Monday 26th September 2022, 5.00pm – 9.00pm
Programme
5.00 pm Company presentation by The Property Franchise Group
5.30 pm Karin Schulte presents investing educational content
5.45 pm Company presentation by DSW Capital
6.25 pm Steve Clapham is Behind the Balance Sheet
6.45 pm Company presentation by RBG
7.15 pm Company presentation by Plant Health Care
7.55 pm Mello BASH with Kevin Taylor and Mark Simpson
Company Presentation – DSW Capital
DSW Capital, owner of the Dow Schofield Watts brand, is a profitable, fast growing, mid-market, challenger professional services network with a cash generative business model and scalable platform for growth. Originally established in 2002, by three KPMG alumni, DSW is one of the first platform models disrupting the traditional model of accounting professional services firms. DSW now operates licensing arrangements with 20 licensee businesses with 88 fee earners (“FEs”), across seven offices in England and three in Scotland. These trade primarily under the Dow Schofield Watts brand.
DSW’s vision is for the DSW Network to become the most sought-after destination for ambitious, entrepreneurial professionals to start and develop their own businesses. Through a licensing model, DSW gives professionals the autonomy and flexibility to fulfil their potential. Being part of the DSW Network brings support benefits in recruitment, funding and infrastructure. DSW’s challenger model attracts experienced, senior professionals, predominantly with a “Big 4” accounting firm background, who want to launch their own businesses and recognise the value of the Dow Schofield Watts brand and the synergies which come from being part of the DSW Network.
DSW aims to scale its agile model through organic growth, geographical expansion, additional service lines and investing in “Break Outs” (existing teams in larger firms). The Directors are targeting high margin, complementary, niche service lines with a strong synergistic fit with the existing DSW Network.
James Dow, CEO
James established Dow Schofield Watts LLP in 2002. James is qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and Cost and Management Accountant.
James joined KPMG in 1983 and after qualifying focussed on corporate finance becoming a partner at 33. After approximately 8 years as a partner leading Corporate Finance in the North West, James left to found Dow Schofield Watts LLP.
In 2019, James was nominated for the Northwest Insider Top Dealmakers of the last 25 years and is the author of six books focussed on private equity, corporate finance and deal structuring.
James is also a non-executive director of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.
Nicola Burstow, CFO
Nicole joined Dow Schofield Watts LLP as Group Finance Director in April 2019.
Nicole previously spent 15 years with Deloitte in Manchester. As a Director, she was responsible for leading the audits of some of the region’s largest and most complex international businesses, more recently focusing on listed businesses.
She also played a significant role in growing the Northwest practice by recruiting and developing talent and expanding the local client base.
Alongside her CFO responsibilities, Nicole leads the recruitment, roll out and integration of new licensees as well as relationship management of the existing portfolio.
Company Presentation – Plant Health Care (PHC)
Plant Health Care offers products to improve the health, vigour and yield of major field crops such as corn, soybeans, potatoes and rice, as well as specialty crops such as fruits and vegetables. Plant Health Care is at the heart of the movement towards sustainable food production and was awarded the London Stock Exchange’s Green Economy Mark in June 2021.
The Group operate globally through subsidiaries, distributors and supply agreements with major industry partners. Its innovative, patent-protected biological products help growers to protect their crops from stress and diseases, and to produce higher quality fruit and vegetables, with a favourable environmental profile.
Plant Health Care’s core patented products act as “vaccines for plants”, making plants healthier, better able to resist disease and stress, thereby improving crop yield and quality. Plant Health Care’s Commercial business is driven by sales of Harpin αß, a recombinant protein which acts as a powerful biostimulant, promoting the yield and quality of crops. The Group sells Harpin αß through specialist distributors around the world. Sales of the Group’s Harpin product increased by 55% in 2021, as market shares grew in core markets; the Commercial business is profitable and cash generative.
Plant Health Care’s PREtec (Plant Response Elicitor Technology) platforms are generating numerous promising products. The Group is currently focusing on three products targeting very large market opportunities with a value of more than $5 billion. These products are currently under evaluation with six potential commercial partners.
The Group also continues to evaluate further candidate products from its robust pipeline of development candidates for additional crops and indications. The pipeline is poised to launch one new PREtec product each year going forward. The first PREtec product, Saori TM, was launched in Brazil in 2021, through its partner Nutrien, generating a very positive response from growers.
Jeff Hovey, CFO
Jeff has over 25 years’ financial management experience and is a CPA with IFRS and US GAAP experience.
He joined Plant Health Care as Chief Financial Officer in September 2013 and became an Executive member of the Board of Directors in November 2019.
Jeff has held numerous senior financial and accounting roles in private and publicly listed retail, life sciences and technology companies. While with a regional office supply company, he led the accounting and financial due diligence effort which ultimately led to the sale of the company to an international office supply company.
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business.
Jeff Tweedy, CEO
Jeff has over 30 years of technical, product development, sales management, and executive leadership experience.
He joined Plant Health Care in October 2017 as Commercial Head for the America’s. He was then appointed Chief Operating Officer and Executive member of the Board of Directors in November 2019.
Progressively taking on more responsibilities – to the point of managing most of the day-to-day operations of the Company – the Board unanimously agreed to appoint Jeff as Chief Executive Officer in June 2022.
