
MARCH
Background
MARCH was Aliter’s first investment – made just after our maiden fund launch in 2017, when the business was known as Edwin James Group. Aliter agreed the sale of MARCH to EMK Capital in October 2024
MARCH is a multi-disciplinary engineering services provider, supporting customers across the UK in their built, process and digital environments. The business specialises in complex, regulated environments, helping clients automate critical processes, improve existing assets and expand operating capacity. With a fully integrated approach to design, installation, maintenance and optimisation, the group’s services maximise the full potential of the client’s asset base, maintaining business continuity, optimising output and driving new standards in productivity, reliability and sustainability, ensuring operational resilience and greener outcomes.
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How we've helped
Through 2017 to 2022 we supported MARCH’s organic growth with additional M&A, acquiring five businesses across the UK to create a national service provider, servicing a range of blue chip clients and their requirements.
These acquisitions expanded MARCH’s geographical footprint and created a business with combined revenues approaching £200m and over 1,000 staff. As a national, multi-disciplinary engineering services provider, MARCH is able to offer an impressive range of service offerings, with mechanical, electrical, energy and process engineering capabilities delivered through a highly skilled direct workforce covering the whole of the UK.
In early 2023, Aliter supported the re-investment into MARCH through the acquisition of the group by Aliter’s second fund Aliter Capital II, alongside co-investors. This investment provided additional capital for further M&A to propel MARCH on the next stage of its journey, including the completion of two further acquisitions.
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Strategy
Aliter worked closely with the management team at MARCH to drive margin enhancing organic revenue and further M&A, to create a broader multi-disciplinary engineering services provider, supporting customers across the UK in their built, process and digital environments. This included a focus on developing long term relationships and recurring revenues with blue chip customers, primarily through framework agreements.
Realised Investment
Aliter realised its investment in MARCH when the sale of the business to EMK Capital was agreed in October 2024.
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I’ve worked with a number of private equity firms – so I really do know that the team at Aliter are different. They’ve been on our side of the fence, they understand the real challenges of growing a business and they bring a wealth of sector experience and contacts to the table.”
Derek Smith, former CEO, MARCH
