BDO advises on cross-border sale of temporary building specialist

BDO LLP has advised on the sale of Tamworth-based Portable Venues (Group) Limited, trading as Smart-Space, to the French group Lauralu for an undisclosed sum.

The Midlands company specialises in the supply of temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent buildings. It has been acquired by Lauralu, through its parent company, SAS TempAsset.

BDO acted as M&A advisers to the shareholders of Portable Venues, led by partner and head of Global M&A, John Stephan (pictured), and director, Alan Chan, supported by Elle Oldham (assistant manager). BDO's tax team of partner, Paul Townson, and John Angood (director) also advised on the sale, with partner, Steve Talbot, and Lauren Bryan (manager), providing advice to the company on tax planning.

Stephan said: “Portable Venues is a fantastic example of a homegrown, family-run business that has built up a stellar customer base and a strong reputation in the temporary buildings sector over several decades through a focus on customer service.

Chan added: “Their track record made it extremely appealing to a number of buyers in the sales process, with Lauralu ultimately winning the race in its desire to expand its presence in the UK market and take advantage of the robust foundations already built in the sector by Smart-Space.”

Smart-Space works with a wide range of high-profile brands, such as Kia Motors, Dairy Crest, Airbus, Exon Mobil, and Jaguar Land Rover. Established in 1985, it employs more than 60 people in the West Midlands, offering building and installation, maintenance and support services.

Antony Hunt, the founder of Smart-Space, said: “BDO positioned our company in a way which reflected its true value, whilst setting out clearly the advantages to any potential buyer. After an agreed period of marketing and negotiations, BDO came up trumps and delivered a win-win solution.

“We as sellers are comfortable with the value placed on the business and subsequent sale price, whilst I'm sure the buyer is every bit as excited about this new opportunity. This could not have happened without the professionalism or spirit of goodwill of the BDO team.”

Lauralu specialises in modular structures for industrial and commercial applications, providing temporary building and permanent structures to a broad spectrum of industries, including transport and logistics, retail, sport and leisure, film and television, and education.