Catella has acted as exclusive financial adviser to Guy Hands in raising financing for the acquisition of McDonald’s Nordic operations. The parties have signed a share sale and purchase agreement and agreed on the master franchise agreement.   Hands will become the development licensee (DL) for the Nordic markets.     The Nordic countries consist of approximately 435 restaurants, of which more than 95 per cent are franchised, and is the clear number one QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) operator in the region. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.   Under the DL structure, McDonald’s plans to transfer

Transcend Corporate has acted as lead adviser to the shareholders of AlwaysON Group (AOG) on its sale to Cloud Direct, for an undisclosed sum. Bracknell, Berkshire- based AOG is a GBP5.5 million revenue provider of unified communications (UC), data communication and managed data services to UK headquartered organisations, primarily mid-sized enterprises.   Services include UC/voice services and managed Microsoft Exchange and security solutions management, using an in-house core MPLS network. AOG also provides network and connectivity services and application hosting services, including Skype for Business. Managed data services include net backup and recovery services (on-premise and cloud); data archiving; and

ARX Equity Partners together with food industry entrepreneur Keith Dilworth are to acquire Nutricia Deva from Danone Group. Deva is a Czech Republic based producer of baby fruit desserts and fruit drinks, with total annual capacity of 24,000 tons. It also holds bio and organic certifications.   ARX and Dilworth committed to acquire Deva with the aim of expanding the existing business via further organic growth and using the company as a platform to acquire complementary add-on acquisitions. As part of the transaction, Deva will enter into a manufacturing contract and will continue to manufacture baby food desserts under the

Inflexion has supported CloserStill Media’s acquisition of iLearning Forum in France. Recently ranked number 10 in The Sunday Times HSBC International FastTrack 200 for the UK’s fastest growing exporters, CloserStill operates content-led exhibitions throughout the UK, Europe and the Far East.   Its acquisition of iLearning Forum further expands the business’s international portfolio of exhibitions.   David Whileman, head of partnership capital, Inflexion, says: “We are delighted CloserStill Media continues to expand at such a successful rate. Our partnership capital investment solution continues to meet the unique needs of high growth businesses seeking flexible investment solutions; just recently we completed

Private equity Thoma Bravo has completed its acquisition of Planview, a specialist in work and resource management (WRM). Insight Venture Partners, a prior investor in Planview, retains a minority shareholding in the company. Financial details have not been disclosed.   Planview is the market leader in WRM, an emerging category of software that provides a comprehensive approach across a broad range of work and resource types to increase innovation capacity, improve time-to-market, and accelerate digital transformation. Planview offers its customers a diverse portfolio of solutions designed for strategic planning, portfolio and resource management, new product development, work collaboration, and enterprise

An affiliate of private equity firm Veritas Capital is to acquire Harris Corporation’s government IT services business for USD690 million in cash. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to support the company’s capital allocation strategy, including pension pre-funding and share repurchases.   The transaction is subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close before the end of fiscal 2017.   Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, the business provides IT and engineering managed services to US government agencies, including supporting NASA’s Space Communications Network and Deep Space Network programmes, and operates within the company’s critical

An affiliate of private equity investor Sun Capital Partners has completed the acquisition of Arrow Tru-Line (Arrow), a manufacturer and distributor of garage door hardware and fittings. Terms of the private transaction have not been disclosed. Founded in 1970, Arrow Tru-Line has built its brand on providing a wide range of high-quality products for both residential and commercial customers. The Archbold, Ohio-based Company currently operates two plants and four distribution centers in the US and Canada. “Our investment in Arrow Tru-Line is an exciting opportunity for Sun Capital to leverage its resources and expertise to drive growth,” says Marc Leder,

The Longfort Group, through L Concepts, has completed its acquisition of Scoozi Italian Restaurant, its maiden acquisition in Thailand. Scoozi has 24 branches located across the Great Bangkok area having opened its first location in downtown Bangkok in 2004.   It specialises in Neapolitan-style pizzas made in traditional wood-fired ovens.   Scoozi operates both dine-in and delivery formats.    "We are excited about our foray into the Thai consumer market especially through such an established platform as Scoozi," says TW Pang, chief executive of The Longfort Group. "The potential of the brand is enormous and we look forward to stewarding