The Urbanists

Our Corporate Finance team is pleased to have advised Cardiff based urban design consultancy, The Urbanists, on its sale to an Employee Ownership Trust.

Founded in 2005, The Urbanists bring together town planning, master planning, urban design and landscape architecture to ensure they create places that people feel good about. Their projects include Canal Quarter, a major redevelopment in Cardiff City Centre, which includes reopening a historic waterway and Atlantic Wharf in Cardiff, a £150 million landscape masterplan to develop a strong case for landscape enhancement.

Our FRP Corporate Finance, led by Thomas Edwards, worked closely with the shareholders, James, Michelle and Mark to structure the transaction and then with Steve Elias at Development Bank of Wales who supported the transaction.

The EBO was concluded under an Employee Ownership Trusts (EOT’s) arrangement. EOT’s were established in 2014 in order to encourage exiting shareholders to facilitate wider employee ownership. An EOT buy-out represents an attractive alternative to a trade sale or traditional Management buy-out for Vendors, as when the sale of a company is to an EOT, the transaction proceeds are exempt from Capital Gains Tax.

Thomas Edwards, FRP Corporate Finance Director said “We are delighted to have advised The Urbanists and the Management Team on this milestone transaction as the business transfers to employee ownership. The culture created by the new Management Team and Martin has been fundamental to the success of the business and the new structure will allow that to continue.”

James Brown, Managing Director at The Urbanists said “We are extremely confident that the future of The Urbanists remains in the hands of the people who understand it best and who will strive to continue to deliver the very highest standards of service for our clients, We have achieved much under Martin’s leadership and would like to thank him for his significant contribution in The Urbanists story so far”.