Private equity investor Foresight exits Liverpool city region-based £20m-turnover fire safety contractor Fieldway after eight years. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool city region social housing fire safety contractor Fieldway has a new owner following the exit of private equity investor Foresight after eight years.
Since investing in 2018, Foresight has overseen a significant expansion of the Huyton-based business, growing employee numbers to more than 120 and seeing revenues increase from £15m to £20m in the past year alone.
Fieldway’s most recent pre-tax profits, for the 12 months to March 31, 2025, came in at £680,362 after reporting a £162,183 pre-tax loss in the previous year.
Foresight’s majority stake in the firm has been acquired by Axis CLC, a national leader in critical property compliance and maintenance services. The value of the deal was not disclosed but the last accounts showed net assets of almost £1.3m.
The transaction has delivered an “attractive return on investment” to Foresight. Since 2018 Fieldway has scaled into a multi-regional platform. The company holds preferred supplier status on 13 national and regional procurement frameworks.
And while maintaining its strong core in social housing, it has expanded into the healthcare and education sectors.
Fieldway was founded in 1999 by Brian Murphy to provide fire safety and compliance services to the public sector. During the investment period, Foresight supported the management team, led by managing director Tony Carden
Over this period, the Company delivered strong operational output, servicing or maintaining more than 40,000 properties, completing over 3,400 annual call-out visits and installing nearly 25,000 fire alarms. Fieldway’s leadership team remains in place following the transaction.
Brian Murphy, who retains a stake in the business, said: “Over the past 27 years, Fieldway’s belief that it could always do things better has taken the business from a regional specialist to a multi-regional platform built on quality, expertise and a strong sense of responsibility to the communities it serves.
“Partnering with Foresight has been a pivotal chapter in that journey, helping Fieldway scale the business, strengthen the processes and maintain the values that define the company. We are grateful for their collaborative approach and the role they have played.”
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This exit marks the 12th realisation from Foresight Regional Investment Fund, the first fund in Foresight’s Regional Investment Series, which has delivered an average return of 4.2x invested capital across realised investments.
Fieldway was advised by EY and Hill Dickinson. Fiona Hatch, investment director and sustainability lead at Foresight, added: “Led by a high performing management team, Fieldway is a strong example of Foresight’s commitment to scaling high-quality businesses while embedding sustainability at the core of operations.”