The deal is the latest step by MRA UK Investments which continues to build up a team of specialists to operate under its ownership. The long-term aim is to create a multi-disciplinary professional services group based in the North West and focused on clients in the SME sector. MRA UK Investments is based in Chester, Cheshire.
Group finance director Alex Crow said:
We are delighted to incorporate Landwood Group into the business and feel they are a perfect fit with our company approach and values. We are long term investors into specialist health care services, manufacturing and real estate. We are currently encouraging and supporting growth in the health care and real estate sectors and research and development in our manufacturing arm. At MRA we seek to add value for our partners through access to our people and networks. We are a working, trading team with business experience and we work closely with our group companies to support them whilst at the same time giving them the freedom to operate as independent businesses.
Landwood was established in 2008 by Mark Bailey and Richard Parkinson and now has a team of 20, with its head office in Manchester. Landwood Group’s services include property and asset valuation and appraisal for both secured lending and recovery situations, asset management including residential and commercial property management and property agency and asset disposal services. The company, regulated by RICS specialises in a number of areas including healthcare, licensed and leisure and plant and machinery.
In addition, the company offers expert witness valuations on a wide variety of asset classes. The agency services include Landwood Property Auctions, run by a highly experienced auction team and specialising in online auction sales.
Mark Bailey, director of Landwood Group, said:
Landwood Group will thrive as part of this wider group of companies where there will be many new opportunities to develop our service offering to support our clients’ needs. This investment will see Landwood growing the existing business and extending our range of services. We are looking forward to working with the MRA team to build the business and continuing to deliver a great service to our many clients who have supported us since starting the business in 2008.
MRA UK Investments will expand further with plans to secure 100% ownership of businesses including a legal practice and financial services.
Alex Crow added:
We are building a network of high quality contributors – experts in their field – benefiting from an appropriately constructed intelligent infrastructure and presented to market in a unified and coordinated manner. We will consider any business which would add value to our core offering and look forward to working with Landwood Group, who we knew immediately were an ideal fit for us and we can’t wait to get started.
The sellers were advised by Rick Life and Sherrelle Scott of HRC Law LLP.