The Vella Group

We’ve advised The Vella Group, one of the UK’s largest and fastest-growing accident repair businesses, on two acquisitions that take the group to 20 sites across England and Wales.

Established over 40 years ago by Karl Vella MBE, The Vella Group has grown significantly in recent years to become one of the UK’s most trusted automotive repair providers, with a reputation for high repair standards and a clear focus on sustainable growth. The business is backed by private equity firms Ama Capital and Keyhaven Capital Partners and already operates repair centres in Deeside and Chester serving North Wales and the border, building on a long-standing relationship with our Corporate Finance team.

The Group has now acquired UK Carbody, a highly regarded independent repairer based in Avonmouth, Bristol, and GB Flint Coachworks, a family-run independent repairer serving Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. Together, these acquisitions form the latest stage in The Vella Group’s ongoing buy-and-build strategy, strengthening its footprint in the South West and East Midlands and enhancing its ability to support insurer, network management and fleet partners

We acted as buy-side advisers to The Vella Group on both transactions. The team led negotiations on each offer, project managed the due diligence workstreams and provided commercial input throughout the legal negotiations, helping The Vella Group to secure the best possible outcome on both deals.

The transactions mark the latest stage in FRP Corporate Finance’s ongoing relationship with The Vella Group, having previously advised the management team on its private equity-backed buyout and supported the business in securing an acquisition finance and growth package to fund its expansion strategy.

Thomas Edwards, Partner at FRP Corporate Finance, said: “The acquisitions of UK Carbody and GB Flint Coachworks represent another important step in The Vella Group’s exciting growth journey. By strengthening its national presence, the Group continues to build a leading platform in the UK accident repair sector.

“Reaching 20 sites is a significant milestone for Marc and the team, and reflects the appetite in the market for well-run consolidators with a clear strategy. We’ve now advised The Vella Group across multiple transactions from our Cardiff base, and we look forward to supporting the next phase of its buy-and-build strategy.”

Marc Holding, Chief Executive Officer at The Vella Group, added: “Both UK Carbody and GB Flint Coachworks are great businesses with strong reputations and experienced teams, and their addition strengthens our presence in two important regions as we continue to grow across the UK.

“Thomas and the team at FRP Corporate Finance understand our business and ambitions well, and their support throughout the process has been invaluable.”