Established over 130 years ago, William Hackett is a globally recognised market leader in lifting equipment and chain products, providing assembly, testing and certification to products such as slings systems and hoists for use in harsh, safety critical environments.
Having grown revenues at an impressive rate of 17% per annum in the 4 years ended FY23, the shareholders engaged with UNW to identify a partner suited to support the group in its next phase of growth. Following a competitive marketing process, Private Equity firm H2 Equity Partners were selected to partner with the business, acquiring a majority shareholding.
Working closely with the company, its shareholders and the management team to understand their collective objectives, UNW provided a hands-on service advising the shareholders through to a successful completion.
“In 2022, I made a decision that I had taken the William Hackett Group as far as I could, so options were sought to maximise the future growth of the business and provide an exit strategy for family members. I wanted to engage advisers based in the North East, preferably with experience in dealing with the unique features of family businesses.
We engaged UNW’s Corporate Finance team with Nick leading our project. Nick was a good fit for us, being North East born and bred and with a family business background. He led our process in a way that gave both sides of the transaction confidence whilst presenting our business in an honest way that maximised value. All of the shareholders felt that Nick and the UNW team achieved an excellent outcome on their behalf.”
Tim Burgess, Managing Director
William Hackett
