April 05, 2024
Translink Corporate Finance in the United Kingdom acted as the lead advisor to Doncaster-based Nationwide Bearing Company (NWB) on its sale to South African listed company Invicta Holdings Limited.
Founded more than 30 years ago by Paul Birley, Nationwide Bearing Company is a supplier of bearings, bushes, and seals to the agricultural and earth moving machinery aftermarkets. The company is highly regarded in the market for quality and reliability, and supplies OEMs and international distributors.
The acquirer, Invicta is a JSE-listed investment holding company with a global portfolio of companies predominantly focussed on the supply of agricultural and construction consumable parts.
Invicta’s acquisition of NWB will contribute to its strategic focus on diversifying into geographical areas in the industries and markets in which the South African company has significant experience and strong management capabilities. The company will continue to operate as a standalone entity under Invicta’s ownership and will be led by current General Manager, Mark Sabin, who will become Managing Director.
The Translink Corporate Finance team consisted of Declan Savage, Andy Haigh and Luke Harrower with support from its specialist Transaction Tax (Amanda Waterhouse) and SPA Advisory (Emma Oakley) teams. Translink ran a competitive sale process, working with the firm’s wider international group to evaluate interest received from across the world. Invicta was ultimately selected as the preferred acquiror, having been introduced by Translink South Africa.
Declan Savage, Director at Translink Corporate Finance UK said, “It has been a pleasure to advise Paul and NWB on the sale to Invicta Holdings. Paul has built a fantastic business, developing a globally recognised brand in the agricultural machinery aftermarket. This acquisition is a perfect example of our cross-border capabilities for our clients, and we are delighted to have delivered this transaction for Paul and his family. We look forward to seeing NWB continue to grow under Invicta and Mark’s stewardship.”
Paul Birley, Founder of NWB said, “Building NWB to the position it is in today has been my life’s work, so finding the right party to pass it on to was extremely important to me. Having held discussions with several parties, both in the UK and internationally, I am confident that Invicta are an excellent fit to lead the next phase of the company’s growth. NWB and its employees will benefit from being part of a larger global group and I look forward to seeing the business prosper under Mark’s leadership.”
Craig Barnard, Commercial Director at Invicta said, “NWB is operating successfully in the British and European aftermarket parts distribution industry and this acquisition provides a platform for Invicta to grow our global ‘Replacement Parts Earth Moving’ segment of the business. We aim to realise synergies through our procurement capabilities by sourcing inventory for NWB’s clients on a more cost-effective basis and providing access to a broader range of products. In addition, NWB has product ranges which can be cross sold into Invicta’s existing operations.”
Contact our Team Members advising in this transaction:
Translink Corporate Finance is a world leader in cross-border mid-market M&A advisory services, specialising in transactions ranging from €10M to €250M. Established in 1972, with over five decades of experience, we get the deal done. We are a trusted global brand with over 400 experts worldwide, and a proven track record with long-standing clients and deep sector specific knowledge. At Translink Corporate Finance, we are easy to approach, and our core ethos revolves around the pursuit of sustainable value creation for our clients – whose best interests always come first.
Translink Corporate Finance in the UK has seven offices in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, London, Nottingham and Sheffield. The highly experienced team comprises of 30 M&A professionals, including ten partners has a successful track-record of completing domestic and international M&A transactions across a variety of sectors.
Translink Corporate Finance in South Africa is based in what some have dubbed “The most beautiful city in the world”, Cape Town. Our partners have concluded deals in a multitude of African countries and cover the entire sub-Saharan Africa. Transactions in Africa can be challenging, and our deep local knowledge of cultural nuances and local business dynamics assists our clients to achieve a common understanding with targets and buyers. We help our clients navigate the intricate corporate social responsibility aspects of transactions, such as Black Economic Empowerment, which are is an important consideration in Africa. South Africa is Africa’s economic powerhouse and for many of our multinational clients serve as a platform for further expansion in Africa with its massive untapped youth market and growing middle class.
Andy Haigh
Declan Savage
Luke Harrower
