Connaught plc
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| Public (: ) | |
| Industry | Outsourcing |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | William Tincknell |
| Headquarters | Exeter, UK |
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Key people
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Sir Roy Gardner (Non-Executive Chairman) Ian Carlisle (CEO) |
| Revenue | £659.6 million (2009) |
| £32.6 million(2009) | |
| £17.5 million (2009) | |
Connaught plc was a company in the United Kingdom, operating in the social housing, public sector and compliance markets and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
The business was founded in 1982 as a concrete repair specialist and in 1986 won its first major social housing concrete repair contract. During the early 1990s Connaught expanded its services to include external wall insulation and overcladding and latterly began refurbishing all external elements of social housing including roofs, windows and doors. The business also expanded geographically. The 1990s saw significant corporate changes at Connaught plc, first in 1996 a management buyout funded by HSBC private equity and again in 1998 when the business was floated on the Alternative Investment Market. Mark Tincknell drove the business as CEO throughout this period. By 2004 the business had acquired social housing service providers in Scotland and Wales and had revenues in the region of £300 million and negligible net debt. In 2005 Mark Davies was appointed CEO. In 2006 Stephen Hill, formerly from Serco, was made Finance Director. Connaught was fully listed on the in 2006 and by 2007 the company had become a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Having acquired Gasforce in 2002, Connaught appointed Altium Capital to advise on its regulatory obligations and acquisition strategy from 2003. Connaught acquired seven other related businesses between 2005 and 2007 and became the UK's leading provider of integrated compliance services with the 2007 acquisition of National Britannia. The acquisition of National Britannia cost the company £91 million, part funded by £57.9 million raised from investors. During 2009 Connaught acquired the listed environmental services company Fountains plc for £13 million.
Connaught was shaken by a series of events triggered by the abrupt departure of its CEO Mark Davies in January 2010 following the sale of his shares valued at £5.5m. After Connaught issued a positive statement, shareholders were surprised when the business issued a profits warning on 26 June 2010: the company explained that the emergency budget introduced by the new government had damaged the company's profitability. Connaught subsequently warned of a 'material loss' for the year ended 31 August 2010. Mark Tincknell, who had taken over the running of the business again when Davies departed, then resigned as CEO on 8 July 2010 and Ian Carlisle took over the post.
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