Sandgate Dentistry sold to Clyde Munro Group through Christie & Co

Sandgate Dentistry is a well-established, four-surgery, mixed income dental practice, with approximately 12,000 registered patients growing by around 70 new patients each month.

The business is located in Ayr, a popular seaside resort in South Ayrshire, Scotland, approximately 37 miles south west of Glasgow. It is in a busy part of the town which benefits from nearby commercial units, including a mix of retail, bars and restaurants, which help to ensure a high footfall. Sandgate Dentistry has a central and highly visible roadside position and boasts a loyal local patient base as well as attracting patients from further afield, such as from Prestwick, Troon, Alloway and Kilmarnock.

The practice has been sold by husband and wife team, Mr Mark and Mrs Liz Fitzpatrick. Mark started practicing in the area as an Associate in 1968 and, in 1985, he took over Sandgate Dentistry as its sole Principal and successfully developed it to full capacity. In 2011, larger premises were required, and the practice was moved to its current site. From there, it flourished into the busy practice it is today, offering a full range of NHS and private dental treatments, with the majority of income being channelled from its large NHS patient base.

Mr Fitzpatrick comments, “I have worked in the practice since I first qualified when I was 21, and have had very little turn over, with all of the dentists having worked alongside me for five plus years.

“As a practice, we like to keep our ethos and approach to dentistry simple and very friendly, which is one of the many reasons why Clyde Munro is the perfect fit to take it on. I feel we also have the same vision for Sandgate’s future in growing the business and continuing to expand the treatments and services that we can offer to patients in the local area.

“In the next few months, I will take a step back from the management side of dentistry and will focus on a new advisory role within the group. An ideal situation which will allow me to remain involved in the sector, whilst also beginning my retirement.” 

The business has been purchased by Clyde Munro Group; an expanding network of 40 family dentists based across Scotland. Speaking on behalf of the company, Chief Development Officer, Mrs Kirsty Dace, comments,

“Mark and the team have built great relationships with loyal patients, so we are committed to ensuring they will continue to receive the same outstanding service.

“The hard work and dedication embedded at the heart of Sandgate is an ethos that we strive towards as everything we do is about delivering the best possible dental care to patients across Scotland.

“It was great to work with Paul Graham and the team at Christie & Co to secure the future of another Scottish dental practice.”

Paul Graham, Head of Dental at Christie & Co, comments, “We are pleased to have completed on another dental market sale during the pandemic. We were instructed to sell Sandgate Dentistry pre-Covid, unbeknownst to us what would unfold, and I am pleased to say that the deal forged ahead, and we achieved a fantastic result. This is a testament to the strength of the Scottish dental market.

“It was a pleasure to work with Kirsty Dace at Clyde Munro, and we wish the business all the best as it puts it’s exciting and ambitious expansion plans into practice.”

Michael Kelly, Partner of law firm MacRoberts, who acted on behalf of the seller, comments, “It was a great transaction to be part of and we were delighted to advise Mark on such an important event in his life. Christie & Co were a pleasure to work with throughout and in Clyde Munro they found a great purchaser, who really understands the market and the sale process.”

Sandgate Dentistry was sold off an asking price of £1,500,000.

 

 

For further information on this press release, contact:
Phoebe Burrows, Corporate Communications Executive
P: 020 7448 8849 or E: phoebe.burrows@christie.com

Contact the agent:
Paul Graham, Head of Dental
P: 07739 876 621 or E: paul.graham@christie.com