Deal of the Year

Winner: Pets at Home sale to KKR
A mega deal won through, proving possibly that size matters. It represented a very well run process to either float the business or sell to American private equity. Well done to all those involved in a massive deal.
Shortlisted: Exit of Survitec by Montagu, Klarius acquisition of Quinton Hazell, sale of Travel Jigsaw to Priceline.com by ISIS, pre-IPO fund raising of the Hut, sale of Peel Airports to Vancouver Airport Services
Sponsored by: The Co-operative Bank

Fund of the Year

Winner: North West Interim Venture Capital Loan Fund, managed by YFM
Well done to YFM Group which has made some very canny investments on top of a steady stream of returns from this fund, as well as their other funds.
Shortlisted: Rising Stars Growth Fund, managed by Enterprise Ventures
Sponsored by: Centric Commercial Finance

New Technology Deal of the Year

Winner: Fundraising for Redx Pharma
YFM’s backing of Redx through the Interim VC fund collected many votes as the top technology deal as it seeks to create new medicines.
Shortlisted: Eosemi (fundraising), Expansys (acquisition of two companies)
Sponsored by: The North West Fund

Turnaround/Rescue Deal of the Year

Winner: Refinancing of Crown Paints by The Royal Bank of Scotland and Endless
Royal Bank of Scotland backed Crown Paints at a crucial point with a £25m asset backed lend.
Shortlisted: Acquisition of Trutex by Endless
Sponsored by: MC2

Small Deal of the Year

Winner: Sale by Furnace Construction to Matthews International (George Davies Solicitors and Lupton Fawcett)
This well established family business was sold to an American buyer. Small and medium sized companies and small deals are the backbone of the economy.
Shortlisted: Investment by ISIS into Getting Personal, Disposal by TAG of Capital Safety Group, Purchase of Crawford Healthcare from York Pharma, Reverse takeover of Ashley Commercial Finance
Sponsored by: Handelsbanken

Aim Deal of the Year

Winner: The Float of Xcap Securities
Xcap Securities raised £5m in a tough period in the market and has brought a new financial business to the region.
Shortlisted: Sale of Braemar Group to Brooks McDonald, Reverse takeover and fundraising of EKF Diagnostics, Reverse takeover of Ashley Commercial Finance, Delisting of Accuma
Sponsored by: Grant Thornton

Banking Team of the Year

Winner: The Royal Bank of Scotland
Well done to the RBS team, backers of important North West businesses over the year including Crown Paints, Matalan, Chess Telecom, NWF and the Authentic Food Company.
Shortlisted: Lloyds TSB, Yorkshire Bank, The Co-operative Bank, HSBC, Barclays
Sponsored by: Rapport

Transaction Services Team of the Year

Winner: KPMG
Across the north as a whole the team at KPMG has done 45 deals, 17 in private equity, and two floats and several refinancings.
Shortlisted: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Mazars
Sponsored by: Leumi ABL

Asset Based Lender of the Year

Winner: Burdale Financial
Judith McMath and her team have been strong supporters of Klarius Group as they bought Quinton Hazell from the Affinia Group and gave them good cover to look to the future.
Shortlisted: Positive Cashflow, Leumi ABL, Aldermore Invoice Finance, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Venture Finance
Sponsored by: DLA Piper

Private Equity Team of the Year

Winner: Zeus Private Equity
Garry Tipper and his team have done deals across the country and did very well with XLN Telecom, making four and a half times their investment. Well done.
Shortlisted: Barclays Private Equity, LDC, Inflexion, Gresham
Sponsored by: Cobbetts LLP

Corporate Law Firm of the Year

Winner: Hill Dickinson
The team at Hill Dickinson have burnt the midnight oil acting for Klarius Group on their ongoing acquisitions of spare part businesses. Keep bolting on….
Shortlisted: Turner Parkinson, Cobbetts LLP, Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper, Pinsent Masons
Sponsored by: Credit Suisse

Corporate Finance Advisory Team of the Year

Winner: KPMG
KPMG’s team worked on nine deals in the first six months of the year, winning out in a strong category that also included Rothschild, which acted on the biggest deal of the year in this region.
Shortlisted: Clearwater, Rothschild, Deloitte, Altium, Ford Campbell
Sponsored by: KBC Business Capital