecessary closure. We want to highlight to current owners the need for a succession plan and to look seriously at a transition into Employee Ownership, which is a viable and legacy-leaving option for many Welsh businesses”.
Find out more details about the event or book your free place here.