A strategic alliance has been formed between The Howard Group and Sandcliffe Investments. Sandcliffe is an equity investor focussed on the acquisition of mid sized businesses which are established and profitable with strong management teams. Sandcliffe also invests in property assets which fit the investment criteria of the fund.

Sandcliffe Investments works in conjunction with the Howard Group of Companies which provide executive and financial support and together are looking to create a portfolio of investments a part of which will be focused upon the building services sector.

Advanced Interiors is one of the Country's leading specialist suspended ceilings and partitioning contractor. The business formed in 1996 has seen some significant growth in recent years under the direction of founder and MD Bernie Wilks.

Today the company's extensive client base includes such names as Boots, M&S, Asda, BAA and McDonalds and it works with many of the country's leading building contractors.

This is the second investment in this sector for Howard Sandcliffe Investments and is consistent with their strategy of targeting the building services sector.

HippoWaste™ is the trading name for Waste Management Systems Ltd, a national provider of innovative waste management solutions. It is the company behind the pioneering HippoBag - the flexible, practical alternative to skip hire.

The company offers ethical, efficient, cost-effective methods to dispose of waste for domestic, business and trade users nationwide. The company has a robust national infrastructure, strong logistical operations and offers practical waste disposal solutions focused very strongly on superior levels of service and customer care. The business has a high profile of clients and works in partnership with a multitude of high profile brands, from retail and home insurance companies to large scale construction firms. Formed 4 years ago, HippoWaste™ is a thriving operation with over 70 staff. The company already boasts strong credentials including several business award wins, an advisory position to The Environment Agency and partnerships with councils across the UK. HIPPOWASTE™ is poised for exponential growth following the roll out of its operation nationwide in 2006.

Medix is an internet service for UK doctors and provides fast access to the latest medical information.

Set up in 1999, Medix has established itself as a market leader in internet based market research in the healthcare sector. It has carried out over 850 independent surveys and works for a broad range of customers including many of the leading pharmaceutical companies of the world, leading academic institutions, other research establishments and the media. Medix's strengths lie in its brand name, its methodology, its databases, its client lists and its software. It is able to offer a high quality product with rapid delivery from first instruction to fully analysed results. The company has produced various bespoke databases for the specific purpose of market research, the largest of these covers 14,000 UK doctors. It also has panels to cover 1,000 nurses, 300 hospital pharmacists and 400 doctors that are board members of Primary Care Trusts.

A T Jones & Son Ltd is at the forefront of the interior fit-out industry. The company supplies and fits suspended ceilings, partitions, drylining and fire protection systems to some of the UK's largest contracting companies.

Established for over thirty years and now one of the largest fit out contractors in the country, the company undertakes projects from £5,000 to £5m. Head office is in Fareham, Hampshire with a regional office in Milton Keynes. The company operates from Birmingham to the south coast and employs a team of professional surveyors, contract and site managers to ensure projects are delivered to the highest standards. The company operates in both the public and private sectors having developed expertise in hospitals, schools, office developments, industrial schemes, care homes, residential and retail projects.

Sellite Blocks Limited manufacture eco-friendly building blocks. It is an expanding and well respected business with over 50 years service to national housebuilders and builders merchants.

The company specialises in a range of lightweight concrete blocks using its own supply of the finest quality aggregates. Continued investment in the latest technology keeps Sellite at the forefront of its market sector. Sellite puts customer service and satisfaction as its number one aim and this is reinforced by extensive knowledge of the industry. The company undertakes a strong environmental policy which allows products to cure naturally without use of fossil fuels as well as pursuit of a duty of care to employees, customers and the community.

Drive Assist offers a credit-hire short-term car replacement service to help people inconvenienced by road traffic accidents.

The company works with insurance companies, brokers and repair shops and has 15 depots located throughout the UK, controlled from a head office in Tamworth. Since it was established, the company has achieved dramatic growth, starting from a small business to a company with now more than 1000 employees and an annual group turnover in excess of £150 million. The business has 15,000 vehicles in its fleet, handles over 8,000 brand for brand rentals per month and carries out a massive 20,000 vehicle movements every month.

The Longley Group of Companies have come a long way since its formation in 1947. Set up by Charles Longley as a local block manufacturer, they have developed into one of the leading suppliers of precast concrete and pre-cast flooring in the U.K

The business has sustained expansion and success with the company doubling in size twice in the last eight years and an additional company now manufacturing concrete flooring on its behalf in the south of England. Underpinning these achievements has been a commitment to customer service, sustained product development and continued investment in new plant and machinery. The company employs over 70 people from its Yorkshire base and has further manufacturing in East Sussex.