Management Buy-Out of Ask Developments with financial backing from The Co-operative Bank
Date: 08/07/2009
Source: SKV
Ask Developments has announced a Management Buy-Out (MBO) of the Company and also agreed revised long-term working capital facilities with its banking partner the Co-operative Bank.
A small group of shareholders led by existing directors Ken Knott and Simon Bate, together with the Senior Management Team, have acquired the entire issued share capital of the Company for an undisclosed sum, including the share capital held by minority investor MSREF.
The agreement of new working capital facilities with the Co-operative Bank will enable the Company to fully support its forward business plan, and to sustain, develop and grow its impressive portfolio of development sites and schemes in the North of England.
The Co-operative Bank is providing senior debt to service the requirements of the Company’s long term business plan.
Mr Knott, who will remain CEO, said: “In light of the liquidity challenges facing the sector, which are unlikely to abate in the short term, we have been exploring various options to strengthen the Company’s capital resources in order to ensure that we can fully and properly support the portfolio going forward.
“Ultimately, an MBO supported by our long-term banking partner The Co-operative Bank represents the very best fit in terms of maintaining the loyalty and commitment of an outstanding development team and putting the business on a sound financial footing for the longer term.
“This announcement represents a huge vote of confidence in the Company and could not have come at a better time in terms of providing an excellent platform on which to build upon the recent success stories at First Street and Central Park which have seen the Company secure Manchester City Council for 140,000sq ft at its flagship No 1 building and Greater Manchester Police for its new 250,000sq ft headquarters – two of the largest occupier-led transaction in the North West in 2009.”
Keith Alderson, Director of Corporate Banking of The Co-operative Bank, said: “The Bank is fully committed to and believes in the Ask Developments’ team and its long-term business plan, and we very much look forward to working with the management team in this new shareholder structure.
"The refinancing shows that even in today’s uncertain economic climate, we're still very much open for business and working with companies with impressive business strategies, such as Ask Developments. We are in a strong position to provide funding for existing and new customers.”
Ends.
For further information please contact:
Justin Strong or Andrew Spinoza at SKV Communications on 0161 838 7770 or e-mail at firstname.surname@skvcommunications.co.uk
Editor’s Notes:
Ask Developments has previously been involved in delivering high quality regeneration schemes in Manchester including the £10m popular Deansgate Locks scheme. Number One First Street is to accommodate a temporary three year relocation of 1,400 staff from Manchester City Council staff when the city’s town hall is refurbished from early 2010. The wider First Street scheme spans 20 acres and will include 1.8m sq ft of offices, around 1,500 homes and 350,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space. It will include the first new pedestrianised thoroughfare in the city for decades – an 18m wide, 300m long boulevard connecting the community of Hulme through the Mancunian Way to the Hacienda site on Whitworth Street West.
The company is also developing Central Park - the UK's first large-scale mixed-use urban business park just 1.5 miles from Manchester City Centre, which is to be the new HQ for Greater Manchester Police. Ask is also redeveloping Lancashire County Cricket Club’s Old Trafford in a partnership with the club, Trafford Council and Tesco. It also has an extensive portfolio of mixed-use schemes including Townside Fields in Bury and St Petersfield, a major new urban business quarter in Ashton.