Pictured above: (l-r) Majid Munir and Tony Roberts (MNT); Robert Maxey (heb); Sarah O'Boyle and Viv O'Boyle (co-owners of Osiris)

When call centre operator, MNT Limited, acquired new premises in Basford, they also took over the business which was already operating there.

In a deal prepared by Nottingham surveyors, heb, MNT acquired the 7,000 sq ft building, also taking over Osiris Research, owner/occupiers of the building.  

MNT is a fast moving and rapidly expanding outsourced call centre and market research company that has been in operation nearly five years. With 40% growth each year, the company specialises in inbound and outbound outsourced call centre operations for many of the UK's direct mail companies. 

Rob Maxey of heb said: "After initial inspections, it became apparent that there was potential for synergy between the two businesses and we've been proved right.

"The property transaction itself was what I would call a good bit of 'old fashioned agency work'. It wasn't simply a case of putting a board on the property and waiting for the phone to ring.

"MNT had been speaking to me on a regular basis, frequently voicing their frustration that they could not identify a building suitable for their rather specific needs. After one such conversation, a building came to mind that I had actually visited three years ago. The owners had, at that stage, ultimately decided the time wasn't right for them to sell. However, after making a few enquiries, I discovered that things had moved on and there was now the potential for a deal."

As Rob had hoped, the building proved ideal for MNT and terms for a purchase were soon agreed.  

Tony Roberts, commercial director at MNT Ltd, said: "We started looking for new premises in the autumn of 2008 with a view to moving in the second quarter of 2009. We thought it would be easy to find a bargain, given the economic climate, but we were wrong.

"Having looked at a number of places that just didn't tick all the boxes, Rob said he understood what we were looking for and had something in mind. A couple of weeks later we viewed the building and were totally delighted. It was within our budget, ready to walk in and room for growth. We are really pleased with the whole outcome."

Viv O'Boyle, co-owner of Osiris Research, said: "Being in business is about looking for opportunities to strengthen your position and heb helped bring about a unique opportunity for two companies to do just that. Although this was something we had planned to happen in the next two to three years, when approached by Rob, we immediately saw the advantages and had no doubt it was a perfect opportunity not to be missed.

"The acquisition means we can now concentrate on our plans to expand the company and, especially, our telephone research call-centre side of the business. With 20 years of experience in the market research industry and the addition of new resources, we believe we have a great future ahead of us."

Rob added: "We like to think of ourselves as being proactive and, certainly, this type of deal is always much more satisfying when you really feel you have made something happen. "The business acquisition was a real success for all concerned. Osiris Research had been considering a disposal of the business separately and so this really was a win-win situation all round."

Majid Munir, managing director at MNT, said: "With continued growth expected in 2010, we are always looking for experienced call centre staff and I would encourage anyone interested in job opportunities to contact me by email at majid@mntlimited.co.uk."