Forward Corporate Finance

28 February 2026

Forward advises FIH group plc on the sale of Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company

Forward Corporate Finance is delighted to have advised Bishop’s Stortford headquartered, AIM listed, FIH group plc on the sale of The Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company Limited and its subsidiaries (“PHFC”) to TC Gosport Bidco Limited (“Gosport Bidco”). The ultimate UK parent company of Gosport Bidco is TC UK Topco Limited, the indirect majority owner of Uber Boat by Thames Clippers (“UBTC”), which is the principal trading name of Collins River Enterprises Limited. PHFC operates the ferry service between the Gosport and Portsmouth sides of Portsmouth Harbour, a 525 metre trip, taking about 4 minutes.  The alternative trip by car is a 14 mile trip around Portsmouth Harbour, making the Ferry not only quicker, but more environmentally friendly. The Ferry operates throughout the year, every 15 minutes, and carries around 2 million passengers a year. UBTC is an established operator of riverbus services in Central London.

22 January 2026

Acquisition of Braintree Electro Platers by Maycast-Nokes Precision Engineering Ltd

Maycast-Nokes Precision Engineering Ltd has acquired Braintree Electro Platers, a UK-based metal finishing business. The transaction enhances Maycast-Nokes’ manufacturing offering by adding in-house surface finishing capability and supports its strategy to provide customers with an end-to-end service across casting, machining and finishing. Forward Corporate Finance advised Maycast-Nokes on the transaction, with Barclays UK Corporate Bank providing acquisition funding, HCR Law providing legal advice and TC Group providing tax advice.

2 December 2025

Forward Advises Landguard Engineering on Sale to Northern Industries Group

Forward Corporate Finance is delighted to have advised Peter Wilson and Hannah March on their sale of Landguard Engineering Limited (“Landguard”), a specialist steel fabrication business based in Harwich, to Northern Industries Group , one of the UK’s fastest growing steel engineering groups. The Forward team, led by Rob Dukelow-Smith and Ollie Geddes-Smith, acted as lead advisors to Landguard throughout the process, from the initial meeting and pre-marketing preparation, to finding the right buyer and negotiation stages and on through due diligence to completion.

1 December 2025

Forward advises Charis Shareholders on Sale to Chiltern Capital

Forward Corporate Finance is delighted to have advised the family shareholders of Peterborough-based, Charis Grants (“Charis”) on the sale of the business to Chiltern Capital (“Chiltern”). Charis is a market-leader in the distribution of financial support, products, and services to vulnerable households and community projects on behalf of private sector, public sector, and not-for-profit organisations.

1 November 2025

Network Plus Acquires Claret Civil

Forward Corporate Finance is delighted to have advised Andy Gibbons, Managing Director and sole shareholder of Claret Civil Engineering (“Claret”), a specialist water and infrastructure services business based in Suffolk, on the sale of the company to Network Plus, one of the UK’s leading utility and infrastructure service providers. Established in 1994 and headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, Claret brings over 30 years of experience delivering turnkey solutions across the water, wastewater, and wider infrastructure sectors. The business has built a strong reputation for network maintenance and enhancement activities, ranging from specialist jetting, lining, and CCTV services through to larger-scale network improvement schemes. Operating within several highly collaborative Tier 1 frameworks, Claret has developed long-standing relationships with major water companies and leading contractors.