Price Bailey advises on the sale of Chester Hall Precision Engineering to Belrise Industries

Overview

Price Bailey’s Corporate Finance Team has advised the shareholders of Chester Hall Precision Engineering Holdings Limited (“Chester Hall”) on the successful sale of the business to Belrise Industries Limited (“Belrise”), a leading automotive component company providing technology led solutions based in Pune, India and listed entity on the National Stock Exchange of India.

Our role in the transaction

Price Bailey acted as lead corporate finance adviser to the shareholders of Chester Hall throughout the transaction. Our role included preparation of the business for sale, marketing the opportunity, group restructuring, managing discussions and negotiations, and supporting the shareholders through to completion, with support continuing post completion. Price Bailey also provided Tax advice to the shareholders.

About Chester Hall

Chester Hall is a United Kingdom-based precision engineering group serving the aerospace, aviation, space, and defence industries. Through its operating subsidiary, the company specialises in the design, development and manufacture of high-precision engineered components and assemblies used in mission-critical applications — serving OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers across global aerospace programmes.

Founded in 1974 by Brian & Carole Brown, later joined by Dean Halsey, Phil Brown and Sarah Hoyle, Chester Hall has built a strong reputation for providing high end precision engineering solutions and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction and long‑standing relationships with key partners within the aerospace, aviation, space and defence sectors for more than five decades. This has underpinned the steady growth and robust margins over that sustained period.

About the transaction

The shareholders were seeking a successor that aligned with Chester Hall’s culture, values and commitment to employees and customers engrained into their family run business. The shareholders have also provided a platform for Belrise to expand into Europe and commence the next phase of growth.

As part of the transaction, Dean Halsey and Phil Brown will continue with the business temporarily alongside Belrise for 18 months allowing for a successful handover and internal succession plan to be implemented, ensuring continuity for customers, employees and suppliers.

The transaction represents another successful sale in the industrial and engineering services sector and demonstrates Price Bailey’s experience in advising owner‑managed businesses on achieving the right outcome with the right long‑term partner.

Recently, we completed the sale of our business, a venture we had nurtured and grown for over 50 years. As you can imagine, this was a monumental decision, and frankly, a daunting process for all of us shareholders. We needed guidance, and we needed it from a team we could trust implicitly. That’s where Phil, Steven, and the entire Price Bailey Strategy & Corporate Finance team and Rich and the Price Bailey Tax team stepped in and exceeded all expectations.

From our very first meeting, it was clear that you weren’t just interested in closing a deal; you were invested in understanding our objectives, our concerns, and our vision for the future. You took the time to truly listen, and that understanding formed the bedrock of a strategy that was both pragmatic and highly effective. Throughout the entire process, your clarity, professionalism, and unwavering support were invaluable.

What truly set you and the team apart was your commitment. Selling a business is rarely a 9-to-5 affair, and you consistently went above and beyond, making yourselves available whenever we needed you, even during evenings and weekends. That level of dedication not only eased the inherent pressure of the sale but also instilled in us a profound sense of confidence.

Your deep understanding of the transaction process, coupled with your meticulous attention to detail and ability to manage both the commercial and technical aspects of the deal, proved crucial, especially during the challenging negotiations and the intricate stages of completion. In a tough market, your persistence and strategic thinking were instrumental in achieving a successful outcome. We always felt that our interests were being strongly and effectively represented.

The communication was consistently clear, timely, and balanced. This transparency allowed us to make informed decisions every step of the way.

Ultimately, we are extremely pleased with the outcome achieved. I can say without hesitation that we would not have reached this point without the expertise, dedication, and unwavering support of Phil, Rich, Steven, and the entire Price Bailey team.

Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend Phil, Steven, and Price Bailey to any business owner considering the sale of their business. You provide not just a service, but a true partnership, guiding your clients through a complex process with expertise, integrity, and a genuine commitment to achieving the best possible outcome.

Brian Brown, Carole Brown, Dean Halsey, Phil Brown and Sarah Hoyle – Sellers of Chester Hall Precision Engineering Holdings Limited

Throughout the transaction, the Price Bailey team lead by Phil and Steven demonstrated a high level of professionalism, responsiveness and commercial acumen. Their support to the seller was clear, well‑structured and pragmatic, which was particularly valuable given the cross‑border nature of the deal.

Overall, their approach contributed positively to a smooth transaction process and gave us confidence in both the quality of the business and the integrity of the process. We would not hesitate to work with them again on future transactions.

Sumedh Badve – Belrise Industries Limited

We always recommend that you seek advice from a suitably qualified adviser before taking any action. The information in this article only serves as a guide and no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of this material can be accepted by the authors or the firm.