DC Advisory advised Rutland Partners on the acquisition of Total Rail Solutions

Background

• Total Rail Solutions (TRS) is a UK-based leading provider of operated and non-operated road-rail plant, sub-contracting services, and labour to rail sites
• TRS owns and operates over 70 road-rail vehicles and a broad range of attachments. TRS also derives a significant proportion of revenue from value-add Plant Operations Scheme (POS) services including on-track plant planning, delivery and site management
• TRS works closely with Network Rail and its principal contractors to support the construction, maintenance and repair of the railways and has supported some of the most prestigious Network Rail, Crossrail and London Underground projects across the UK
• TRS has invested significantly in new equipment in recent years and, as a result, has the newest, most reliable and flexible fleet profile in the industry
• TRS has a current turnover of £30m

Process

• DC Advisory (DC) was mandated by Rutland Partners (Rutland) to provide buy-side M&A advice
• DC has strong credentials in the equipment rental sector and was able to advise Rutland on valuation, market positioning and strategic options for the business throughout its next phase of growth, and Rutland’s investment

Outcome

• The investment represents an exciting opportunity for TRS to capitalise on Rutland’s asset hire experience and to support the incumbent management team to develop the business further
• The management buy-out was signed on 17 November 2018

We are delighted to have completed our investment in TRS, a business which has built a strong position in a growing market and one that is well positioned for future growth over the next cycle. We are also happy to have had the support and advice of DC Advisory throughout the process.

TRS is a very strong business in an interesting sector underpinned by regulation. We’re pleased to have worked with Rutland on the acquisition and look forward to seeing TRS progress with Rutland’s support.