Gatwick Awards 2008 & Insider Dealmaker Awards 2009

‘Deal of the Year 2008’: James Villa Holidays Limited
 

 

In March 2008 James Villa Holidays Ltd, the UK's leading tour operator specialising in villa holidays, was acquired in a management buy out ("MBO"). The deal subsequently won the prestigious ‘Deal of the Year Award’ at the ‘Gatwick Deal Awards 2008’.

Acting for Meta Corporate Finance Limited, Director Peter Counsell project managed the successful MBO led by Tony Wheble, the company's Chief Executive and his management team Jo Afridi (Overseas Director), Simon Grigg (Finance Director) and Richard Moger (Director of IT Services) and financed by Bank of Scotland and a small group of private investors.

Tony Wheble said, "The management team are delighted to have the opportunity to lead the business through its next growth phase. James Villas is a well known brand with a loyal and expanding customer base. We are confident that further exciting growth streams exist that will help us to develop the business further in the UK and internationally. The potential to become a significant brand in the self catering market is something the whole team are motivated by and focused on."

James Needham, Company founder and former majority shareholder started the business in 1984 from the spare bedroom in his house renting villas in Lanzarote. Today, James Villas has a turnover approaching £60m catering for over 120,000 passengers providing a portfolio of over 2,500 villas throughout the Mediterranean and Florida. The Company employs 100 staff in Maidstone, Kent in addition to a 60 strong team overseas. It operates 3 websites in the UK, Ireland and Germany along with a single retail outlet within the Bluewater Shopping Centre.

Mark Edwards, Bank of Scotland Director in Gatwick said, "James Villa Holidays Ltd has a proven and highly experienced management team with a clear strategy and excellent customer proposition. We are extremely pleased to be a chosen partner to help the business through its next growth phase and look forward to working with such an established and respected business.”
 

February 2009: Yet More Awards for Meta: Insider Dealmakers Awards South East 2009: ‘Deal of the Year’

At the Insider Dealmakers Awards (South East) 2009 held in February, Meta Corporate Finance were honoured with another auspicious award – ‘Deal of the Year’ for the Management buy-out of James Vila Holidays, a “clear winner” in the deal category worked on by Peter Counsell from Meta, in partnership with advisers from Bank of Scotland and PricewaterhouseCoopers.