The Business
Squires Gear Limited is a well-established supplier of specialist machined parts to the general engineering sector, built on decades of technical expertise, trusted customer relationships, and a reputation for delivering high-quality products. Serving a loyal and diverse client base, the business has earned its position as a respected name within the engineering industry through consistency, reliability, and precision.
Like many long-standing engineering businesses, Squires Gear Limited represented far more than its machinery and order book. It was the result of many years of dedication from its shareholders, who had built a strong, profitable company with deep-rooted relationships across customers and suppliers. As retirement approached, the decision was made to sell the business, allowing them to realise the value they had created while securing the company’s future under new ownership.
The Challenge
As first-time sellers, the shareholders of Squires Gear Limited had limited experience of the business sale process and were looking for trusted professional guidance. With retirement on the horizon, they wanted to ensure they achieved the right outcome, both financially and personally, while securing the future of the business they had spent many years building.
They chose to work with an adviser who demonstrated a strong understanding of the engineering sector, alongside a structured and realistic approach to valuation and sale strategy. Building trust from the outset was essential, given the significance of the decision and the legacy they hoped to leave behind.
What We Did
The first step was a detailed and transparent valuation exercise. As is often the case in owner-managed businesses, initial expectations and market reality required careful alignment. Through open, evidence-based discussion, a realistic asking price was agreed – one that properly reflected the company’s historic financial performance, its IATF-accredited quality credentials and the genuine opportunity available to the right acquirer.
A comprehensive information memorandum was then prepared, setting out the business’s heritage, operational strengths and future growth potential in a way designed to attract the right kind of buyer. The business was brought to market on a confidential basis, generating interest from a range of trade buyers and investors. Every enquirer was carefully vetted – for financial capability, strategic credibility, and cultural alignment with the sellers’ aspirations for the company’s future.
Not every conversation progressed to a viable outcome. Some parties, despite initial promise, were not the right fit – whether on commercial grounds, operational capability, or their approach to the people already in place. Time was invested where it mattered and withdrawn where it did not.
The process was thorough, and at times demanding. But that rigour was precisely the point.
The Outcome
After a structured and carefully managed process, the right buyer was identified in Garland Investment Holdings Ltd, led by Darren Garland. Garland recognised both the current value of Squires Gear and its meaningful potential under fresh investment and strategic direction. Crucially, they approached the acquisition with a clear commitment to the continuity of the business and its people.
What made this outcome particularly notable was the broader picture of Darren’s relationship with Business Partnership. Having been introduced to several acquisition opportunities through the firm, Darren was simultaneously pursuing two deals at once, Squires Gear & Engineering and LG Farmer, an engineering business also handled by Business Partnership. Both transactions were progressed in parallel and completed within days of each other at the end of March 2026, a timeline that was not accidental. With the government’s planned increase to Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) taking effect on 6 April 2026, rising from 10% to 14%, completing ahead of that date was financially significant for the sellers of both businesses. Business Partnership managed both processes with that deadline firmly in view, ensuring neither deal drifted.
For Darren, the simultaneous completion of two acquisitions through the same trusted adviser speaks to something beyond opportunism. It reflects a considered, strategic approach to growth and a confidence in Business Partnership’s ability to source, structure and deliver the right deals.
The Squires Gear transaction completed on 31 March 2026, approximately ten months from first instruction. Tim Squires stepped away from the business with confidence that what he had built would be well cared for, and with the peace of mind that came from knowing his team’s futures were secure.
Squires Gear & Engineering Ltd continues to trade from its Warwickshire premises under new ownership, with its reputation, its client relationships and its commitment to quality very much intact.
In Their Words
Tim Squires, Managing Director and vendor, said:
Having used Business Partnership, with Tim Bayley as our main contact, I can thoroughly recommend their services. A strong number of well-suited buyers were introduced to us following an in-depth vetting process. From this, an offer was soon put forward and the sale completed in a timely manner.
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Darren Garland of Garland Investment Holdings Ltd, who completed two acquisitions through Business Partnership simultaneously, including Squires Gear, reflected on his experience of working with the firm:
The acquisition process was made much smoother thanks to a trusted, existing relationship with the team. Tim Bayley was fantastic to deal with; he knew exactly when to step back and let me dig into the due diligence, yet was always on hand to add value and manage intermediary communications the moment he was needed.
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Tim Bayley, Technical Director and Partner at Business Partnership, commented:
Squires Gear is a genuinely strong business — IATF-accredited, technically capable, and with the kind of loyal customer relationships that take decades to build. Our focus throughout was on finding a buyer who would recognise that value and be trusted to take it forward. What made this particularly satisfying was the wider context: Darren had been working with us across several opportunities, and here we were completing two acquisitions simultaneously — Squires Gear and LG Farmer — within days of each other, both ahead of the BADR deadline. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a buyer who is serious, well-prepared and decisive, and an adviser relationship built on genuine trust. It was a thorough process, but the right outcome for everyone involved.
Thinking About Selling Your Business?
The Squires Gear story illustrates something that experienced sellers come to understand: finding the right buyer is rarely the simplest path, but it is always the most important one. A process that prioritises commercial, cultural and human fit will almost always produce a better outcome than one that simply chases the first available offer.
At Business Partnership, we take the time to understand not just the financials, but what truly matters to you: the people you’ve employed, the customers you’ve served, and the legacy you want to leave behind. Whether you’re a first time seller navigating an unfamiliar process, or you’ve been on the market with another agent without success, we’re here to guide you through it with expertise and care.
Our network of sector specialist partners, including Tim Bayley and the Birmingham team for manufacturing and engineering businesses, means that when you come to us, you’re working with someone who genuinely understands your world.
Whether you’re selling, buying, or planning for the future, Business Partnership is here to help. Contact us today to speak with your local Regional Partner and start your journey toward success.
Whether you’re selling, buying, or planning for the future, Business Partnership is here to help. Contact us today to speak with your local Regional Partner and start your journey toward success.