Deal creates UK biggest dental group
Private equity company Carlyle has bought Integrated Dental Holdings (IDH) for £450 million from the buy-out division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and is planning to merge it with its current rival Associated Dental Practices (ADP).
The deal will create the biggest dental group in the UK, with control over around 450 private dental practices, treating more than 3 million patients.
Richard Smith, who will lead the new combined company, is aiming to expand their product range and increase the number of patients treated at their clinics.
“This investment will allow us to provide more services across more practices with better quality of patient care in dentistry and potentially other primary healthcare fields, too,” he said.
Smith added; “The Government has promised to find £20bn of savings and we can help provide services more efficiently. We believe we can be more than just a dentist – we can help the NHS deliver a range of services including things like flu vaccinations and minor surgeries.”
Carlyle are better known in the US for their deals involving the defence industry, but they are continually looking for new areas to expand their influence, according to Eric Kump who joined the private equity company from Dubai International Capital in 2010.
The IDH purchase is his first deal for the company and one he believes will prove a great success for Carlyle. Kump said; “There is a lot of room for growth in the dental sector and there is lots of economic resilience. We all share this vision.”
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