Interim HealthCare Inc., a national network of home care, hospice and health staffing franchises, has gone global with the acquisition of UK-based Bluebird Care Franchises Limited.
Founded in 2004, Bluebird Care has more than 180 franchise operations which provide non-medical care services in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The acquisition of Bluebird Care will increase Interim’s global presence to approximately 500 locations and 250 franchise owner groups in six countries, for a combined network sales of more than $850 million.
Last fall, Interim had its sights set on international expansion as one of the company’s “high priority growth opportunities,” according to Kathleen Gilmartin, president and CEO of Interim HealthCare, Inc.
“Bluebird Care mirrors our mission and core values with a solid culture of care and a scalable business model delivered by a strong network of franchisees and we are very excited about our future together,” Gilmartin said.
Both Interim and Bluebird will continue to operate as separate companies, each under their own brand names and in their respective countries, Gilmartin noted.
Additionally, each company will also continue to operate with their leadership teams to drive their initiatives and growth strategies, with Bluebird Care founders, Paul and Lisa Tarsey, along with Simon Dalziel, continuing their leadership roles with the company.
“Our growth has been aggressive since we bean franchising in 2006,” said Paul Tarsey, Bluebird Care founder and managing director. “We are very excited by this strategic partnership with such an experiences healthcare franchise as Interim. Bluebird Care will now have access to knowledge and shared best practices in care delivery, training, marketing and financial benchmarks to fuel innovation and improve efficiencies in both brands.”
Interim’s acquisition comes a year after the company entered a strategic equity partnership with The Halifax Group, a private equity firm that reenergized a plan to expand services and grow Interim HealthCare’s footprint in the worldwide home healthcare market.
The Halifax Group works to partner with managers and entrepreneurs to recapitalize and grow lower middle-market businesses across a variety of industries, including health and wellness, infrastructure, business and government services and franchising.
The firm maintains offices in Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Written by Jason Oliva
Companies featured in this article:
Bluebird Care Franchises Limited, Interim HealthCare Inc., The Halifax Group
