BDB Pitmans advises on double deals for two leading independent travel tour operators

Leading UK law firm, BDB Pitmans, has advised Magnum Quinque Limited (Magnum) on its acquisition of the entire issued share capital of owner-run tour operator, Africa & Beyond, for an undisclosed sum. BDB Pitmans’ team also assisted with the production of equity / constitutional documents for Magnum to facilitate the incentivisation of Sales Director Jamie Taylor.

BDB Pitmans’ corporate team also acted for the incoming management team of Ian Finlay, Amy Hope and Stewart Lambert on the management buyout of The Artisan Travel Holding Limited (Artisan) by Panoramic Growth Equity (Panoramic). The investment is expected to enable Artisan to increase its offering to include other brands, namely Activities Abroad and Artisan Travel.

Formed in 2007 by husband and wife duo, Richard Russell and Charlotte Howell, Africa & Beyond specialise in arranging holiday experiences in Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and the Middle East. The company has employees located in the UK (Manchester and York) as well as in Cape Town, South Africa. Richard has 20 years’ experience in tour operations, picking up the mantle from his father before him, who worked in the industry for over 40 years before retiring. Africa & Beyond work directly with clients as well as with independent travel agents, to deliver unforgettable travel experiences. Managing Director Richard Russell and Sales Director Jamie Taylor are to remain employees of the company upon completion.

Artisan, founded by Ali and Kate McLean in 2002, is an independent tailor-made operator encompassing multiple travel brands, including The Aurora Zone, the UK’s only holiday firm solely dedicated to Northern Lights trips. Having been providing these tailor-made trips for over 15 years, Artisan is led by an experienced team and having Amy Hope as managing director she will continue to lead the company onto its next stages.

The Southampton team at BDB Pitmans was led by corporate partner Sean Kelly with additional support provided by partner Oliver Kelly, associate Leah Houghton, solicitor Marc Shevlin, solicitor apprentice Fin McKenzie.

Other advisers involved across these deals include The Firebird Partnership, James Cowper Kreston, TL Dallas, NewCMI, David Blank Furniss, Weightmans LLP, White Hart Associates (London) Limited and Blake Morgan LLP.

Non-executive chairman at Magnum, Ian Finlay commented:

‘We commend the team at Africa for all their hard work – it is evident that the company is a labour of love and we look forward to taking it into the next chapter. Our thanks also to BDB Pitmans whose proactive approach and commercial advice made a complex transaction seamless.’

Partner Oliver Kelly, commented:

‘It was a pleasure to work with the team at Firebird once again and we are confident that the Africa & Beyond  acquisition will drive that business forward. We are excited to see how Magnum intend to grow the company’s current offering and we wish them every success for the future.’

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