Portsmouth entrepreneur achieves 10th takeover in just two years

Andy grew up in Portsmouth and started out working the door on nightclubs in Southsea at the age of 18 before buying three guest houses, eight hotels on the south coast and developing more than 250 homes and owning 12 companies.

Andy, an avid Portsmouth FC fan, is founder and chairman of private investment company REL Capital in London, and leisure property developer Apscott. 

He recently bought national haulage firm Bison Transport Group. It is the latest in a list of takeovers which includes London-based Contraband Events '“ one of UK's largest entertainment agencies '“ a group of London pubs including The Chelsea Lodge and The Chelsea Pig, and a portfolio of leisure and construction recruitment businesses based out of London, Ipswich and Manchester.

Andy, 39, said: '˜Bison, my third transport business, is a national haulier with customers including Ikea, Maritime and Amazon to name just a few.

'˜This is a really exciting project. The business has only been going for four years and is already turning over £12m and has a fleet of 50 trucks.

'˜Our aim is to double turnover to £25m and build up the fleet to 100 trucks over the next couple of years, with regional bases in Peterborough and Tilbury Docks.' 

Andy, who splits his time between his home in London and house in the South of France, says his success has come from investing in people '“ and making them part of the companies he owns. 

He said: '˜They have a share of the business and that way they are not clock watching, they are invested in the company too.' 

Helen Wong, partner at law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, who led the team providing legal support on the deals, said: '˜In just two years Andy has built a sizeable portfolio of complementary businesses, creating good synergies and centralised systems.

'˜He is a true entrepreneur, and I hugely respect his commercial acumen to turn around and maximise profitability in the target companies he acquires. We wish him much continued success and prosperity.' 

Andy specialises in buying distressed, turnaround and high-growth businesses in the leisure, recruitment and transport sectors, and leads four management teams out of his 50-strong London head office.

He has also created a long-term trading investment portfolio REL Capital, which he runs alongside his real estate development business.