Catalyst advisers act on two major deals

BUSINESS advisory firm Catalyst Corporate Finance has acted on a brace of deals.

The firm advised the shareholders of Air Dispatch, part of the Chapman Freeborn Group, on its sale to Dnata and a management buyout at Belfield Furnishings Group.

Air Dispatch was founded in 2007 and provides centralised load control planning services, calculating the weight and balance conditions for aircraft prior to flight.

The company has 200 employees at its operations centres in eastern Europe. Its client portfolio includes Air Berlin, Cathay Pacific and Finnair.

Founded in 1959 in Dubai, Dnata is one of the world’s largest air services providers, offering ground handling, cargo, catering services.

Catalyst director Paul Vanstone said: “Air Dispatch is a prime example of the continued trend of airlines outsourcing non-core functions to trusted third-party providers and I expect to see further deals in this wider sphere.”

In the second deal, Catalyst worked with the management team at Belfield Furnishings Group which was backed by NorthEdge Capital.

Formed in 2002, Belfield has grown into one of Europe’s largest manufacturers and distributors of upholstered furniture, soft furnishings, curtains and accessories, caravan interiors and beds for UK retailers such as John Lewis, M&S and Next, as well as a number of online retailers. travel, and flight