The management buyout of Bertram Nursery Group has been backed by Apiary Capital which sees growth capital proivder Rockpool Investments exit as part of the deal.

Founded in 2001 when Bertram opened it’s first nursery in Edinburgh, Strawberry Hill, the group now has 36 nurseries across North West England and Scotland, employs approximately 800 staff and offers 3,000 full-time childcare places.

The management team is led by managing director Cary Rankin, who has been with Bertram since 2015, and was previously with Kids Unlimited and Bright Horizons. Stuart Sheehy and Malcolm Hughes are joining the Group as finance director and chairman, respectively, following Apiary’s investment.

“Cary and his team have impressed us with their commitment to delivering outstanding quality of care and education,” said Jeniv Shah, investment director at Apiary Capital. “We are looking forward to supporting them as they continue to develop the group’s existing nurseries as well as expanding Bertram’s footprint through further acquisitions.”

Santander has provided debt financing to support Apiary’s buyout of the business.