NEWSLETTER
Winter 2015 / 16
Before the year is fully underway, we just wanted to
take this opportunity to thank you for your business
throughout last year. You made 2015 such a successful
and enjoyable year for us, and we now already have
a busy and prosperous year planned for 2016.
You will have noticed that last year we created a new
corporate look across our various companies and
launched our newly designed Group websites. This
marks our significant growth over the last three years
and reflects our core business services, as well as our
expansion into international markets as we prepare
for the year ahead.
So, as we embark on a new year, we take a look back
at the activities and achievements of 2015.
T H E B E ST I N T E R N AT I O N A L
G ROU P O F C O M PA N I E S
Corporate Bonds & HNW
Proposition Key Highlights:
Best Funds Key Highlights:
– O
ver £50m of client issues
subscribed to, an increase
of almost 70% on 2014
– T
he Lanner Fund closed with a
69.8% growth in capital value on
redemption, in addition to an average
annual dividend of over 6.5%
– A
dministration services for
over £120m of client loans
– T
he New Lanner SICAV Plc Fund was
launched and is now in operation
– 1
6 new products issued,
with several more in the
pipeline for 2016
– L
aunch of £250m MTN
Programme for Zeus
Renewables (now available
for private placement)
Commercial Property
Key Highlights:
– 1
90 Car Park spaces now sold
in 2015, which represents 19%
of the total in issue
Visit our new Best Asset Management
website, launched last year.
Visit Site
– T
he Resort Development Fund
opened in November and is now
listed on a major offshore platform
– B
est International’s innovative
specialist property fund, Saker (a sub
fund of Falcon Investment SICAV
Plc.) announced a shareholder pay
out of £3.3m to its fund investors
– B
est International attended the Elite
Summit in Switzerland last year,
increasing exposure of the Best
Funds and acquiring new clients
Visit Site
Discretionary Fund
Management Key Highlights:
SIPP/SSAS
Key Highlights:
– W
e have acquired over 100 new
clients per month for the DFM
service in 2015
– S
IPPs: An increase of over 21% has
been achieved last year, with over
£240m assets under management
– Investment in Portfolio Six reached
£41.7m in 2015, an average of almost
£3.5m in new capital each month
– S
SAS: Achieved an increase of
over 5% with £127.5m assets
now under management
– O
ver £125m assets under
management, resulting in an
increase of over 50.5%
Advice Key Highlights:
– A
n increase in revenue of 15%
compared to 2014
– O
ne acquisition concluded and
new joint ventures established
Visit our new Greyfriars Asset Management
website, launched last year.
Visit Site
Best Onyx Group launched
last year, adding Business
Consultancy Services,
Lifestyle Management,
Premium Events and
a database of 1,000+
HNW clients to the Best
International Group
of Companies.
Working with numerous high
profile clients, Best Onyx also
provides consultancy services
to established businesses.
Each business requires expertise in
various sectors and Best Onyx has
been working in conjunction with the
Board to increase performance levels
and business output.
Since working with these consultancy
clients, Best Onyx has already
streamlined Twig’s operations to
reduce business overheads and
increase profitability, made valuable
introductions to the team at Cantifix
and most recently played a pivotal
role in the acquisition of a £1.8m
Roadchef deal for M3 Solutions.
Read more
Best Onyx end the year with
an increased turnover of 57%
compared to Q1 and Q2.
Visit the new Best Onyx Group Website,
launched last year:
Visit Site
Best Travel Services (BTS)
partnered with World
Boutique Hotel Awards
last year to broaden the
businesses lifestyle offering
and enable clients to take
advantage of the stunning
accommodation World
Boutique Hotel Awards
provides.
Visit the new Best Travel Services Group
website, launched last year:
BTS has already secured exclusive
offers with several stunning
international resorts, which form part
of the World Boutique Hotel Awards.
The company have expanded their
lifestyle services, having strengthened
their relationship with Hilton and
partnering with The Hideaways Club,
an exclusive collective ownership
luxury holiday club. These key
connections allow BTS to offer that
something extra special to clients, and
at a value not found online.
