Central Pharma (Contract Packing) Limited operates as a specialist contract packing business, catering exclusively for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, offering the following services:
– solid dose blister packing
– tub and liquid filling
– specialist liquid and liquid anaesthetic filling
– strip packing, cartoning and flow wrapping.
Alongside these main disciplines Central Pharma can also print and apply barcode labels, store and distribute products and provide quality control release according to any specific technical agreements.
The business is based in Bedford and has consistently grown its top line by 15% p.a.
The management team approached Manfield with a view to helping them identify new equity investors for the business and negotiate a transaction with the then majority shareholders. Jonathan Derry-Evans, had previously worked on the purchase of Cerbo AB, a Swedish pharmaceutical carton manufacturer, so had a good understanding of the key quality and traceability standards that businesses in the sector are judged by. Manfield worked with the management team to undertake an MBO to understand the key business drivers for Central Pharma, negotiate Heads of Terms with the selling shareholders and introduce a small group of potential investors capable of adding strategic value to the business.
Once in exclusivity, Manfield negotiated a debt package with The Co-operative Bank and Barclays and managed all the elements of the process including financial, legal and commercial due diligence and contract negotiation.
The deal completed in July 2012 and the management team are now supported by two new shareholders, who can bring to bear enormous operational and strategic experience. The business is positioned to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist in the pharma contract packing sector.