Management team buys specialist food delivery company

The new owner of Leeds-based CS2 Transport is Garesh (Holdings), of which ex-CS2 manager Gary Turner is the majority shareholder. Former director Ramesh Narayanan has a minority stake in the new company.

CS2 was established in 2004 and is now turning over nearly £1m annually. Its activities cover all of the UK, Europe, Brazil, and Thailand.

Its clients include: Baxters Sauces in Grimsby; Innovate Logistics in Holmewood, Sheffield; Tryton Foods in Hull; and Bronte Foods, in Bradford.

A spokesman for the company said the company’s growth had been achieved by “first-class service and lower costs due to only taking on work that fits into the network.”

He added: “The company is now also delivering to retailer and food service distribution centres, and is also a registered carrier of industrial waste.”

The firm has a group of professional consultants and other employees, with experience in manufacturing, logistics, purchasing, planning, IT, project management, and acquisitions.

The corporate finance team at the Leeds office of accountants Garbutt & Elliott acted as lead advisors for the vendor in the management buy-out, which was for an undisclosed sum.

Laura Howes, executive at Garbutt & Elliott corporate finance, who worked on the deal together with corporate finance partner Richard Feltham, said: “We have been delighted to advise the management team and to successfully assist in the completion of the buy-out.

“CS2 has an excellent track record and is a growing business which will undoubtedly move forward and strengthen its position in its core markets”.

Mr Narayanan said: “Garbutt and Elliott provided a first-class service, giving sound, intelligent and pro-active advice about every aspect of our business, paving the way perfectly for the buy-out. They were a fantastic team, who were tremendous to work with. They supported us every inch of the way.”

CS2 is an established company which aims to take costs out of supply chains for the benefit of its customers.

It is also aware of the adverse effects that “waste” has on the environment, and works with its clients in order to reduce this “waste”.

Apart from its headquarters in Leeds, the company has operating centres in Nottingham and Chesterfield but said it would be willing to open up new bespoke centres for its clients.

It has cross-docking facilities, and also a network of transport companies which it can subcontract to if necessary.