Knightsbridge Commercial Brochure

EXPERTS IN SELLING SME COMPANIES

25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

INTRODUCING KNIGHTSBRIDGE COMMERCIAL

Knightsbridge Commercial is one of the UK’s leading business sales advisers, offering a comprehensive, nationwide service to business owners who are looking to sell. Our success is achieved by adopting a driven and dedicated ethos which has ensured we are leading the way within the company sales marketplace.

WHY CHOOSE US? We take the time to understand your business in its entirety before creating a tailored marketing plan that is best suited to your requirements and demonstrates the full worth of the opportunity to potential acquirers. A successful business sale is typically achieved through the introduction of multiple buyers in order to offer a choice to our clients on the best deal available to them. We are dedicated to identifying and attracting the right potential buyers to the opportunity. This is achieved through industry-leading marketing materials and a proactive research strategy which investigates every possible avenue in finding your ideal buyer. A TAILORED AND COMPREHENSIVE EXIT STRATEGY With Commercial Directors placed in key strategic locations throughout the UK, we are well-placed to provide knowledge of the local market with the backing of a nationwide specialist. We have been trading for 25 years, and our trusted, dedicated and long-serving professionals are qualified within Marketing, Research and Negotiation to ensure a high level of personal service throughout the entire process.

80 , 000 OVER

9/10 RATED US ‘GREAT’ OR ‘EXCELLENT’ TRUSTPILOT

1 , 000 S OF BUSINESSES SOLD

†

BUYERS REGISTERED

†

Trustpilot, March 2023

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SOME OF OUR RECENT COMPLETIONS

PENNINE WATER TREATMENT SERVICES

FMS ESTATE MANAGEMENT

HOUSE DÉCOR INTERIORS

WATER TREATMENT LANCASHIRE

PROPERTYMANAGEMENT LANCASHIRE

HOME INTERIOR WESTYORKSHIRE

BROADBAND CLOUD SOLUTIONS

ASSYST SOFTWARE

GRANTS CLEANING SERVICES

I.T. EDINBURGH

SOFTWARE LONDON

COMMERCIAL CLEANING LINCOLNSHIRE

RAPID INFORMATION SYSTEMS

THE SENIOR MOVE PARTNERSHIP

CUT N CLEAR LANDSCAPES

CARE SERVICES LANCASHIRE

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WILTSHIRE

SOFTWARE HERTFORDSHIRE

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MAXAM TRAINING

MAZINGTREE

INKREADIBLE LABELS

TRAINING PROVIDER LANCASHIRE

I.T. DEVON

PRINTING DEVON

JIGSAW SECURITY SOLUTIONS

BUSTED NETWORKS

MCMMEDICAL

SECURITY LONDON

I.T. WEST SUSSEX

CARE RECRUITMENT AGENCY LANCASHIRE

BENINGTON NETWORKS

DATAFILE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

KOZIWARM

TELECOMMUNICATIONS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

SOFTWARE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

PLUMBING & HEATING ESSEX

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SOME OF OUR RECENT COMPLETIONS

CHERRY FINANCE

CARSHALTON STRUCTURES

ON THE EDGE FRAMING

FINANCIAL SERVICES DORSET

CONSTRUCTION LONDON

PRINTING LEICESTERSHIRE

PURSUIT SOFTWARE

SKYMARK FINANCIAL

CMIS-UK

SOFTWARE NORFOLK

FINANCIAL SERVICES DEVON

SOFTWARE WESTYORKSHIRE

ACCESS TRANSPORT

SIGHTLINE MEDIA

CALIBRE SECURITY

LOGISTICS SURREY

MEDIAAGENCY HAMPSHIRE

SECURITY WEST MIDLANDS

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BALDERSONS

1 ST CALL GAS SERVICES

APRIUM

GAS ENGINEERING SOUTH YORKSHIRE

INSURANCE SOUTH YORKSHIRE

I.T. KENT

WESSEX METROLOGY

THREAT STATUS

NVISAGE

MANUFACTURING DORSET

CYBER SECURITY HAMPSHIRE

I.T. SUSSEX

MEDIA SNUG

MERCER DESIGN

PRO-TECH HOME SECURITY

MARKETING AGENCY HERTFORDSHIRE

DESIGN AGENCY SOMERSET

SECURITY NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

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SOME OF OUR RECENT COMPLETIONS

