Yorkshire manufacturing deal volumes fall by 44 per cent

Merger and acquisition activity (M&A) among Yorkshire-based manufacturing companies fell by 44 per cent in the last quarter, according to a new study.
Andrea Cropley, Irwin MitchellAndrea Cropley, Irwin Mitchell
Andrea Cropley, Irwin Mitchell

Analysis by national law firm Irwin Mitchell of data provided by Experian also found that the number of manufacturing deals involving Yorkshire companies in the first half of the year was 81 per cent lower than it was at the same stage in 2014. Yorkshire companies’ share of manufacturing deals across England fell to 8.5 per cent, compared with last year, when it was 12.3 per cent. The current figure for this year is the lowest since 2012 when it was just seven per cent.

Andrea Cropley, head of corporate at Irwin Mitchell in the North of England, said: “These figures are disappointing but perhaps reflect the uncertainty around the General Election and also the general fall in output across the sector. Private equity interest has reduced substantially and I expect that it will remain so until the sector as a whole shows signs of consistent improvement. There are signs of improvement though and although the overall manufacturing sector is facing numerous challenges, there are plenty of sub sectors that are booming and I expect that this will fuel greater M&A over the coming months.”