Visit Site
C L I E N T
AC T I V IT Y
Orthios Eco Parks
Olmsted / Palmetto Group
Oasis Atlantico
It was a remarkable 2015 for Orthios
Eco Parks, ending on a complete high,
with Best securing the incredible £2
billion Chinese funding in October last
year. This funding is expected to convert
the disused industrial sites at Anglesey
into a 299-megawatt combined heat
and power station creating thousands
of jobs between the two projects. It
is also expected that the scheme can
subsequently be replicated around
the world. Best International launched
Orthios Eco Parks IV Corporate Bonds
in November last year, and is already
nearing the maximum subscription level.
Best Corporate Asset Management
became involved with the Palmetto
Group early last year and has since
worked to create different Olmsted
Corporate Bonds that have funded
over 200 income-producing real estate
dwellings in the US. Within this time
Palmetto has launched Olmsted I, II and
III Corporate Bonds, which are now fully
subscribed through the support of Best
International. Olmsted Corporate Bonds
IV was launched in December last year,
following high demand from investors.
Best Asset Management were
appointed by Oásis Atlântico just over
a year ago to conduct consultancy
work on their behalf. Since then, their
relationship has strengthened and
Best have been involved in numerous
aspects of the business in order to
help Oasis achieve their corporate
strategy. Most recently Best designed
and structured the Oásis Atlântico
Corporate Bonds on behalf of the
company. In August last year, the
renovation of Oasis Atlantico Praiamar
was completed and relaunched on the
Cape Verde islands. Alexandre Abade,
Executive Director of Oásis Atlântico
Hotels & Resorts commented on the
partnership: “We are delighted to have
successfully reached full subscription
of the Oásis Atlântico Corporate
Bonds in such a short period of time.
View the latest update from
Palmetto and Olmsted:
In the Press:
Read more
Read more
The result is undoubtedly due to the
expertise and professionalism of the
Best International Group, along with
investors’ confidence in our Group.
From the outset, the Best International
Group has understood and accounted
for our requirements, channelling a
pragmatic commercial realism to the
process and guiding us along the way.”
Summer at Oásis Atlântico’s Hotels
in Sal Island has been very positive
last year, with high occupancy and
increased room rates.
More news on Oasis Atlántico’s
Performance last summer:
Read more
Co-Efficient Care
The Resort Group
Best International was appointed
by woodlands at the end of 2014 to
provide assistance in the funding
of their Bolton Care Home. The
intention was to build on their care
home concept across the North West
region and since partnering with
Best International, Co-Efficient Care
successfully opened their first care
home in July 2015. They are already
well underway with their recruitment
process for approximately 60 staff
and are taking enquiries for their
first clients. Effective full occupancy
is expected within the first quarter
of this year.
Best Corporate Asset Management
have worked with The Resort Group
(TRG) throughout last year to develop
their financial approach in delivering
their corporate strategy (being to
reposition the Group to an asset
management model). Best have also
worked with TRG on the structuring of
corporate bond products and a listed
investment fund that has a long term,
high volume investment strategy.
This involved creating all promotional
material for the corporate bonds and
providing support services for TRG
in order to deliver an efficient client
process. Furthermore, Best have
assisted TRG with the launch of their
first fund, The Resort Development
Fund, which will focus on acquiring
a series of fixed interest corporate
bonds and direct property interests in
branded resorts and hotels. The fund
has received its regulator’s license,
has already secured capital investment
of over £5m and is now listed on a
major offshore platform.
The Resort Development Fund:
Read more
Gain more information about
the Fund:
Read more
Alpha Business Centres
Enviroparks
Best International Group of Companies
have been working with Alpha
Business Centres (ABC) for the last
3-years and have formed a strong
relationship. Since partnering with Best
International, Alpha Business Centres
has successfully delivered and reached
subscription on different corporate
bonds, all of which have been designed,
administered, marketed and sold by
Best. Last year Best and ABC began
work on structuring new projects,
which are expected to launch this
quarter. There has been a lot of work
involved with this behind the scenes
and we look forward to making
some announcements soon.
