GCP Capital Partners has acquired Garrets International Limited, a leading international provider of marine catering management for the commercial shipping industry. Derrick Samms founded Garrets in 1991 and has since pioneered the market for outsourcing of catering services for the merchant navy. Garrets provides its customers with a range of services including provisions supply, stock keeping, quality control and chef training and support.   The business has grown rapidly over recent years and today manages a fleet of 750 vessels from its head office in Romford, making it the clear market leader. The company was recently featured in the Sunday

Mergers and acquisitions in the US financial services industry could increase in both number and value of deals, if markets improve and European banks sell noncore business units, PwC says in a new report. M&A prospects remain uncertain, however, after deal volume fell in 2011 due to the European debt crisis, volatile stock and bond markets, uncertainty around government regulations and a pullback in financing, according to PwC’s report, "Balancing uncertainty and opportunity: 2012 US Financial Services Insights" (www.pwc.com/us/fsdeals2012). US banking, insurance, asset management and other financial service companies announced 756 deals last year. The figure represents a 10 per

Maven’s Manchester team has led the MBO of Vodat International Limited (Vodat) from its founder Mike Bielinski in a GBP5m transaction. Vodat provides managed network and communications solutions to business customers, with a particular focus on the UK retail sector in which it has a leading market presence. Cheshire based Vodat was established in 2002 by the current CEO and senior management team, and has achieved year on year sales and profit growth, increasing sales by over 50% since 2008. The business has a current customer base covering over 7,000 live sites and places a strong emphasis on ensuring excellent

IFG Group has signed an agreement for the sale of its entire International Division (Segment) to AnaCap Financial Partners II LP. The purchase price is GBP70 million (EUR84 million) which will be paid in full on the completion of the sale. The purchase price shall be subject to an adjustment upon finalisation of the completion accounts. The sale is subject to certain conditions including shareholder and regulatory consent. The EGM, at which an ordinary resolution approving the sale shall be voted upon by the shareholders, shall be held in advance of the AGM on 27th June 2012. A circular incorporating a

GSO Capital Partners, the credit division of Blackstone (NYSE: BX), has announced the final closing of its second mezzanine fund, GSO Capital Opportunities Fund II, with total commitments of USD4 billion, making it among the world’s largest mezzanine funds and the largest mezzanine fund to be raised following the financial crisis of 2008. GSO will invest the Fund across a broad range of sectors and geographies, with a particular focus on the US and Europe. The fund’s size and scale allows it to focus on the underserved upper middle market, while its flexible structure enables GSO to be creative in

Cancer Research Technology, Cancer Research UK’s commercial arm, and the European Investment Fund (EIF), have joined together to create a GBP50 million investment fund to bridge the funding gap in the UK between cancer drug discovery and early development.  The CRT Pioneer Fund will seamlessly take potential cancer drugs from discovery through to entry to Phase II clinical trials. It is a bold step to fund the most innovative oncology research and to plug a large gap in the UK funding of drug discovery.  CRT and the EIF will make equal contributions to the CRT Pioneer Fund. The fund has

Broadlake Capital has acquired a significant stake in Vita Liberata, the International Self Tan Business.  This investment marks Broadlake’s first investment in the Health & Beauty market and presents the opportunity to support Vita Liberata’s founder Alyson Hogg and her team with the growth and continued International expansion of the brand.  Belfast Headquartered Vita Liberata is currently rolling out a successful International growth strategy which has seen its presence expand to include 16 European countries, South Africa, Australia and North America.  Broadlake’s Investment, combined with a new banking facility from Bank of Ireland will provide the capital to fund its

New Wind, LLC, the Nashville-based small-wind vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) company has received more than USD1 million in a second round of venture capital funding. Stuart Wiston, the company’s president, says the funding came because investors looked at the phenomenal growth and potential of the company and felt not only is the timing perfect because of the growth of small-wind as a practical solution to helping the nation’s energy crisis, but also because the company is in the process of expanding its product line after much research and development on practical, affordable, sustainable energy products. “This funding is a big