Partner Article

Porta Communications acquires PPS Group in £6.1 million deal

Welwyn-based marketing and communications group Porta Communications PLC have acquired independent consultancy PPS Group for £6.1 million.

The business will operate as Newgate PPS and is to become Porta’s public affairs arm, managed by Stephen Byfield.

The Group’s existing, smaller public affairs division within Newgate Communications is to be integrated into Newgate PPS.

PPS employs 45 staff operating from offices in London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Cardiff.

In the year ended 30 April 2014, PPS’s fee income was £4.6 million with pre-tax profits of £706k.

The group’s balance sheet showed current assets of £2.67 million and net current assets of £1.6 million. PPS has cash at bank on completion of £1.6 million.

Porta chief executive David Wright, said: “This acquisition is in line with Porta’s strategy of building critical mass across the marketing communications mix.

“PPS is a very successful, professionally run company that will bring a new area of expertise to the Group and is complementary to our existing specialist public affairs offering.

“PPS’s strength in the regions and Scotland will also enable the Group to capitalise fully on the opportunities created by the devolution of powers to those areas.”

Stephen Byfield, managing director of PPS, said: “As part of Porta, PPS will be able to offer its clients an even more cohesive and powerful offering.

“PPS has significant respect for the Newgate team and looks forward to being part of the enlarged team.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .