Brabners Chaffe Street Solicitors - Corporate Services

Corporate News Stories

Brabners Chaffe Street advises shareholders of DACTA
12/07/2007

A leading North Wales-based educational equipment specialist has been bought out by the UK`s biggest supplier of IT to the education sector in a deal worth a potential £4 million.

DACTA Limited of Wrexham, which develops, manufactures and distributes educational products for children aged from 6 months to 16 years, has been acquired by RM plc.

In addition to making its own-branded products, DACTA is the sole pan-European distributor for LEGO Education and TOLO Education products, and does business throughout the UK, Northern and Southern Europe.

Under the terms of the deal, DACTA`s shareholders Dr Graham and Margaret Farrow, and Neil and Wendy Martin Rhind have sold their stake for an initial £2.28 million. The value of the sale ñ which was completed less than three weeks after contract negotiations began ñ is set to rise by another £1.7 million based on the busines`ss future performance.

The transaction sees Dr Farrow and Mr Martin Rhind remain as directors of DACTA Limited to take the company forward as part of RM plc, which employs more than 2,000 full-time staff. It has several UK offices, including its headquarters in Abingdon in Oxfordshire and Cheadle in Cheshire, and a number of international facilities in India, the United States and Australia.

In its last set of published accounts for the financial year 2005, RM plc reported turnover of £263 million. The firm provides schools, colleges and universities with a range of IT-based education services.

The shareholders of DACTA Limited were advised on the deal by a team of lawyers from Brabners Chaffe Street in Manchester including both partner Mark Brandwood and associate Caroline Tindall from the firm`s corporate department, and property associate Paul Nicholls.

CLB Coopers corporate finance partner David Clift and tax partner Alex White and audit manager Andrew Feeke also provided DACTA`s shareholders with corporate finance, accountancy support and tax advice.

RM plc were represented by their in-house legal team led by General Counsel Andy Robson and Corporate Counsel James Wyatt.


For further information contact Mark Brandwood at Brabners Chaffe Street on 0161 836 8800

Back to the Corporate news headlines