One year after landing in the country, mergers and acquisitions advisory Marktlink has announced plans for a second office in the UK. The firm’s current UK base is located in Manchester.
Since 1996, Marktlink has specialised in M&A consulting for small and mid-tier enterprises around the world. The firm currently counts on an international team of over 180 M&A specialists, and facilitates companies with transactions valued between €5 million and €250 million.
Recent years have seen the global M&A market enter a period of frenzied activity. While the number of deals in 2022 declined from a record-breaking 2021, they remained higher than before the pandemic – and as firms look to use deals to improve their potential to deal with a global recession, demand looks set to bounce back in the coming 12 months.
To that end, Marktlink is looking to capitalise on heightened demand for M&A advisory services, by continuing its expansion across Western Europe. Already active in Scandinavia, Germany, and Britain, recently this saw it open a new office in Hamburg; the tenth office in its network, aimed at further accelerating growth in Germany and beyond. Now, the firm is preparing to replicate its success on the continent’s mainland in the UK, by building a network of regional offices.
In 2022, this saw the company launch its UK headquarters in Manchester. But in the coming months, it will roll out a second locale, enabling the business to service more entrepreneurs with support from advisers based in their area, equipped with detailed local knowledge and networks.
Jonathon Parkinson, Managing Partner at Marktlink, said, “Our aim is to have one additional office operating in the second half of the year with others to follow. Having offices across Europe enables us to build personal relationships and support entrepreneurs in a number of countries to navigate the M&A market.”
According to Parkinson, Marktlink just enjoyed its most successful year to date, with a record 150 transactions and a new high of 185 employees. As a long-term target, the business now aims to reach the milestone of 250 employees. Adding new hubs in the UK will help build on that momentum – both in terms of accessing work, and key talent in the coming period.
Fredrik Jonker, Partner at Marktlink, added, “It is now more important than ever to have an M&A advisor with eyes and ears on the ground… We need to speak the language of local business owners in order to best serve them in this international landscape. With our network of 10 offices combined with our local presence, we are always responsive to local entrepreneurs with international ambitions.”
