Phoenix Equity Partners is opening a new office in Manchester. This will be Phoenix’s third UK office.
The office will be headed up by John Rastrick, a partner at Phoenix, who is based in the region and leads Phoenix’s regional deal generation, business development and investment activities in the North. Before joining Phoenix in January 2007, John previously worked for 3i in Manchester and Leeds. He has been joined in the new Manchester office by Barry Robinson, a Principal at Phoenix, who has relocated to the North West. Barry joined Phoenix in 2005 and previously worked for Deloitte Corporate Finance in their Newcastle and Manchester offices.
This office opening supports Phoenix’s successful investment activity across the North and follows the raising of their new GBP450 million Fund in 2010. The Manchester office will be Phoenix’s second office in the North, alongside its Yorkshire office which was opened in 2007.
Phoenix has been investing in the North of England for a decade. Its current portfolio of investments spread throughout the UK includes two Northern companies: Andrew Page and Expotel. In March 2010, Phoenix supported the GBP100m MBO of Andrew Page, a leading automotive parts distributor based in Leeds; and in July 2008, Phoenix supported the MBO of Expotel, the UK’s largest hotel booking agent, based in Manchester.
Previous investments in the North of England include: Acorn Care & Education, a provider of education and care for children with special educational needs and fostering services based in Bolton, which was sold in January 2010; Transform Medical, the leading cosmetic surgery business based in Cheshire; Abbey Hospitals, the private hospital group operating across the North; and Integrated Dental Holdings, the UK’s largest dental practice company based in Bolton.
John Rastrick says: “We are delighted to be opening a new office in the North West which is a key market for Phoenix. There are a large number of high quality corporates across the region, and we remain committed to investing to support these businesses to develop and grow.”
In addition to announcing the opening of a Manchester office, Phoenix is also pleased to announce that Adam Corbett, formerly with Deloitte, and Will Skinner, formerly with JP Morgan, have joined the London office as Investment Managers.
