Since our formation in 2006, building our client portfolio has been at the centre of what we do. Whilst organic growth is important, a key strategy is to acquire other leasing companies in the UK and / or their customer portfolio.
As at Q1 2023, we have undertaken 21 separate acquisitions. This is made up of purchasing eight companies and 13 databases. It is fair to say, we have a reasonable understanding of how a UK leasing broker works.
See below a timeline of our previous acquisitions to date.
My first customer base acquisition was back in 1990, Armour Leasing, a well-known and respected leasing broker had just shut down. I remember buying the client base of 1,000 companies for £1,000.
It sounded like a bargain, but alas, it was a waste of time and money. However, the issue was my own doing. It had nothing to do with the client base or the person selling it. There were two key issues:
In summary, it was my first two lessons in buying a leasing company.
Wyse Leasing grew and prospered. This was mainly by bringing on board some really talented people around the UK. We set up a number of regional offices therefore providing local support to both the dealers and customers we worked with.
Acquisitions was not really on our agenda. However, we did acquire a few companies such as ITR in Tunbridge Wells.
Roll forward a few years to 1999 and we sold Wyse Leasing to a NASDAQ software company. This business was subsequently bought back and resold in 2009, to a very large and respected German leasing funder.
Why do we focus our energy on acquiring leasing brokers?
What do we look for when acquiring a leasing company?
Furthermore, how can we structure a sale and purchase that makes it beneficial to all parties?
If you are looking to sell your leasing company, please contact us for a confidential conversation.
