Rugby Group is to sell its joinery operations in the UK and Australia to Jeld-Wen of the US for £86m and the proceeds will be used to reduce debt and expand its cement business... [more]

Le Riche the Channel Islands-based retail group has sold its car dealership operations to Five Oaks Garage for £10m... [more]

Vodafone AirTouch is to acquire CommNet Cellular the US mobile phone operator for £493m in order to gain 360000 customers in nine states... [more]

Lilleshall has sold its plastic housewares business to Crystalware for £1.2m as part of a strategy to focus on industrial services... [more]

Seven Group the Leeds-based design and advertising agency is to merge with local rival CWG... [more]

Riverside Engineering Services the Dundee-based pipework and general fabrication company has been acquired by a management team for undisclosed terms... [more]

CrestaCare the nursing homes and healthcare group is returning to private ownership in a £70m deal backed by venture capitalist Alchemy Partners... [more]

Finelist is selling its Maccess car parts retailing business to Barclays Private Equity for £68m to reduce debt... [more]

PowerGen is increasing its stake in Gujarat Torrent the Indian electricity company from 28% to 74% for £159m... [more]

Cookson is acquiring Plaskon Electronic Materials the supplier of plastics to the semiconductor industry from BP Amoco for £78m... [more]

Booker has sold its Marine Harvest McConnell salmon farming business to Nutreco of the Netherlands for £33m and is now looking to sell its Booker Tate and Fletcher Smith sugar-related subsidiaries... [more]

Sears has sold the Adam's children's wear chain of 325 shops to management for £87m... [more]

Allied Domecq is expected to sell its 3500 pubs to Punch Taverns as Whitbread has pulled out of negotiations following the referral of its bid to the Competition Commission... [more]

Plasmon is acquiring Cygnet Storage Solutions of the US for £2.3m in order to expand its storage disk range... [more]

WS Atkins has acquired Richard Long Associates the water industry consultancy... [more]

Meek Group the Bristol-based plant hirer has undergone a £21m management buy-in with the backing of 3i and Barclays Bank... [more]

Clugston Construction has acquired GL Quine the Doncaster-based civil engineer for undisclosed terms... [more]

Punch Taverns is to acquire Inn Business for £69m as part of a strategy to become a leading pub operator... [more]

Anglian Water is acquiring the Czech water company Severomoravske Vodovody for £50m and is expected to follow this up with similar deals in other eastern European countries... [more]

Adare Printing is acquiring Kall Kwik the franchised printing company for £10m... [more]