THE PREMIER PLATING CO

KERRY SCS

ALAMO BLINDS

METAL PLATING NORTHUMBERLAND

DRINKING WATER SOLUTIONS KENT

MANUFACTURING BERKSHIRE

AIM SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

TELECOM 150

GARAGEPRIDE

TELECOMMUNICATIONS STAFFORDSHIRE

GARAGE EQUIPMENT SHROPSHIRE

TRANSPORT AND HAULAGE SUFFOLK

ALLSECURE SERVICES

C.G. CLEANING

SOUTH NOTTS COMPUTERS

CLEANING GREATER MANCHESTER

COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

SECURITY LINCOLNSHIRE

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BRETT GARDNER

3 WAY HEALTHCARE

VOLLERS

SURVEYORS RELOCATABLE

PHYSIO CLINIC WOKINGHAM

MANUFACTURING HAMPSHIRE

COMBAT PESTS

REAL TRANSFERS

BRANDON BESPOKE

PEST CONTROL ESSEX

PRIVATE HIRE LONDON

OILS AND WAXES HAMPSHIRE

WINEPRO

RACE TIMING SOLUTIONS

JABS TRAVEL CLINIC

WINE SUPPLIES DORSET

EVENTS HERTFORDSHIRE

MEDICAL CLINIC LONDON

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECTIVES

From the outset, Knightsbridge Commercial will seek to understand your business in as much detail as possible whilst carefully considering your own personal objectives and expectations. Only once this is achieved can we truly act within your best interests and, ultimately, secure the best possible deal.

YOUR OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS From the initial point of contact, we will start to piece together exactly what it is that you, as our potential client, are looking to gain from an eventual sale, both from a personal perspective and for the future of your business. We will maintain regular dialogue with you to ensure that, should any of your requirements change, we are at hand to adapt our approach accordingly.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR COMPANY A full understanding of your company, its key value drivers and potential for future growth will provide the foundations for our initial marketing and research of the opportunity. At this stage of the process, it is important that we gain as much knowledge of your business as possible in order to build your initial presentational materials. Our in-house research analysts will also thoroughly investigate your industry sector as part of our initial research and buyer reach process.

UTILISING YOUR EXPERTISE Of course, nobody knows your business like you do and it is important that we obtain your input and feedback to ensure that both the presentational materials and buyer targeting are powerful and persuasive documents.

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PRESENTING THE OPPORTUNITY

It is important to portray your business in the best possible light and, therefore, we will take care to produce a number of high-quality presentational documents to illustrate the key aspects of the business. Our designated document writers and marketing professionals will work closely with you in the early stages to produce these documents. Each one will be drafted and sent to you for your review and approval, prior to being used at relevant strategic points within the process.

TEASER / OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY The ‘Teaser’ document will provide an overview of your business and its financials, alongside key benefits to the buyer, whilst maintaining confidentiality. This document will only include brief information to ensure complete anonymity. This document will also be very carefully circulated.

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM The Information Memorandum (IM) contains detailed commercial and financial information together with forward-looking projections and current management information. This fully bespoke document is carefully considered and tailored to suit each business and sector.

ADVERTWORDING We advertise across an array of online publications and directories. Our marketing team can create a bespoke, distinctive and fully optimised advertisement to highlight the key selling points whilst fully maintaining the confidentiality of your business.

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FINDING YOUR BUYERS

Knightsbridge Commercial will undertake a comprehensive research strategy in order to maximise the level of acquisition interest for your business. With a combination of superior marketing techniques and expert buyer identification practices, we will explore every possible avenue in our search for your perfect buyer.

UK TRADE BUYERS Through an in-depth and comprehensive research process, we will identify suitable trade, competitive, complementary, strategic and synergistic buyers that we believe will have an appetite to consider your acquisition. We can access detailed information on millions companies and historic transactions from the UK alone.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE COMMERCIAL BUYERS Knightsbridge Commercial has built a comprehensive and industry leading buyer database of over 80,000 potential acquirers. Our database contains detailed acquisition profiles from private and trade buyers through to multinational PLCs. We can showcase your opportunity to buyers whom we know are acquisitive or who have acquired previously and are typically pre-vetted from both a confidential and financial perspective. M&A BUYER FORUMS We utilise a number of online Mergers & Acquisitions platforms and buyer forums which attract UK, European and global buyers and advisers. WEBSITES With your consent, we will place the generic and fully confidential advert wording for your opportunity on a range of specialist company sale web portals in order to maximise exposure through a range of online mediums. INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS In certain situations, the opportunity may be of interest to Private Equity Houses, Venture Capitalists and Investment Companies. These types of buyers often invest into growth businesses or those complementary to other companies already within their portfolio. PROFESSIONAL NETWORK Where relevant, we can utilise our in-house database of professional contacts who are actively representing clients who are acquisitive within the M&A market. These include: Corporate Financiers, Accountants, Lawyers and Buy Side Advisers. We maintain regular communication with these contacts, informing them of opportunities that we currently represent.

