Montagu Private Equity has successfully completed the £1.7bn Take-Private of Biffa Plc, a leading UK waste management company, in partnership with Global Infrastructure Partners and HBOS Fund Investments. 

Biffa is one of the UK's leading integrated waste management businesses. It is the market leader in industrial and commercial waste collection, collecting 3.3 million tonnes of waste from over 75,000 customers. It is one of the top three landfill site operators in the UK with 32 active landfill sites, comprising 76m m3 of consented void. It is also one of the top three in municipal waste collection, and operates 18 municipal collection contracts and 2 PFI contracts. Its landfill gas operations are a significant provider of renewable energy in the UK with interests in approximately 111 MW of installed capacity. 

In the year to 31st March 2007, Biffa achieved EBITDAP of £162m on sales of £743m. The company employs approximately 5,100 people, is headquartered in High Wycombe and operates solely in the UK. 

Jason Gatenby of Montagu said: "Biffa was an attractive target for Montagu because it is a market leading business with an excellent record of profit growth and cash generation and a great tradition of operating excellence. There is rising, sustainable demand for waste management services in the UK and this is a sector we understand well and where we have a demonstrable track record of success." 

Montagu's early identification of this opportunity and their experience of the sector were key to the success in this transaction.