SearchHURST team advises Wilkinson Cowan’s shareholders on sale to Roger Hannah
A team at HURST has advised the shareholders of property and construction services consultancy Wilkinson Cowan Partnership on the company’s sale to chartered surveying and commercial property management firm Roger Hannah.
Our advisers who worked on the deal were Nigel Barratt and Isabelle Bennett at HURST Corporate Finance and Liz Gallagher in the tax team.
The transaction is the fourth we have acted upon since our corporate finance team was introduced to the founders of Wilkinson Cowan in 2016.
The three previous transactions enabled previous owners Steve Ross, Derek Humphries and Mark Davies to sell their holdings to the management team in phases, paving the way for Mark Jensen, Ben Dawson and Stuart Torkington to become shareholders and directors.
After being approached by Roger Hannah in late 2025, the three current owners decided following some consideration that the deal would be a good fit, providing opportunities for growth, and security for the staff.
Nigel said: “Over the last 10 years, we have worked closely with Wilkinson Cowan Partnership, initially to facilitate the retirement of its founder shareholders and, more recently to help Mark, Stuart and Ben to become its owners.
“During that time, the business has gone from strength to strength. We are really pleased to have helped complete this exciting transaction and see the company join forces with Roger Hannah, which is another fantastic business with a great growth story.
“Wilkinson Cowan Partnership is a great example of our desire to build long-term relationships with owner-managers, and to be there at key points in the development of their businesses.”
Legal advice to Wilkinson Cowan was provided by Gemma Lingard and Joe Kitchin at Gorvins.
Roger Hannah was advised by Sherrelle Scott, Jenny Fell and Jen Moore of Leonard Curtis Legal, and Millie Turner, Jenny Serridge and Chloe Thomas-Hui of Saffery.
The transaction was supported by the NatWest commercial & corporate banking team.
Wilkinson Cowan and Roger Hannah were both established in Stockport in the 1980s.
Wilkinson Cowan, which has its headquarters in Cheadle Hulme, and an office in Liverpool, was formed as chartered quantity surveying practice in 1980.
It has evolved into a building consultancy offering traditional quantity surveying services, as well as project management, building surveying, health and safety, employer’s agent and bespoke professional services within the construction industry.
Clients include housing associations, private individuals, architects, local authorities and dioceses across the north and beyond.
Roger Hannah’s managing director Simon Cook said the transaction was ‘a very significant acquisition’ for the business.
“Not only does it enhance our building consultancy expertise, it also aligns strategically with our development presence across the north west,” he added.
“It allows us to support clients throughout the full lifecycle of development projects. We see strong synergies between the two firms and clear opportunities to further develop the services we offer to our clients.”
Ben Dawson said: “From the outset, it was clear that Roger Hannah shares our values, culture and commitment to clients. This partnership strengthens our ability to deliver the same high-quality service our clients expect, backed by the resources and reach of a larger group. We’re really excited about what the future has in store.
“The support we received from HURST was invaluable at all stages of the transaction, with the team providing clear and reasoned advice from the outset, in terms we could understand. They worked hard to help us secure the right deal, and we had complete confidence in their service throughout.”
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