Yorkshire team at investment firm LDC completes £100m in transactions in three months

Dan Smith, partner and head of Yorkshire at LDC, said: “Our activity shows that, despite an uncertain economic backdrop, ambition among business leaders here in Yorkshire remains as strong as ever. Whether through investing in new product development, technology or sustainability, by exploring new markets or targeting international expansion, businesses across the region are still pushing for growth.

“These transactions are also testament to the strength of our growing team here in Yorkshire. We are committed to investing in our people and have more than doubled the team in the last two years, to allow us to expand the support we provide to management teams.”

The Leeds-based team, led by Mr Smith, made a significant investment in Boston Energy, a Beverley-headquartered technical services provider to the wind energy industry, in July 2023.

The firm said that the investment is helping the business to grow in all of its core markets globally to support the transition to a clean energy economy.

Later the same month, the team completed a minority investment in Sheffield-based UniHomes to help accelerate the student accommodation advertising platform’s regional growth ambitions and further develop its service for student and letting agent customers.

UniHomes was in 2015 by Phil Greaves, Bradley Cox and Luca Mori.

Speaking at the time of the investment, Mr Greaves said: “We’re incredibly proud of the business we’ve built over the past eight years, having established ourselves as part of the fabric of the student accommodation market.

"The team at LDC really understood our purpose, our model and its potential, and so stood out as the ideal investment partner to work alongside us as we accelerate growth and look to support and enhance the UniHomes experience for even more letting agents and students across the UK.”

LDC also supported acquisitions made by three of its Yorkshire portfolio companies between July and September. This included BCIS’s acquisition of Griffiths & Hutchins Publications to expand its offering to the built environment industry.

The firm also supported Express Engineering’s acquisition of QA Weld Tech, which saw the company grow headcount by 20 per cent to more than 230, and York-based Elovate’s investment in CFP.

The transactions follow an investment from LDC into growing its Yorkshire team, with investment directors Will Scales and James Marshall, investment managers Anthony West and Ana-Maria Garaba, and investment origination Sophie Isaacs joining over the last two years.

LDC has also given its support to a number of local causes in the community, including its partnerships with Leeds-based cancer support charity Maggie’s Yorkshire and Candlelighters, which helps families facing children’s cancer across the region.

Most recently, the firm has launched a new two year funding programme for Mackie Hill Primary School to enable all children to have access to a free breakfast from the Greggs Foundation Breakfast Club.