Novastone Capital Advisors (NCA) has announced that searcher Dean Curran has successfully acquired Garner Osborne Circuits Limited in the UK as part of its Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Program.
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Switzerland, NCA operates a specialised Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) program that facilitates connections between investors and skilled entrepreneurs seeking to identify, acquire, manage, and expand privately held SMEs.
Dean Curran joined the NCA program in late 2022 following over 16 years’ experience as Operations Director and CEO in several family-owned UK technology manufacturing SMEs. Dean’s search fund kicked off in April 2023, with a focus on UK-based electric or electronic engineering SMEs, and on 4th July 2024 he successfully acquired Garner Osborne Circuits Limited, a leading specialist in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer located in Newbury, England.
Garner Osborne has delivered UK market-leading PCBs that include rapid prototyping, small to medium-sized volumes, and large-volume offshore manufacture for over 33 years. With no clear succession plan, the acquisition by Dean Curran provided an exit pathway for founder and former CEO Mike Garner as well as his business partner Nigel Priest. Dean has stepped into the CEO role, with Mike remaining a minority shareholder.
Dean commented, “I am grateful to Mike for trusting me to continue his legacy. I have been hugely impressed by the operational excellence and extremely high-quality PCB products that Garner Osborne manufactures, supplying a diverse range of customer sectors. The business has great potential for growth I’m incredibly excited to be working with the teams at Garner Osborne to help carry the business forward for a bright future.”
NCA’s Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Program played a pivotal role in finalising the transaction, explained Dean. “This deal would have been impossible without NCA’s support, in particular Albert Farreras and Isaac Leyne from NCA’s European M&At eam, and Noora Haapaniemi from NCA’s Legal department. Having a team that I could turn to throughout the process really proved this program is unparalleled in comparison to anything else in the search fund world.”
