Bestway eyes dental chain

THE Bestway Group is likely to acquire IDH Group, Britain’s largest dentistry chain, for £700 million, Sky News reported.

Bestway and the private equity firm, Bridgepoint, which used to own dentistry business Oasis, are reportedly prepared to offer more than £700m for IDH, which runs about 600 practices across the UK.

In 2014, Bestway acquired the Co-operative Group’s pharmacy business for £620m. It has built it into the biggest independent chain in Britain – and the largest behind Boots and Lloyd’s.

More recently, it acquired Costcutter to expand its wholesale operations.

Bestway now ranks as the UK’s 17th largest privately owned company, according to its website.

Founded by Sir Anwar Pervez in 1976, the family remains at the helm of the group, with his nephew Lord Zameer Choudrey as the CEO, and his son, Dawood Pervez, as managing director of Bestway Wholesale.