Exel has acquired Power Packaging, the US-based contract manufacturer with net assets of £22m.... [more]

Sage has acquired Simultan, the Swiss supplier of accounting and payroll software, for £11m.... [more]

Icon Polymer Group has acquired Silvertown UK, the Burton-upon-Trent-based manufacturer of rubber bearings with 250 staff, for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Astropol has acquired Portwood Colour, the Bury-based PVC powder colouring company, for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Priory poised for £500m sale - Priory Healthcare, the UK-based psychiatric hospital group, could be for sale for up to GBP £500m later this year, according to a report in The Independent. The report c... [more]

Kesa Electricals, the UK listed retail group which owns Darty, BUT and Comet, could be a break-up candidate, industry sources have speculated. One source familiar with the company said: "Keeping the t... [more]

Whitbread denies it is to sell David Lloyd Leisure following reports in the press, Sir John Banham, chairman of Whitbread PLC has made the following statement, according to a stock exchange announceme... [more]

Iceland, the food retailer that forms part of the Big Food Group, is likely to be broken up and sold off to other food retailers by some of the take-private investors, according to a retailing source ... [more]

United Business Media, the UK-listed media group, is believed to have been considering the sale of its stake in Five, the UKtelevision channel. The appointment of David Levin as chief executive is ex... [more]

Johnson Service has acquired the corporate wear business of Dewhirst Group for £22m.... [more]

API Group is planning to sell its API Converted Products division, which includes 250 staff in Saxmundham, Cheltenham and Nelson, to a management buy-in for up to £12m.... [more]

TripleArc has acquired HFS Products, the direct mail company with about 240 staff in Swindon and Cirencester, for an initial £0.6m.... [more]

Computer Software Group has acquired Alveston Holdings, the Bristol-based company that trades as Systems Team, for £4.8m.... [more]

Hanson has acquired Marshalls Clay Products, the clay bricks division of Marshalls with sites in Yorkshire and Lancashire, for £65m.... [more]

Teknor Apex of the US has acquired the engineering thermoplastics compounding business of Chem Polymer, which includes 150 staff at plants in Oldbury, Cinderford and the US, for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Among the Scottish business leaders, Andrew Flanagan at SMG, Bill Allan at Thus, Stuart Ross at Belhaven and David Goode at Scottish Radio Holdings will be under pressure to retain their companies’ in... [more]

American battery group Energizer is preparing a move for SSL International, prompting a likely bidding war for the Durex-to-Dr Scholl sandals group. Energizer is thought to have retained Goldman Sach... [more]

Menzies Hotels, the chain of 14 four-star hotels, has been acquired by Nikko Principal Investments for £120m.... [more]

Gymbox, the operator of a fitness and entertainment club in London, has undergone a £3m management buy-out.... [more]

Kinloch Damph, the supplier to the Scottish salmon farming industry with annual turnover of £7m, has been acquired by Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms.... [more]