Buchler Phillips, the UK independent advisory boutique specialising in corporate recovery, turnaround, restructuring and insolvency, is pleased to announce the launch of its new private equity investment arm, Bronzewood Capital (Bronzewood).
Bronzewood aims to pursue UK mid-market opportunities with tangible asset backing, capitalising on the Buchler Phillips track record of working with distressed companies, notably in the hospitality, real estate, manufacturing and transport sectors. The new company is focused on new equity commitments of between £5m and £50m in special situations with strong underlying fundamentals and scalable revenue profiles. It will coinvest with an existing network of associates, supported by established relationships with major debt providers.
David Buchler, founder chairman of Buchler Phillips and a veteran of the UK turnaround industry, will lead the Bronzewood team. A former Andersen partner, EMEA chairman of Kroll and vice chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, Mr Buchler will be joined by colleagues with complementary skillsets in turnaround: the Rt Hon Mark Field, former Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister, and a seasoned non-executive board member with an earlier career in corporate law; Charles Mack, a widely recognised pan-European restructuring expert; in-house legal consultant and debt specialist David Fordham; and Paul Bobroff, real estate and asset realisation expert. They will be supported on investment execution and portfolio management by Investment Executive Oliver Southwell.
While directing resources primarily at the UK private market, Bronzewood has access to expertise, execution capabilities and additional investors across mainland Europe. The company is able to work alongside existing management teams and to accommodate flexible exits for vendors, to ensure legacy preservation.
Ahead of launch, Bronzewood has developed an extensive pipeline of deals across a variety of sectors. It expects to announce its first investment before summer 2025.
Commenting on the launch, David Buchler said:
“There is a noticeable gap in the UK mid-market for a sector-agnostic, premium boutique distressed private equity firm. Others at this quantum of investment committed have historically been consumer sector focused or larger operators with a high volume of transactions and closed funds. We believe a deal-by-deal approach, balancing hands-on radical operational improvements, optimised financial structures and challenging of established strategies, is a compelling offer for UK SMEs serious about turning the corner and re-joining the road to growth.”