United Living Group acquires Great British Communications
United Living Group has acquired Great British Communications. M&A consultants from Grant Thornton and Analysys Mason provided buy-side advisory services.
United Living Group is a property and utility infrastructure company backed by Elysian Capital. Amid the flurry of M&A in the sector, it has purchased Great British Communitcaions (GBC). United Living Group CEO Neil Armstrong noted the acquisition opens up “exciting new opportunities” for the two firms.
According to Armstrong, the strategic transaction will enhance the group’s ability to provide critical infrastructure services for its customers, while growing further within the telecoms space.”
With the UK technology space in a transformative stage, demand for support to get the most out of new innovations is increasing. For example, 5G is a multi-billion-pound market for the UK and is socially and economically transformative for the communities in which United Living Group serves. The purchase of GBC will help meet escalating demand on this front.
Established in 2012, GBC is a specialist provider of acquisition, design, build, procurement, installation, commissioning, maintenance and repair services, working with mobile network operators (MNO’s) in the UK. The firm has played a vital role in the UK’s connectivity, having supported a number of major telecoms roll outs.
Speaking on the merger, GBC Managing Director Marc Creasy also asserted the move provides the firm with new opportunities to grow its global reach.
Creasy went on, “The two businesses core services will enhance the whole offering currently provided by United Living Group. We believe we have found the perfect home for our company to build on our continued success. I look forward to working with the wider United Living Group team.”
Looking ahead, United Living Group will retain the GBC brand identity, with existing contracts and on-going service commitments being unaffected. The move concludes following a 12-month process.
Deal advisors
As the UK’s largest sector by volume for M&A deals in 2021, the technology, media and telecoms tech (TMT) sector has flourished throughout the pandemic, fuelled by more companies turning to cutting edge technologies in a bid to gain long-term and sustainable competitive advantages. The pandemic has no doubt accelerated a shift towards digital, and it is likely the sector will remain attractive as changes brought about by the pandemic continue into the long-term. Consulting firms have been at the heart of the deals, supporting firms with advisory and due-diligence services.
Supporting that process, the North West team at Grant Thornton advised United Living Group on the deal. The team was led by partner Peter Terry assisted by Chris Ryan, Cariad Mudford and Amy Huddleston.
Terry remarked, “Marc and his entrepreneurial management team at GBC have done an exceptional job in building a best-in-class contractor playing an integral role in the roll-out of 5G, one of the most exciting new mobile technologies seen for a generation. As part of a larger group, GBC is very well-placed to continue its impressive recent growth.”
Advisors from Analysys Mason also supported United Living Group through the deal. A LinkedIn post from the firm noted, “We are proud to have supported United Living Group with its acquisition of Great British Communications. We wish them continued success in the future.”
