Souter Investments — the private office of Scottish tycoon Sir Brian Souter — has invested around £25m in four investments in the first six months of the year.

The Edinburgh-based office, co-founded by Andy Macfie, who is chairman, have made significant investments in companies across the UK. The legal advisers on all of the deals were Colin Lawrie and Bruce Harvie at CMS.

A spokesperson said: “The investment is broadly in line with last year, albeit we do not have prescriptive targets and therefore don’t measure our investment against prior periods or years. In general, Souter Investments is opportunistic in its approach, assessing each opportunity in its own right.”    

The office has backed Sullivan Street Partners’ investment in Zelus Sport, the exclusive Nike authorised global licensee for team sports. The deal is supported Zelus’ growth plans to equip more teams and athletes with their top-quality products, from local pitches to professional stadiums.

Souter Investments’ also backed Sullivan Street in its acquisition of Devon-based TMS Ltd, a leading marine civil engineer and contractor. TMS is a specialist in marine and civil construction, planned and emergency repair projects, harbours and marinas, flood defences, breakwaters and sea walls, and inland waterways.

Last year the company helped the famous Clyde-built steamer Waverley during the Dartmouth Royal Regatta week when the paddles of one of the fixed shafts struggled to turn unless assisted by TMS.

Sullivan Street also acquired Hesselberg-Hydro, as well as Marine Plant Hire UK Ltd, to enhance its marine engineering capabilities. The companies will all be branded under the Ancora Group.

Richard Sanders, founder and managing partner of Sullivan Street Partners, said: “These are brilliant businesses, with a high-calibre workforce, motivated to solve problems and make good the challenges our coastline and inland waterways are facing.”

Souter Investments are also backing supply chain consulting organisation, ERA Group, which was founded in 1992 by Fred Marfleet. The business, based in West Malling in Kent, delivers high-quality cost reduction insights and programmes to SME customers across the globe, through more than 1,000 consultants and 750+ franchise partners across more than 60 countries.

The Stagecoach founder’s investment arm participated in Horizon Capital’s £70m investment in ERA. The funding will facilitate the next phase of ERA’s growth under the leadership of Chief Executive Mark Taylor.

Souter Investments completed a deal with Averna Capital, a mid-market private equity investor, backing the company on its majority investment in Mel Aviation Components (MAC).

 CEO Nick Harvey, who founded MAC in 2013, has built a market-leading specialist in the supply, exchange and management of ‘rotable’ aircraft components for the Boeing 737 and the Airbus 320 that require regular replacement and rotation, such as escape slides, pressure regulators, and control units.

With existing revenues of £34m alongside facilities with HSBC, the funding will enable MAC to continue investing in its inventory and build out its specialist team, including the appointment of Chief Commercial Officer Matt Levick and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Humphrey