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Company Presentation – The Property Franchise Group PLC
The Property Franchise Group PLC (AIM: TPFG) is the largest property franchisor in the UK and manages the second largest estate agency network and portfolio of lettings properties in the UK. The Company was founded in 1986 and has since grown to a diverse portfolio of nine brands operating throughout the UK, comprising longstanding high-street focused brands and a hybrid, no sale no fee agency. The Property Franchise Group’s brands are Martin & Co, EweMove, Hunters, CJ Hole, Ellis & Co, Parkers, Whitegates, Mullucks & Country Properties. Headquartered in Bournemouth, UK, the Company was listed on AIM on the London Stock Exchange in 2013.
Gareth Samples, CEO
With 30 years’ industry experience, Gareth brings a wealth of Estate Agency, Financial Services and digital marketing knowledge to the Group.
In his 21 year career at LSL Gareth was appointed Managing Director of the Your Move brand, which was the largest single brand estate agency in the UK at the time. In this role he was responsible for Your Move’s franchise operation as well as having overall control of Financial Services and Lettings and the strategy of the brand.
Following his successful career at LSL, Gareth became Managing Director of Briefyourmarket.com where he gained significant digital marketing experience and knowledge and since 2014 he has served as Chairman of Legalforlandlords. Gareth formally joined the Group as CEO on 30 April 2020.
David Raggett, CFO
Since qualifying with PwC as a Charted Accountant David has spent his whole working life in franchising as franchisor and franchisee. Initially David held financial responsibility for several Ford franchises before, in the mid 90s, moving to Porsche’s UK headquarters. Here he held financial responsibility for its distribution, retails and financial services businesses at various times, as well as being their company secretary and, for several years, Head of Legal.
In 2007 David took up the role Finance Director for the Motability Scooter and Powered Wheelchair Scheme to restore its financial stability, to improve its offering and to expand its customer base. After successfully turning the scheme around and leading it into new ownership, David joined the Group in February 2013.
Company Presentation – RBG Holdings plc
RBG Holdings plc is a professional services group, which comprises the following divisions:
RBG Legal Services Limited (“RBGLS”)
RBGLS is the Group’s legal services division which combines the businesses previously operated by Rosenblatt Limited and Memery Crystal LLP
Rosenblatt
Rosenblatt is one of the UK’s pioneering legal practices and a leader in dispute resolution. Rosenblatt provides a range of legal services to its diversified client base, which includes companies, banks, entrepreneurs and individuals. Complementing this is Rosenblatt’s increasingly international footprint, advising on complex cross-jurisdictional disputes.
Memery Crystal
Memery Crystal offers legal services in a range of areas such as corporate (including a market-leading corporate finance offering), real estate, commercial, IP & technology (CIPT), banking & finance, tax & wealth structuring and employment. Memery Crystal is one of the leading legal practices in the UK to advise the emerging cannabis sector on a wide range of business issues. Memery Crystal offers a partner-led service to a broad range of clients, from multinational companies, financial institutions and owner-managed businesses to individual entrepreneurs.
LionFish Litigation Finance Limited
The Group also provides litigation finance in selected cases through a separate arm, LionFish Litigation Finance Limited. LionFish finances litigation matters being run by other solicitors in return for a significant return on the outcome of those cases. As such, the Company has two types of litigation assets – Rosenblatt’s own client matters, and litigation matters run by third-party solicitors. LionFish is positioned to be a unique, alternative provider to the traditional litigation funders.
Convex Capital Limited
Convex Capital is a specialist sell-side corporate finance boutique based in Manchester. Convex Capital is entirely focused on helping companies, particularly owner-managed and entrepreneurial businesses, realise their value through sales to large corporates. Convex Capital identifies and proactively targets firms that it believes represent attractive acquisition opportunities.
Nicky Foulston took over the commercial management of Rosenblatt in September 2016. She had been a client of the Firm for nearly 30 years. Nicky’s background was the acquisition, in 1992, of the Brands Hatch Circuit Group and the subsequent stock market listing in 1996. Brands Hatch was acquired three years later by Interpublic, returning IPO investors a 6-7x return on their money.
Robert Parker has more than two decades of experience in scaling high-growth, multi-cultural, international companies in a variety of industries. These include business services, technology, digital media and telecoms. His recent roles include interim CFO at Tantalum Corp and CLA Limited, and permanent positions at Ubisense plc and Immedia Broadcasting plc. Robert has worked extensively with public funds, private equity, and venture capital investors to build businesses.
Steve Clapham is Behind the Balance Sheet
Stephen Clapham of investment research and training consultancy Behind the Balance Sheet will be here again with another instalment of his accounting red flags and investing tips series. In accounting red flags he will talk about comparing operating cash flow to earnings, and give some tips on adjustments to ensure you are comparing like with like. In the investing tips series, he will explain why supply is often a much better indicator to use than demand when evaluating the outlook for industry pricing.
Karin Schulte introduces Investing Basics Educational content
Karin is a renowned private investor and highly regarded educationalist. During our Mello show, Karin will introduce the Investing Basics Educational content and showcase how beneficial the material is to investors.
The Mello BASH (Buy, Avoid, Sell & Hold)
Kevin Taylor Private Investor
Mark Simpson Private Investor
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