VENDOR INTELLIGENCE By working with you to identify competitors, customers and suppliers, we can either include or ignore specific companies, if you would prefer. This joined-up approach, utilising your significant industry knowledge, combined with our extensive research capabilities, ensures that we produce the most comprehensive buyer target list.

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INCREASING YOUR COMPANY’S SALE VALUE

From the initial meeting and the early stages of the sale process, we identify what will drive the value of your business. Our expansive buyer reach and rigorous search process will ensure that we maximise the sourcing of prospects and most appropriate acquirers. Some of the key ‘value drivers’ that affect the end transaction value paid for your business include:

• the recent, current and future financial performance of the company; • the value of the company’s assets and current balance sheet; • sustainability of the company’s earnings; • the quality and loyalty of your customers;

• ease of integration and synergies with the purchaser’s business; • current contracts, work in progress and pipeline income; • the skills and experience of the company’s employees; and • the opportunities that exist for future growth.

MARKETING LITERATURE Our experienced and dedicated document writers produce ‘best in class’ marketing materials to present your company in the most positive light. Each document is carefully structured to provide acquirers with the information required to further their interest.

SYNERGISTIC BUYERS We maximise value by targeting synergistic sectors, as a buyer is more likely to pay the premium price if they believe that the business offers a strategic fit or can act as a ‘bolt-on’ acquisition. Typically, these buyers can clearly recognise the company’s core strengths.

COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS We will seek to reaffirm the value drivers of your company and relate them specifically to the buyer and their acquisition objectives. This will allow us to conduct a competitive bidding process amongst the interested parties.

EXPERIENCED NEGOTIATORS From the very start, each opportunity is assigned a dedicated Negotiator based at our Head Office, providing you with a named contact who holds a vested interest in your business throughout the entire process. Our Negotiators create competitive tension amongst buyers and promote the specific benefits of acquiring your company to each buyer in order to elevate offers to their optimum level. The team will work hard to procure offers in line with your objectives and requirements, keeping you regularly updated with all progress made. PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDER Either through our panel of legal service providers or by working with your own legal advisers, we will oversee and manage an effective close to the sale process to prevent any changes to the agreed terms of sale.

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DELIVERING A SUCCESSFUL EXIT

Our deal team is highly experienced in advising on all aspects of the final transaction, from negotiating with interested parties through to close management of the legal process. We will work to ensure that no stone is left unturned in securing the best deal possible for you and your business.

OUTLINE / INDICATIVE OFFERS

COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS

INTERESTED PARTIES

BUYER MEETINGS

We will look to generate multiple expressions of interest in order to drive a competitive environment and put you in a greater position of strength.

We will guide you through the meeting process and aid you with the preparation

We gather and review bids and assess their meaning to you and any other shareholders. We aim to receive offers at specific times to aid comparison.

We facilitate a competitive bidding process involving multiple interested parties in order to drive the price to an optimum level.

of management presentations.

SELECTING PREFERRED BIDDERS

LEGAL PROCESS / COMPLETION

HEADS OF TERMS

DUE DILIGENCE

We conduct a commercial review of each offer and its deliverability, working alongside you to negotiate a deal that fits alongside your objectives.

We play an active role in structuring the Heads of Terms and liaising with legal representation on both sides of the deal.

We ensure that the buyer has access to up-to-date and detailed information and will maintain momentum throughout the process.

Either through our own panel of legal service providers, or by working with your incumbent legal advisers, we will oversee and manage an effective close to the sale process.

