Kinetic Solutions Group

Sector: Industrials

Status: In Portfolio

Fund: II

Deal type: Management buyout

Investment date: January 2020

Specialist engineering company SCX Special Projects has carved out a reputation for innovation at world-leading structures, including Tottenham Hotspur Football Club’s new stadium and the biggest courts at Wimbledon.

Sheffield-based SCX Special Projects designs, engineers and installs solutions to complex lifting and mechanical moving requirements in very demanding industries, from sports stadia to nuclear, defence and aerospace.

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“Having been with SCX Special Projects since it began in 1992, I am very excited about the next phase of the company’s journey. Our growing reputation, helped by recent high-profile projects, has generated significant enquiries especially from overseas, a market we have only recently started to develop. The support of Elysian Capital will allow us to take advantage of the international opportunities that we are now seeing.”

Andy Whitworth

Deputy Chairman, KSG

Investment rationale

The company had achieved a market-leading position in the UK when we invested in the business in 2020, and had attracted a growing client base followings its work on the Wimbledon and Tottenham projects.

The company had designed the original Centre Court roof at Wimbledon in 2009 and went on to design the new retractable roof over No.1 Court in 2019. For Tottenham’s new stadium, it had created the world’s first dividing retractable football pitch.

SCX Special Projects is well known among blue-chip clients for high quality and operates in sectors with high barriers to entry, notably nuclear and defence.

Creating value

We’re helping the company enhance systems and processes to expand its global reach. The management are well placed to take advantage of increasing enquiries from overseas that augment an already strong pipeline.

Recent international projects are in the materials handling sector in France and in kinetic architecture in Japan.

Under our ownership, SCX has:

Brought hydraulic skills in house by acquiring Denley Hydraulics, a Yorkshire-based designer and manufacturer of bespoke electro-hydraulic solutions across complementary sectors.
Secured its first overseas stadium project with a roofing and seating solution.
As part of a consortium, designed an innovative modular footbridge for the rail industry providing the lifting solution to allow platform access for all.