Webhelp bought Scotland’s largest call center operator from Indian business process outsourcing owner Hero Management Service Ltd. Webhelp, a portfolio company of Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP, has snapped up the deal for approximately $120 million.
Falkirk based Telecom Service Center was first bought by Hero Group in 2007. Hero Management Service Ltd., initially paid over $60 million for it and the company was renamed HEROtsc. Having bought it, France based Webhelp plans to change its name to Webhelp tsc and aims to use it as a launching pad into the UK.
Hero Group has decided to divest its businesses that do not relate to its core business and has decided to focus on its domestic business of building motorcycles.
Webhelp is located in Paris, France and operates 24 contact centers spread in North Africa and continental Europe. It employs about 10,500 people and has an annual revenue earning of approximately $293 million. Webhelp’s acquisition of HEROtsc will expectedly raise the annual revenue earning to about 350 million Euros. The plan includes hiring 6,000 employees based in England and Scotland.
Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP is currently busy trying to offload Elior SCA from its portfolio. Elior SCA is Charterhouse’s French institutional catering and services group. It was bought in 2006 for 2.5 billion Euros. Currently, Charterhouse plans to sell it at a much higher price. It is estimated that Charterhouse expects the sale of its catering unit to bring in at least two billion Euros. The whole company is now worth a lot more. A consortium consisting of BC Partners Ltd and CVC Capital Partners is interested in Elior SCA and is preparing a bid for 3.5 billion Euros including debt.
Ista International GmbH, a German metering services operation which was bought by Charterhouse in 2007 for 2.4 billion Euros, is also in the news. Charterhouse is planning to sell its share in Ista.
Nocibe France Distribution SAS, the French perfume retailer is up for sale too. Charterhouse spent 490 million Euros in 2005 to acquire it. Its investors want the firm to pull in some strong exit as returns before it gathers momentum for raising a new fund.