Sale of a Market Research Agency
Market Research Agency a welcome addition to EMB Group portfolio.
Blue Marble Research Limited – an award-winning market research agency represented by Hornblower has been acquired by EMB Group, a dynamic Business Management Consultancy with a growing brand portfolio.
Throughout its 16+ year trading record, Blue Marble attained a market leading position in the water sector, with active relationships with 18 out of 20 water companies in England and Wales. The company is a reputable specialist in government and social research, utilities and regulated sectors, consumer and trade bodies, commercial brands and marketing agencies.
Leading with a strong environmental focus, Blue Marble has developed considerable expertise in research relating to climate change response, sustainable practices, renewable energy, environmental policy development and environmental protection. As part of this focus, it has also attracted clients with brands or products with an ethical and/or sustainability market position.
The company has a highly qualified team of researchers with strong career backgrounds, both qualitative and quantitative disciplines, business development skills and experience across a range of sectors.
The buyer, EMB Group, considers the acquisition as an ideal bolt-on opportunity to expand its existing market research offering. In addition, the quality of Blue Marble’s talented research team proved a compelling factor in the acquisition of the business.
Following completion, Phoebe Edwards, Executive Director of the EMB Group expressed the positive experience of working with Hornblower, commenting “We completed on Blue Marble, [and] I just wanted to thank you for your part in the deal. I think I said at the outset that the original Hornblower IM was very well done, and we have appreciated [Julian Caplin’s] personal input during the negotiation process”.
The timeline from initial marketing to completion was a 6-month period, with Blue Marble going to market in October 2023. The deal completed in April 2024 and was managed by Hornblower’s Business Sales and Acquisitions Consultant, Julian Caplin. Julian manages business sales for Hornblower from our Dublin office.
SOLD – April 2024
