PEM advises London-based premium glazing specialist Maxlight on sale to leading Swedish industrial group Lifco AB

The PEM Corporate Finance team acted as lead adviser to the shareholders of London-based premium architectural glazing specialist Maxlight on the successful sale of the business to Lifco AB, a leading Swedish industrial group.

PEM worked closely with the shareholders from the outset, providing strategic advice and positioning the business effectively before going to market.  The team then ran a highly competitive sale process, engaging with a targeted pool of UK and international buyers, before negotiating and advising on all financial and commercial aspects of the deal.

The transaction sees Lifco acquire 100% of Maxlight, marking an important milestone in the company’s growth journey and providing a platform for continued expansion under the ownership of an experienced international industrial group.

Founded in 2011, Maxlight has grown to become one of the UK’s leading premium architectural glazing specialists; designing, manufacturing and installing bespoke aluminium glazing systems for high-end residential and architectural projects. The business has earned a strong reputation for design excellence, engineering expertise and the delivery of award-winning projects across London and the UK.

Lifco’s acquisition will enable Maxlight to accelerate its growth plans while maintaining the qualities that have underpinned its success to date. The company will retain its established brand, management team and operational autonomy, while benefiting from access to Lifco’s international network, expertise and resources.

Following completion of the transaction, Simon Culmer will become Managing Director, while founder Tony Culmer will continue to support the business as Commercial Director. Existing members of the senior leadership team will remain in place, with Lorna Mendelsöhn joining as Chair.

The transaction reflects continued investor demand for high-quality specialist manufacturing and premium building products businesses with strong market positions, differentiated offerings and scalable operating models. Maxlight’s integrated design, manufacturing and installation capabilities, together with its established reputation in the market, attracted significant interest from several potential acquirers.

Tony Culmer, co-owner of Maxlight, said:

“Selling your business feels a little like selling your house, except they get your kids in the deal too. Obviously, nobody would ever contemplate such a thing, but having recently sold Maxlight, I have to say that having PEM as our lead adviser made the whole process feel relatively straightforward. There’s a lot to do, with lots of plates spinning at the same time, and PEM acted as the ringmasters, keeping everything on track throughout the process. We are delighted with the outcome and incredibly grateful to the whole team for their hard work, guidance and expertise in negotiating and delivering the deal on our behalf”.

David Ball, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance at PEM, said:

“It’s been a pleasure working with Tony, Simon and the wider Maxlight team over the last few months. We’re delighted to have advised them throughout this competitive process and have ultimately secured an outstanding result for both the shareholders and the company. Lifco is a serial acquirer of market leading engineering and manufacturing businesses and is perfectly placed to support the team as the business enters its next phase of growth. The deal is a great example of us being able to bring to bear our considerable experience of working with entrepreneurial and owned-managed businesses, navigating them through highly complex and challenging deal processes and delivering results that fully align with shareholder objectives.” 

The PEM deal team was led by David Ball, Darren Hagan and Asaad Khan, with support from Marvel Okosun and James Taylor.

Legal advice to the shareholders was provided by Fisher Jones Greenwood, with tax advice from MJ Bushell. Legal advice to Lifco AB was provided by Walker Morris, while financial due diligence support was provided by BDO.