Deal makers hit high note with record year

A North West corporate finance team is celebrating a record year of dealmaking in the professional services and creative sectors.

DJH Corporate Finance advised on the sale of a majority stake in the M Collective to London agency Sauce Communications, bringing together two of the UK’s leading lifestyle and travel PR specialists.

The team, led by partners Jon Else and Matt Beckley, completed 15 deals in 2024 worth around £135 million.

Jon said: “There has definitely been an increased appetite for M&A activity, and we have had our busiest year yet, with several deals completed and lots of transactions started or in the pipeline.

“Companies are looking to pool resources to attack new opportunities, and we have been chosen as trusted partners across six different sectors, all posing their own intricacies and timescale challenges.

“This trend represents a big opportunity for us, and we are investing in strengthening our team to cater for the increase in demand.”

To support continued growth, DJH has relocated to new offices in Manchester’s St George’s House and is hiring two new executives.

Part of top 40 UK accountancy group DJH Mitten Clarke, the firm has expanded rapidly through 12 acquisitions in three years, now operating with over 600 staff across 12 offices in Yorkshire, the North West, the Midlands and the South East.

Jon added: “Becoming part of DJH, a top 40 accountancy group, was a big move for our business and gives us access to hundreds of potential clients across Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, the Midlands and in the South East – as well as our own network of companies and intermediaries.

“We operate nationwide, but with a strong focus on the North West. 

“There’s lots of potential in this area to support companies to grow through acquisition and owners to maximise their returns by mergers and carefully structured sales.”

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