Who Is Looking?

Who has not seen one of these iconic Stobart trucks on our roads? I do not know what appeals to people about Stobart trucks. The green and red colours, the frequency with which they are seen? What sets them apart from other road haulage vehicles?

Wincanton Are Looking

Stobart has been experiencing some problems and this has attracted attention from other companies including DBAY and now Wincanton. Wincanton are looking at the merits of combining the respective businesses.

No offer has yet been made but Wincanton is carrying out ‘due diligence’. This is the process of pre purchase enquiries to assess the value of assets and any liabilities. Stobart had an operating profit that was overstated in 2018 by some 2 million pounds.

What Else Will Be Looked At?

A number of acquisitions and business purchases have already collapsed where it has been found GDPR issues around privacy compliance could cause potential problems. There is no indication that this is the case here but no doubt GDPR compliance will be examined as part of any purchase process.

Marriot hotels has already found to their great cost that incomplete due diligence enquiries can be very costly and can impact the true value of a business. A GDPR breach was discovered after they acquired Starwood hotels group. The proposed fine by the ICO in the Marriot case was £99 million pounds.