Concept Group bought by private equity fund Elaghmore

Concept Group has been acquired by UK private equity fund Elaghmore and will become part of Hexcite Group, which Elaghmore created in 2019.

Birmingham-based Concept provides traditional, bespoke and digital signage, including large-format LED solutions for some of the world’s largest Out of Home advertising companies such as Global, Open Media, and JCDecaux. The company has also sought to grow its indoor LED solutions business in recent years, through a partnership with Exertis, announced just as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic began to be felt in early 2020.

Hexcite Group provides specialist signage design, manufacturing, installation and aftercare services. The group includes Blaze Signs, which has major manufacturing sites in Broadstairs and Birmingham, and has provided signage for Vision Express, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Hexcite also includes Cygnia Maintenance, which is the UK’s largest provider of sign maintenance and repairs, and image-protection services.

Concept will continue to be run by managing director Sean Morrough and director Dave Neale and its 18 staff will become part of Hexcite Group.

The acquisition of Concept boosts Hexcite Group’s annual turnover to about £35m with a customer base of more than 250 retailers, financial institutions, facilities management companies and internationally recognised brands.

Hexcite Group chief executive Wes Mulligan said: “The digital out of home advertising market has great growth opportunities, and Concept is well placed to be a key player. Working closely with Blaze Signs adds substantial technical and manufacturing expertise to Concept, and our Cygnia maintenance business can help Concept accelerate its digital signage maintenance capability. Concept’s offer will be of great interest to Blaze’s customer base, which will now have the option to go to one place for their traditional internal and external signage work, as well as their digital signage requirements. We expect Concept to reinforce its position as one of the leading full turnkey system integrators in its sector.”

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