Blakedale Limited - the highway to success

RSM’s M&A and private equity team has advised on the sale of Blakedale Limited to Northgate Vehicle Hire Limited.

The client

Blakedale, a family-owned business based in Lancashire, was established 30 years ago and is now the UK’s largest, privately owned self-drive traffic management company, with its vehicles being supplied to highways contractors working across both motorway and urban environments nationwide. Based in 72 locations across the UK, Northgate Vehicle Hire, a subsidiary of listed Redde Northgate plc, is the UK’s largest business-to-business light commercial vehicle rental and mobility solutions provider.

The acquisition will support Northgate’s long-term growth plans to increase its share of the traffic management sector and strengthen its position as a leader in the supply of commercial vehicles on short and long-term rental.

RSM's Solution

RSM was engaged as lead advisor to assist the shareholders in finding the right partner to continue the company’s impressive growth journey in the rapidly growing traffic management vehicle market. Following a full marketing process, Northgate Vehicle Hire was selected as the preferred partner for the company given the business and cultural fit and the opportunities that being part of Northgate Vehicle Hire will bring to Blakedale.

Transaction team: John Gillibrand, Nick Wyatt, and Davin Kandola.

Testimonial

'We knew that appointing top-level, highly regarded advisors was going to be key in securing the right acquirer for the thriving business that we had built up over many years. RSM delivered a fantastic result enabling Blakedale to continue to thrive, flourish and grow under the prestigious Redde Northgate plc banner. Throughout the process RSM demonstrated time and again why they are leaders in their field. Their role in bringing a successful deal to fruition was of crucial importance. Not only was their knowledge, professionalism, experience and gravitas pivotal in completing the sale, they held our hand throughout the complex process and it has been a pleasure working with all the individuals within the RSM team.'

Carmen Bowley, Joint Managing Director and Shareholder

Blakedale Limited