Total confidentiality
Your staff, customers and competitors won't hear about a conversation unless and until you decide they should.
Business Acquisition & Investment
Your life's work,in safe hands.
Harbour One Group acquires established UK businesses from owners who are retiring or ready to sell, and owns them for the long term, protecting the team, the customers and the reputation you spent years building.
Confidential from the first call
No obligation, no pressure
Long-term owners, not flippers
UK-wide
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The question every owner asks
Selling isn't really about the price. It's about knowing that the people, the customers and the reputation you built will be looked after properly when you step back.
We buy to hold.No quick restructure, no break-up, no plan to sell on in two years.
We protect what works.Your team, culture and customer relationships are the reason the business is worth owning.
We add strength behind it.Group-level finance, HR, IT and growth support, without losing what makes it yours.
The Safe Hands Charter
Five promises we make before we ever talk numbers.
Every owner who speaks to us gets these commitments from the very first conversation, and we're happy to put them in writing.
Your team is the asset
We acquire businesses because of the people in them. Our plans are built around keeping and developing the team, not cutting it.
Clear terms, in writing
A transparent structure with every payment, date and obligation set out plainly. No surprises late in the process.
A handover at your pace
Step back gradually or move on quickly. We agree a transition plan that suits you, your team and your customers.
Investment, not extraction
We put resources into the business (systems, support and growth) so it's stronger in five years than the day we arrived.
Ask us for the Charter in writing at your first meeting. It's yours to keep, whatever you decide.
A different kind of buyer
Not all buyers are equal.
Who you sell to decides what happens to everything you've built. Here's how we compare with the buyers most owners meet.
What matters to you
Harbour One Group
Typical short-term buyer
How long they plan to own it
For the long term. We buy to hold and build
Often 3 to 5 years, then sell on
What happens to your team
Kept, valued and developed
"Synergies" and headcount cuts
Pace of the process
Set around you, never rushed
Driven by their fund or deadline
Support after completion
Group finance, HR, IT and growth resources
Cost-cutting and reporting pressure
How the deal is explained
Plain English, every term in writing
Complex structures, late changes
Our Approach
A considered path, one step at a time.
Every acquisition follows the same disciplined, transparent process, designed to protect the business, its people and its owner. You'll always know where you stand.
STEP 01 / 07
01
Discovery
We identify businesses that fit our investment criteria, or you come to us.
For you: nothing to prepare. Just a conversation.
02
Initial Conversation
An informal, confidential chat to understand you, your business and what you want from the next chapter.
For you: we listen first. No numbers required.
03
Evaluation
We assess financial performance, operations, customers, people, market position and future opportunities.
For you: an NDA protects everything you share.
04
Due Diligence
A detailed, respectful review before any acquisition decision, organised to minimise disruption to your day-to-day.
For you: one clear checklist, one point of contact.
05
Transaction
We agree an appropriate structure for both parties, with every term set out clearly in writing.
For you: time to take your own advice. No pressure.
06
Integration
Where appropriate, the business joins the wider Harbour One Group, keeping the strengths that made it successful.
For you: a handover plan agreed together.
07
Long-Term Growth
We invest in building sustainable value over years, not quarters.
For you: peace of mind that your legacy is in good hands.
60-second fit check
Is your business a fit?
Move the sliders for an instant, private indication. Nothing is sent or stored. It's just for you.
Strong fit
You're exactly who we'd like to talk to.
Your business sits within our core criteria. A short, confidential conversation is the natural next step.
An indication only. Our criteria are guidelines, not absolute rules. Every business is assessed individually.
Our Sectors
A diversified portfolio, by design.
Spreading across complementary sectors makes the group more resilient, and lets us bring practical, relevant experience to every business we own.
Recruitment
Haulage & Logistics
Healthcare
Childcare
Estate Agency
Engineering
IT Solutions
Managed Service Providers
Construction
Land Acquisition
Bakeries
Something else?
Talk to us anyway →These are the sectors where Harbour One acquires and invests; they are not a list of current portfolio companies.
Acquisition Criteria
Looking beyond the balance sheet.
We evaluate the whole business: financial performance, people, customers, reputation, management, operations and long-term potential.
£0k
Turnover from, up to £20m
£0k+
EBITDA, generally
0
Sectors we invest in
0
Clear steps, start to finish
UK-based
Established businesses operating anywhere in the United Kingdom.
£120k to £20m turnover
Annual turnover broadly within this range.
£100k+ EBITDA
Generally, though every opportunity is assessed individually.
Established trading history
Credible, proven underlying operations.
Independent ownership
We particularly welcome owner-managed businesses.
Succession welcomed
Retirement, succession or simply the next chapter.
Leadership
Experienced leadership. Disciplined execution.
A small, focused team, so you deal with decision-makers from the very first call, not a chain of analysts.
S
Sam
Managing Director
Leads Harbour One Group and is responsible for the Group's overall strategic direction, growth and long-term vision.
A
Alan
Acquisition & Mergers Director
Leads acquisition and mergers strategy: opportunity assessment, deal structuring, due diligence and transaction execution.
N
Nicola
Integration Director
Responsible for bringing newly acquired businesses into Harbour One Group smoothly and effectively, focusing on integration across people, processes, systems, operations and reporting.
K
Kim
Finance Director
Oversees the financial management and control of Harbour One Group and its portfolio, covering financial reporting, performance monitoring, budgeting, forecasting and financial controls.
N
Noah
Quality Assurance Director
The future of Harbour One Group. Noah is currently responsible for quality assurance of our childcare businesses and quality testing our food manufacturing businesses.
Owners' questions
The things owners really want to know.
If your question isn't here, ask us directly, in confidence.
Ask a question →No. Every conversation is confidential, and we sign an NDA before anything sensitive is shared. You decide when, how and whether your team is told, and we'll help you plan that moment carefully.
Start with a confidential conversation. We learn about the business and what matters to you, then set out clear written terms and agree a handover at your pace, with your team kept in place.
Harbour One Group buys established UK businesses with roughly £120k to £20m turnover across many sectors, from engineering and logistics to recruitment and IT. We buy to own for the long term, not to sell on.
We acquire businesses because of the people who run them. Our intention is to keep and develop the team, and to give them access to group-level training, systems and career paths they wouldn't have had before.
That's agreed with you. Some owners want a clean handover; others prefer to step back gradually over months. We'll build a transition plan that protects your customers and your team either way.
Every business is different, so we agree a structure that works for both sides, with all payments, dates and obligations set out clearly in writing. We'll always explain the structure in plain English and encourage you to take independent advice.
Yes. Many of our best conversations start years before a sale. Understanding your options early is never wasted, and there's never any obligation.
Every business moves at its own pace. Some conversations move quickly; others take longer to reach the right outcome. We never rush an owner towards a decision.
Start a conversation
Let's talk about what's next.
Whether you're actively exploring a sale or simply want to understand your options, we welcome an initial, no-obligation conversation.
A reply within one working dayFrom a director, not an automated system.
Strictly confidentialYour details are never shared or added to a mailing list.
No obligation, everA conversation is just a conversation.