Adviser to Hickton Group on its acquisition of Cook Brown Building Control

Deal Overview

Wilson Partners Corporate Finance was delighted to provide lead advisory, due diligence and tax consultancy services to Hickton Group Ltd for the addition of Cook Brown Building Control and Cook Brown Energy to its operations, further strengthening the unique offering in Quality Inspection with Hickton Consultants Ltd and Approved Inspector Services alongside BRCS Building Control.

Tony Mobbs, Group Managing Director of Hickton Group, said “Our vision is to champion Quality, Compliance and Sustainability for our clients across all regions of the UK. Strengthening our position in the industry is key for future success and I’m excited to be working with the new directors and leadership team to formulate new strategies for 2020 and beyond.”

Matt Brown and James Cook, co-founders of Cook Brown, added “We are excited with the announcement of this news and look forward to becoming involved with the teams across the Group. Our vision has always been to provide an exceptional and pro-active service to our clients.  Joining the Hickton Group will allow us to expand our service delivery alongside other Group businesses with a strong cultural fit and an ambition for growth and quality.”

About the Parties

Hickton Group Ltd is the holding company to both Hickton Consultants and BRCS Building Control. Hickton is one of the most respected Quality Site Inspection consultancies in the UK, with a trading history of almost 30 years. Founder and Chairman, Tony Hickton, retired in 2016 and under the leadership of his successor, Tony Mobbs, Hickton became part of a group of businesses owned by CEPS Plc who were attracted by the strong management structure, healthy forward order book and potential for growth. CEPS is a long term investor in niche, defensible businesses, with sustained growth opportunities. Since acquiring Hickton in 2016, alongside investors from the Chelverton Investor Club, CEPS supported the acquisition of BRCS Building Control in 2017, with Cook Brown adding critical mass to the Group’s Building Control operations.

Cook Brown Building Control is a Corporate Approved Inspector delivering an independent compliance solution for all types of projects, throughout England & Wales. They provide a cost effective approach to compliance and work directly with design teams and contractors to ensure a non-bureaucratic, hassle free building control service. Cook Brown Energy offers a range of energy consultant services to assist project completions.

Adam Wardle, Director at Wilson Partners said “It was a real pleasure to advise the group on this strategic and most obvious of acquisitions. The combination and broadening of services sets the scene for a very exciting next stage of growth“

Richard Bucknell, who sits on the Board of Hickton on behalf of Investors, commented; “We’re delighted to have concluded the acquisition of the Cook Brown businesses. Matt and Jim will be integral to the development of the Group over the coming years. Chelverton has worked with the team at Wilsons on a number of occasions and again they provided timely and insightful advice which helped facilitate a smooth transaction.”