The business

Pims Group is a leading provider of waste water support services. Established in 1972, Pims Group comprises Pims Pumps, which designs and installs the pumps, and Pims Services which manages their maintenance and ongoing service contracts. The business, run from two sites in Farnborough and Stoke-on-Trent, provides domestic and commercial sewerage and rainwater pump systems and services throughout the UK. The company’s services also encompass sewage treatment systems, drainage maintenance, rainwater harvesting and environmental testing.

Employing 114 people, Pims offers a national one-stop-shop to its 4,000 clients, including Tesco, Persimmon, Sainsbury’s and McAlpine. In 2007 the company sold and installed over 700 pumping stations and provided service and maintenance for more than 5,000 residential, commercial and industrial sites. The Group has historically grown at around 13% year-on-year and is forecast to maintain this momentum, having established a deserved reputation for design quality and service expertise.

The company operates in a fragmented marketplace estimated to be worth £1 billion in 2007, with few competitors of similar scale and coverage.

The investment

We had begun investigating the company and its marketplace in early 2007 and held preliminary talks with management in July of that year. This significantly strengthened our position once a formalised sale process was initiated five months later.

The transaction was led by Simon Turner, Charles Thompson, Andrew Mainwaring and Nicola Boyd from Inflexion. We have taken a majority shareholding. John Hartz and Charles have joined the Board of Directors. Management has also invested with debt facilities provided by HSBC.