Europe's 2nd Largest Airports Group Acquires Business From Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur of the Year
By Masternaut Three X, PRNEMonday, November 30, 2009
LEEDS, England, December 1 - Masternaut UK Ltd (known as Masternaut Three X) the vehicle tracking and
mobile application specialist and one of the UK's fastest growing technology
businesses has been acquired by Masternaut International, a subsidiary of Hub
Telecom owned by Europe's second largest Airport group, Aéroports de Paris.
The purchase of the UK business creates the Europe's largest fully integrated
telematics, mobile resource and fleet management solutions organisation.
Martin Port who founded the UK business in 2002 grew the enterprise from
a three person startup to one of Britain's fastest growing businesses. He was
the 2008 Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur of the Year and the business
has been ranked in the Tech Track 100 league table for the last three
consecutive years in addition to a 2009 place in the Deloitte Technology Fast
500 EMEA. This is all thanks to an annual growth rate that exceeds 60 per
cent. Martin Port recently made the headlines having been chosen as one of
Dell's 'Heroes', a global advertising campaign that features successful
entrepreneurs. Martin Port will remain at Masternaut Three X in his position
as Managing Director.
Masternaut Three X employs 150 people across 4 sites in the UK and
Ireland including Leeds, Skipton, Hull and Belfast with an international
office in Sydney, Australia. The company specialises in vehicle and asset
tracking technologies that help companies manage their assets more
efficiently and reduce Carbon emissions. One of its clients United Biscuits
managed to cut out three million unnecessary road miles using the system.
Other famous clients include Harrods, Nestle, Indesit, DHL, PHS, fellow
entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne and Dragon's Den Winners Igloo Thermologistics.
The company who is fast approaching 3000 customers in the UK made revenues of
c.GBP 22m in 08/09 and saw profits of over GBP 2m EBITDA in the same period.
Masternaut Three X also made a number of acquisitions of its own over the
last three years including the acquisition of Three X mobile solutions from
GE in 2006. In 2008 the firm acquired internet service provider Fibre City
and Microsoft Gold Partner ICM Business Solutions. Masternaut Three X owns a
minority stake in Masternaut Australia and also in Sanef Tolling in the UK
which was set up in 2008 to conduct road user charging trials for the
Department for Transport.
"This is a fantastic milestone for the business. It's testament to the
passion, devotion and commitment of our talented teams of people. We've
delivered on our promises time after time for clients, and this has fuelled
the growth of the business. This deal creates the largest fleet tracking
company in Europe, backed by the experience and resources of Europe's 2nd
largest airport operator whose annual revenues exceed 2.5 billion Euros. For
the future it enables Masternaut International to accelerate its
international growth and also enables us to better serve international
clients," said Martin Port.
"The acquisition of Masternaut Three X in the UK is a fantastic
opportunity for Masternaut International and for Hub Telecom, its controlling
shareholder," said Frederic Dupeyron, the Deputy Chairman of Masternaut
International who will also become the Chairman of the Board of Masternaut
Three X." Together we will share access to a vast pool of human resources,
technological and managerial expertise, all backed by a large company listed
on Euronext Paris. The new entity will benefit from the financial strength,
reputation and international presence of Aéroports de Paris. In addition we
will reap the benefit of reduced time to market for the next generation of
mobility solutions plus the UK's Three X Business Workflow Application
Software will complement Masternaut's business throughout Europe."
Advisors to Masternaut Three X and its shareholders include corporate
finance specialists Deloitte and Mazars, and solicitors were Fladgate and
Brooke North. Advisors to Masternaut International were Lorentz Deschamps and
Associates, PwC Transaction Services and Bredin Prat.
Web:www.masternaut.co.uk
Martin Port at Masternaut UK +44(0)113-281-4000 Email: media at masternaut.co.uk
Tags: England, Leeds, Masternaut Three X, United Kingdom