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PROTECTING YOUR COMPANY’S SENSITIVE INFORMATION

MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY

The need for confidentiality is undoubtedly a key consideration and is very much a cornerstone of our service. When entering this process, some of our clients can be concerned about their employees, customers, suppliers and competitors potentially finding out that their company is for sale. Our processes and systems are designed and proven to prevent such problems occurring. Every one of our employees is fully trained in all aspects of the required confidentiality procedures and discretion is assured, from the moment we first speak to the day the transaction completes. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is a legally binding document which ensures that the buyer adheres to a number of strict criteria regarding any confidential information relating to your business. Confidential information can relate to financial information, trading name, location, customer information and supplier information. The agreement forbids the potential buyer to disclose, share or make the information available to any other party and it must be used solely to evaluate the opportunity. DISCREET: This is the most comprehensive level of marketing, utilising every advertising avenue we have available and involves us sending the business details as soon as we have established that an enquiry is from a credible buyer. Although this would be considered our most ‘lenient’ approach to confidentiality, it provides great exposure for businesses in a position to utilise this option and ensures maximum enquiry levels. This option is particularly suited to clients who are keen to sell quickly. CONFIDENTIAL: With this approach, confidentiality is assured by insisting that all potential buyers sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before any specific information is released, maintaining privacy throughout the process. Our experienced negotiators will make an informed decision on whether or not we feel that a potential buyer is suitable for your business, and whether further information should be released to them. Strict confidentiality standards are adhered to at all times in order to protect your best interests and those of your business and its stakeholders. HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL: Similar to our ‘Confidential’ package, this option ensures all interested parties sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, but this package differs in that you are asked to approve each individual buyer, and prospective purchasers will not be given any sensitive or confidential information unless you provide clear authorisation for Knightsbridge Commercial to do so. In the early stages we will make a recommendation as to which confidentiality level is best suited for your business based on your objectives and how niche your sector is. Please note that you may change the confidentiality level at any time. LEVELS OF CONFIDENTIALITY

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ALL-INCLUSIVE LEGAL FEES IN RELATION TO THE SALE OF YOUR BUSINESS

OUR PANEL OF LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS Knightsbridge Commercial is the only true national sales adviser to offer the option of inclusive legal fees relating to the sale of a business. We work with a carefully selected panel of solicitors, allowing us to offer the legal services of our nominated providers within our fee structure. This means that only one inclusive fee is paid on the completion of the transaction, and there are no abort costs in the unfortunate instance where a sale does not complete in the final stages because a buyer pulls out at the eleventh hour. The solicitors we work with are experienced in handling all legal aspects of the business sale process and will guide you throughout each stage of the deal – from the protection of confidential information to agreeing the key terms of the purchase agreement including the appropriate indemnities, warranties and disclosures. Through the adoption of a ‘solution-focused’, pragmatic and proactive approach to the transaction, our chosen panel of solicitors will provide you with clear and straightforward advice to smoothly guide you through any issues that may arise. They add value at every stage of the deal by thoroughly understanding the key objectives of the transaction from our client’s objectives.

THE BENEFITS TO YOU

Knightsbridge Commercial has chosen to work with this panel of legal service providers because they possess a wealth of experience in advising sellers and buyers on both sides of a transaction.

• They provide the highest level of specialist expertise delivered in a clear and flexible way. • They have experience of working with clients throughout the world. • They take ownership of issues and develop solutions. • They anticipate problem areas and present them appropriately to a buyer on the seller’s behalf. • They help maintain control of the transaction right until the day of completion.

If you engage with the services of Knightsbridge Commercial and choose all-inclusive legal fees as part of your service, you are assured that the sale will be handled by an experienced and successful broker, with legal representation from a respected and quality law firm.

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OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

The Knightsbridge Commercial team possesses years of experience in the business sales marketplace. We are committed to offering our clients a superior service through a focus on continual staff training and development. Our team is vastly experienced and qualified in all areas of business sales and marketing, providing you with market leading advice and guidance from the initial meeting right through to the sale of your business. Our marketing and advertising power will ensure that your business is placed in front of as many suitable buyers as possible, maximising interest and, ultimately, getting the best value for you.

SARA THOMASSON OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

MATTHEW CLANCY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

LEANNE BOULDING OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

VICTORIAWILLIAMS MANAGING DIRECTOR

GARY EDWARDS HEAD OF MARKETING & DATA

JOE BULL REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

MARTIN BAARS REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

CHRIS DARROUX REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

ANGELOS KOUTSOUDES REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

NEIL SMITH REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

DONALD PEDEN REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

DAVID HILL REGIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

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ELLIOT GRANT SENIOR CLIENT MANAGER

