McMullen & Sons, one of the oldest family-run pub companies in Britain, is putting its business up for sale for an estimated £200m. Assets include 150 mostly freehold pubs, and other properties in the... [more]

Guardian IT plc has admitted it is in preliminary talks which could see it taken over. Main US rivals Sunguard Data Systems Inc and International Business Machines Corp are seen as the most likely riv... [more]

Freeway Software, the Wigan-based developer of payroll software, has been acquired by IRIS for an estimated £8m... [more]

Barclays is planning to acquire the UK credit cards business of Providian Financial of the US for an estimated £70m, in order to expand its Barclaycard operation... [more]

Formula One's broadcasting and marketing rights have been put up for sale by Leo Kirch, the German media mogul, who aims to break up his debt laden media empire. Advisors are soliciting offers for th... [more]

VIP-Heinke, the Huntingdon-based manufacturer of rubber and plastic seals with 200 staff, has been acquired by a consortium including Close Brothers Private Equity and the management team of Grove Ind... [more]

Jubb has acquired Barclay Stuart Plastics, the Luton-based manufacturer of bottles and caps, and the two businesses will be combined onto its Leicester site... [more]

The Unique Pub Company and the Voyager Pub Group have been put up for sale for an estimated £2bn. Shroder Salomon Smith Barney is contacting potential buyers about the 4,300 pubs... [more]

Simon is to acquire Forthline, the operator of container services between Grangemouth and Rotterdam, from Forth Ports for £0.3m, and the business will be combined with its Seawheel European network... [more]

BFD Group has acquired Crowson's & Sons, the cheese supplier, gaining access to warehouse space in Cheltenham and catering customers in London... [more]

Oystertec is to acquire Europower, the manufacturer of fluid and gas hoses, for GBP 12m, funded by a GBP 10m share placing... [more]

Scottish & Newcastle is to acquire Hartwall, the Finnish beer and soft drinks company, for GBP 1.2bn, gaining a 50% stake in Russia's leading brewer Baltic Beverages Holdings... [more]

Manheim Auctions has acquired Tyne Tees Motor Auctions and will relocate the business to its 15-acre site in Washington... [more]

International Moving Company has acquired T&S Transport of Edinburgh, creating a national network of removals branches with 123 staff, and is now seeking further acquisitions in North London and the n... [more]

Johnston Carmichael has acquired the Aberdeen accountancy practice of HLB Kidsons for undisclosed terms... [more]

, the UK's biggest engineering company, has been forced to relaunch the sale of its £400m flow control business after the troubled US industrial group Tyco pulled out of negotiations. A trade buyer ... [more]

Lawrence is to acquire Ringpress Publishing, the pet books publisher, for up to GBP 3.4m, and the enlarged publishing division may be sold off at a later date in order to focus on animal health care a... [more]

Molins is to acquire Arista Laboratories, the US analytical company with a smoke testing facility in Virginia, for up to GBP 3m... [more]

Viking Industrial Products, the supplier of adhesives, abrasives and packaging materials, has acquired Industrial & Safety Supplies of Leeds, creating a combined group with turnover of more than GBP 3... [more]

Cranesafe, the Guildford-based crane equipment supplier, has been acquired by SMIE of France... [more]