Founded in 1981, R&W is a Southampton-headquartered civil engineering firm of 122 employees that boasts specialist expertise in the highways sector. Its sale to Octavius is intended to begin the group’s “next growth phase” by greatly increasing the group’s capability in the highways sector, with Octavius continuing to seek further “complementary areas” to expand into via M&A deals.
Octavius is a Tier One supplier to key public bodies, local authorities and commercial customers, including the likes of Network Rail, National Highways and Transport for London. Once part of the Geoffrey Osborne Group, it was acquired in 2021 by Sullivan Street Partners, a leading buyout firm that focuses on complex situations in the lower mid-market. Octavius and Sullivan Street retained Debrett’s Private Finance to help identify further opportunities to support their growth ambitions, and the firm will continue to do so post-deal.
Debrett’s advised Octavius with a team led by director Max Gimson, with support from principal Gabriella Eeles and analyst Seb Rowlands.
