Companions Homecare Acquired By PE-backed Enara

Enara Group has acquired Companions Homecare in a strategic business sale, expanding its domiciliary care services in East Sussex. This acquisition strengthens Enara’s market position and continues its history of successful growth.

Enara Group, a rapidly growing domiciliary care provider, has expanded its operations with the acquisition of Companions Homecare. This strategic business sale was led by experienced dealmaker Mark Sapsford and marks another milestone in Enara’s mission to scale its home care services.

Acquisition Strengthens Enara’s Presence in East Sussex

Enara - backed by August Equity - acquired Eastbourne-based Companions Homecare and Freshfold Homecare for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition enhances Enara’s ability to provide high-quality domiciliary care in East Sussex, reinforcing its strong presence in the region.

Enara’s growth strategy has long been defined by a targeted acquisition approach. Backed by August Equity between 2008 and 2012, the company successfully executed 50 buy-and-build acquisitions, all while maintaining its reputation for consistent, high-quality home care services.

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A History of Expansion and Transition

By 2012, Enara had become the UK’s fourth-largest provider of home care services. Recognising the company’s success and potential, FTSE-listed outsourcing giant MITIE acquired Enara for £110 million, intending to establish a foothold in the health and social care market. Following the acquisition, Enara was rebranded as MiHomecare, continuing its tradition of excellence under new ownership.

In 2017, MITIE decided to exit the social care sector, selling its division to Apposite Capital. This planned exit marked another transition for the business, aligning it with investors keen on furthering its growth and innovation in the home care industry.

Planned Exit and Future Growth

For the shareholders of Companions Nursing & HomeCare, this business sale represents a well-executed planned exit, allowing them to transition the company to a larger organisation with the resources to expand and enhance care services. Mark Sapsford, who advised on the sale, played a key role in ensuring a smooth transaction and positive outcome for all parties involved.

As Enara Group continues to integrate Companions Homecare into its expanding network, this acquisition reinforces the group’s commitment to delivering exceptional domiciliary care while strengthening its position in the UK’s healthcare sector.

Client feedback

"Just a few lines to say thank you so much for all the hard work in handling and finalising the sale of my business, Companions Homecare.

At the time I decided to sell and appoint you to handle the sale, I’d already been bombarded with approaches from several other business sales specialists who each seemed to promise the earth but who also seemed equally vague about the sales process, the reality of what was going to be involved and the work necessary to bring a business such as mine successfully to the market or what they would do to support me to earn their fee!

"When we met I was obviously impressed with the list of successful and well-known companies you had already represented but what impressed more was the clarity of your description on what was realistic, what was going to be required in terms of work from my side, and the detailed and personal input you would provide in terms of putting together the sales prospectus, seeking interest from the market, introducing me to the legal team and then attending each and every sales presentation to guide me through what was obviously going to be quite a stressful process.

"Looking back on the experience it would not have been as enjoyable - or as successful - f you hadn’t taken the personal guiding role that you did, I particularly appreciated the effort put into understanding my business, which I genuinely feel helped in putting together the final list of interested potential buyers and setting up the meetings, which led to the successful sale.

"I am now involved in putting together another venture, which we hope will be ready to sell on within the next 3-5 years, so I will be in touch again!

Bill Oakdon, owner

Companions Homecare

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