Best Corporate Asset Management
developed and managed the fundraising strategy for Enviroparks, as
well as structured a series of fund
raising products last year. Responsible
for developing and managing the
complete fund-raising strategy for
this project. Construction work on the
MRF Facility, as well as associated site
infrastructure, is now well underway
and is progressing in line with the
development plan with the expectation
that the Facility will be operational
by April 2016. Development of the
Hirwaun site for energy generation
is also expected to attract up to £170m
of additional inward investment into
the region.
Best Asset Management in conjunction
with Greyfriars Asset Management
have raised over £11million for the
project. Last year, Best also introduced
new partners in Zeus Renewables,
which resulted in a change to the board
structure and confidence, which has
significantly benefitted the project
and advanced operations.
Case study
B E ST
C H A R IT Y
Dame Sarah Storey talks
to Best International.
Click or tap to play.
We’ve managed to find a
little time amidst all this
activity to also raise money
for our 2015 charities,
Young Epilepsy and
Hospice UK.
We’ve baked and sampled the
delights of some fabulous cakes in
true ‘Bake Off’ style, battled it out
in ‘It’s a Knockout’, had an Iron Man
performance, jumped out of a plane,
taken to the River Dee in Chester as
the ‘Blazing Paddles’ for some dragon
boat action, trialled at being a football
manager with the ‘Predict 6’ charity
game, donned the Christmas jumpers
all in the name of charity and we
already have a few events lined up
for 2016. We look forward to sharing
more with you this year!
Boot Out Breast Cancer
(BOBC) Cycling Club
Last year we supported the launch
of Team BOBC Cycling Club, founded
by Dame Sarah Storey.
The Boot Out Breast Cancer Cycling
Club is the sister club of Podium
Ambition - Sports Tours Pro Cycling
team and is named after Podium
Ambition’s charity partner, Boot
Out Breast Cancer (BOBC).
In creating the BOBC Cycling Club
it is hoped that further awareness
of the charity will be raised.
The sister team to the pro team will
help continue the development of
women’s cyclists through the Podium
Ambition Scholarship programme.
Members can choose regular
membership, family, group or corporate
membership. The club has been set up
to allow members to be as active as
they wish to be on their bike. There is
no requirement to race, some members
The aim of the BOBC Cycling Club
will be leisure cyclists who enjoy a ride
with friends to the café at the weekend,
is to create an inspiring opportunity
for all cycling enthusiasts to become
whilst others will race and have
involved with the team and the charity. ambitions of reaching the professional
team one day. There is also an exclusive
As a member, you will gain access to
‘Money can’t buy’ option for those who
events, discounts on cycles and other
would like to have the feeling of being
merchandise, promotions and track
days, as well as the opportunity to race, a pro and gain additional associated
get tips from and truly feel a part of
benefits. The Captain’s Club provides a
the whole organisation.
range of exclusive offers, content and
experiences alongside the professional
team and the scholarship team riders.
However of equal importance will be
the chance for everyone to be involved
in, and feel a part of the whole Podium
Ambition family, from the pro’s down
to the youngsters starting out.
Membership is now available
and can be gifted to family,
friends or colleagues:
Subscribe
Gain more information
on the Cycling Club:
Download
C O M I N G
U P
F O R
2 016
Here’s just a snapshot of what is to come from Best this year:
Refinement of the incredibly successful
Portfolio Six
NEW serviced office corporate bonds
Development of specialist DFM solutions
Launch of NEW Corporate Bonds
Development of EIS solution
Development of new institutional
funding solutions
NEW Car Park Proposition
NEW Off-market propositions
Development of Listed and
Institutional products
Expansion of Fund Portfolio
Expansion of Corporate Client Base
Completion of a minimum of 2 acquisitions
For more information on Best International,
download our brochure
Download