Tue, 27 Jan 2026 | BUSINESS SALE
Leeds-headquartered financial compliance specialist Product Partnerships Limited (PPL) has expanded with the acquisition of a majority stake in fellow Leeds firm Think Compliance. The acquisition adds more than 200 clients to PPL, while strengthening the group’s capabilities across regulated sectors.
The deal is a strategic acquisition aimed at broadening PPL’s client base and sector expertise and is described as supporting the group’s wider growth strategy, combining M&A, organic expansion and strategic partnerships.
The acquisition of Think Compliance comes less than a year after PPL completed a management buyout (MBO), supported by a £10 million funding round from Arete Capital, TDC and Seneca.
Since the MBO, PPL has quadrupled its client base and agreed partnerships including a recent agreement with Stanley Black & Decker Group business Mac Tools. The company has said that it is exploring further deals as it looks to consolidate in the UK’s fragmented compliance sector.
PPL was founded in Shipley 11 years ago and has since seen strong growth, particularly in the past year. Between November 2024 and October 2025, the company oversaw in excess of £350 million in credit transactions and now works with a number of major global brands, including Aston Martin, Hyundai, JD Sports and Scottish Power.
Phillip Garlick, CEO of PPL, commented: "We are building a national leader in outsourced compliance and the last 12 months have demonstrated the scale of the opportunity ahead of us. Our growth has been driven by a combination of organic momentum, strategic partnerships and targeted acquisitions, all underpinned by the quality of our people and platform.”
"The acquisition of Think Compliance strengthens our capability, while partnerships such as Mac Tools show how our model can scale across different sectors."
Think Compliance was advised on the deal by Schofield Sweeney. Ben Stephens, solicitor in Schofield Sweeney’s corporate team, said that the partial buyout structure, which enabled Think Compliance to retain a 20 per cent stake, meant that the deal was “a complex transaction”.
Peter Cowgill, newly-appointed Non-Executive Director at PPL, said: "PPL is operating in a market that is ripe for consolidation and has a clear opportunity to become the partner of choice for businesses that want to grow responsibly. The quality of the clients already working with the business is impressive and reflects the depth of expertise and service PPL provides."
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