Newcastle and York based commercial interiors specialist announces management buyout

Specialist commercial interior design business, Ben Johnson Ltd, has announced that its senior team has successfully completed a management buyout as of 1st December 2022, for an undisclosed sum.

The firm, which predominantly operates in Yorkshire and the North East, delivers commercial interior design and build services for a range of organisations, including KCOM, Equifax, Keepmoat Homes, Covéa Insurance and Sweco.

Emma Dodsley, Lee Fleming and Matthew Day have invested in the buyout together and now have an equal stake in the company. They will retain their current senior roles and responsibilities, encompassing Sales & Marketing, Finance and Operations & Delivery respectively.

Adrian Rumble, who had been the business owner and managing director of Ben Johnson Ltd since 2003, commented: “I am so proud of my exceptional, forward-thinking management team who have completed this MBO of Ben Johnson Ltd.

“I am confident that the company will continue to grow and be highly successful under their innovative leadership. This is a positive succession step for the company that maintains the significant provenance of Ben Johnson Ltd as a progressive brand.”

The planned succession included the sale of the Technology Managed Print Services business in 2018, and the Workplace Supplies business in 2019, leaving the organisation to focus solely on the highly-successful Interiors division.

Emma Dodsley, who joined the company in 2010 and has almost 25 years of experience working in the commercial interiors sector, added: “I have worked for the business for over 12 years and am immensely proud to be part of this great team.

“Along with my new partners, I’m excited to continue driving the business forward, enabling us to grow our team, explore new opportunities and further establish Ben Johnson Ltd as a leader in the commercial interiors field.”

Lee Fleming, Emma Dodsley and Matthew Day were advised by Susan Clark at LCF Law, who is a partner in LCF Law’s corporate team. She said: “Ben Johnson Ltd is a successful and longstanding Yorkshire business with a rich heritage and solid reputation across the north of England and beyond.

“We’re also fortunate to have first-hand experience of the quality of Ben Johnson’s work, following the company overseeing the interior design and fit-outs of three of our offices in Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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