Background
- Ligentia Group Holdings (Ligentia) is a leading UK-based provider of global supply chain management services
- Headquartered in Leeds and founded in 1996, Ligentia has a team of 400+ professionals across 25 locations worldwide
- The company manages the international freight and supply chains for some of the world’s leading retailers, consumer brands and healthcare providers
- Ligentia’s operations are underpinned by its proprietary customer technology platform ‘Ligentix’, physical presence in core origin and destination markets, as well as its network of local partnerships
- Ligentia serves over 3,000 customers globally and has reported revenues of c. £300m in 2020, representing strong year-on-year growth
Process
- DC Advisory (DC) was engaged by leading mid-market private equity firm Equistone Partners Europe (Equistone) in September 2020, to provide buy-side M&A and debt advice to support the acquisition of Ligentia
- DC provided the Equistone team with sector expertise, market intelligence and tactical advice throughout the process
- DC also supported the Equistone team in managing a comprehensive diligence and legal process, ensuring the transaction could be delivered within the agreed timeline
- From a debt advice perspective, DC advised Equistone on all interactions with potential providers of debt finance, assisted with commercial negotiations with the ultimate lender to ensure the optimal financing package to support the transaction
Outcome
- On 5 February 2021, Equistone completed its investment in Ligentia. The existing management team, led by CEO and Founder Nick Jones, will also invest in the business and remain in place to drive the company forward
- The investment from Equistone, with its pan-European network of offices, will support Ligentia in delivering its ambitious growth plans through strategic acquisitions, as well as support the enhanced development of Ligentix
- This transaction firmly builds on DC’s extensive experience in the tech-enabled services sector and reinforces the quality of the institutional relationship with Equistone, which has been both a client and a counterparty across a number of transactions
- Santander is providing revolving credit facilities to Ligentia as part of the transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed
“Ligentia has 25 years of experience in global supply chain management with some of the world’s most admired brands. Thanks to its strong management team, the business is known for its particularly high customer service levels, underpinned by a stand-out technology platform. This unique combination makes this investment a particularly exciting one. We are therefore delighted to have this opportunity to invest and we look forward to working alongside Nick and the wider team on Ligentia’s next phase of growth and product development. We would also like to thank the DC Advisory team for their hard work and expertise in delivering M&A and debt advice which was instrumental in helping to deliver this transaction.”
“It was a genuine pleasure to advise Seb and the Equistone team on their investment. Ligentia is a fantastic example of a high-growth Northern business that we hope will continue on its exceptional trajectory with Equistone as a partner.”
“The local team worked tirelessly and closely with the Equistone team to deliver this complex deal. Our investment in the capacity of the team has really helped us deliver transactions such as this to our important clients.”