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Gloucestershire Business News

Nursery operator could be sold in £3.5bn deal

The UK's biggest nursery operator, Busy Bees, could soon change hands for up to £3.5bn.

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, owners of the group and also Camelot national lottery, is reportedly contemplating the sale of Busy Bees in a formal auction.

The investment fund bought a majority stake in Busy Bees from its founders for £220m in 2013. Its sale could come as early as next year.

The late John Woodward and Marg Randles, both teachers, set up the business in 1983.

Since then, the brand has grown and is now the largest provider of nurseries in the country - operating more than 350 sites including two in Gloucester and two in Cheltenham.

The investment from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan also sparked international expansion for the group. In 2015, Busy Bees bought Knowledge Universe in Singapore and Malaysia.

Reports suggest that Busy Bees generates between £150million and £200million of annual earnings, valuing the business at between £2.5 billion and £3.5billion.

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