SHEILAMCBURNIE CLIENT LIAISON TEAM MANAGER

PAIGE TITLEY SENIOR DIARY MANAGER

NIALL THOMAS SALES MANAGER

ALEX HAYDOCK CLIENT MANAGER

JULIE BARKER CLIENT MANAGER

CHLOE MCGREAVY DIARYMANAGER

ALLIE BIRMINGHAM CLIENT MANAGER

BEN HUNT COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE

EMMA RAEBURN COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE

JESSE DALEY COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE

JENNIFER MORLEY COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE

FLINN SPENCER-KELLY SALES NEGOTIATOR

HELEN BAINBRIDGE COMMERCIAL EXECUTIVE

SARAMANVILLE SENIOR SALES NEGOTIATOR

PAIGE BRINDLE SALES NEGOTIATOR

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CASE STUDY MANUFACTURING

THE OPPORTUNITY The business, which has been established for almost 30 years, is a manufacturer of a range of vegetarian, vegan and organic convenience foods. The outgoing owners felt that, after almost three decades of trading, they had taken the business as far as they could and a change of direction under new ownership was required to help grow the company in what had become an increasingly competitive sector. 85 NDAs RECEIVED A comprehensive research strategy, which utilised Knightsbridge Commercial’s extensive buyer database, multiple online portals and direct outreach, attracted no fewer than 85 interested parties. 42 MEETINGS SECURED With our clients looking to secure the future of the business, finding the correct acquirer to take the company to the next level, whilst also ensuring price expectations were met, was paramount. Therefore, with our clients’ approval, we arranged over 40 meetings with prospective purchasers, which were sat over a period of four months. 3 OFFERS TABLED Following the conclusion of the meetings, our clients invited a select few acquirers to submit their bids. We worked with our clients to negotiate these bids in order to deliver the best deal for all parties involved. The acquirers are now working on their long-term growth plan for the business, whilst our clients have been able to retire.

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CASE STUDY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

THE OPPORTUNITY Our client, the sole shareholder of an accountancy practice established in the early 1980s, was seeking a sale in order to retire. The business, which provides all aspects of accountancy services, came with a strong reputation, owing to its rich history and wide ranging base of retained clients. 38 NDAs RECEIVED Knightsbridge Commercial targeted larger accountancy practices, both within the immediate area and on a national basis, who may have been looking to add independent practices to their portfolios. 8 MEETINGS SECURED By exclusively targeting larger accountancy firms, Knightsbridge Commercial was able to secure no fewer than eight meetings, giving our client the opportunity to personally vet each potential bidder. Attracting the correct buyer was important to our client, who wanted to ensure that his business was left in capable hands. 4 OFFERS TABLED Following the meetings, interest remained high, with half of those our client met with submitting a formal offer. From the outset, Knightsbridge Commercial placed importance on attracting multiple offers in order to create a competitive bidding process. This ultimately secured maximum value for our client.

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CASE STUDY TRAINING PROVIDER

THE OPPORTUNITY The opportunity presented potential buyers with the chance to acquire a provider of training programmes such as apprenticeships, BTECs, NVQs and work-based diplomas. Established for almost 10 years, the company operates all across the UK. Our clients approached Knightsbridge Commercial looking for a fast sale due to a change in personal circumstances. 18 NDAs RECEIVED Knightsbridge Commercial initially sought interest from similar companies looking for a bolt-on acquisition. With such tight time constraints in place, it was felt that this approach would be most suitable, utilising our own database of retained buyers and active acquirers. 6 MEETINGS SECURED From the 18 interested parties, our clients selected six potential acquirers to meet with and discuss the opportunity in further detail. 6 OFFERS TABLED An overwhelming response was received, with each of those invited for meetings submitting a bid to our clients. This allowed our clients to negotiate the best deal possible, using each bid as leverage until the most suitable deal was agreed. With such strict timescales imposed from the start, Knightsbridge Commercial is delighted to announce that this deal was concluded fewer than six months from instruction.

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CASE STUDY EVENTS MANAGEMENT

THE OPPORTUNITY The business is a well-established and highly respected supplier of luxury tented accommodation at some of the UK’s most popular music festivals. The opportunity gave a prospective purchaser the chance to acquire one of only two companies in the UK to offer a specific brand of luxurious tents, providing the company with a competitive edge. 11 NDAs RECEIVED As the company offered such a unique product, it was agreed that confidentiality would be key in securing a successful sale. Therefore, Knightsbridge Commercial conducted a targeted research strategy. 7 MEETINGS SECURED Seven meetings were arranged by Knightsbridge Commercial, with all potential acquirers presented with a detailed Information Memorandum which highlighted the key benefits of the opportunity and showcased our clients’ unique product offering. 2 OFFERS TABLED Following a successful round of meetings, two very competitive offers were presented for our clients’ consideration. The final deal value represented a multiple at several times the EBITDA, with our clients delighted that their initial price expectations were exceeded.

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OPERATING NATIONWIDE

HEAD OFFICE

KBS House 5 Springfield Court Summerfield Road Bolton Greater Manchester BL3 2NT 01204 555 080 sales@knightsbridgeplc.com

PART OF K3 CAPITAL GROUP WITH MORE THAN 20 OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE UK

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KBS House 5 Springfield Court Summerfield Road Bolton Greater Manchester BL3 2NT 01204 555 080

sales@knightsbridgeplc.com www.knightsbridgeplc.com