Built environment Deal advisory | M&A tax

Moore Kingston Smith advises The General Lift Company on its sale to Complii

22 September 2026

Moore Kingston Smith has advised The General Lift Company, a specialist in lift installation, maintenance and repair services, on its sale to Complii, one of the UK’s leading providers of building safety and regulatory compliance services.

Established by Derek Powis in 1986 and based in Swanley, Kent, The General Lift Company serves clients across London, Kent, Sussex and Essex. The business works with a broad range of organisations, from nationally recognised institutions and international companies to healthcare providers and educational establishments. Its services cover all aspects of passenger and goods lifts, including planned maintenance, 24/7 emergency call-outs, reactive repairs, refurbishments and installations.

Complii was established in London in 2019 and serves clients in sectors spanning education, healthcare, social housing, public sector, manufacturing, construction, pharmaceutical and retail. Backed by private equity firm Ansor, the group is a leading integrated provider of safety and regulatory compliance services across electrical, fire and water safety, and more recently lifts and escalators, through a portfolio of specialist businesses.

The transaction will enable The General Lift Company to retain its established brand while benefiting from new cross-selling opportunities and access to a wider range of complementary services available across the Complii group. In turn, Complii’s existing client base will gain access to The General Lift Company’s specialist lift expertise.

The deal sees the company join Complii’s lifts and escalators division, with its existing technical and operational leadership teams remaining in place post-acquisition and Managing Director, Derek Powis, continuing to be actively involved in the business.

The acquisition forms part of Complii’s ongoing buy-and-build strategy and represents another significant milestone in the group’s growth journey. It further strengthens Complii’s dedicated lifts and escalators division, which already includes Classic Lifts in Scotland, The Escalator Company and White Lift Services in Leeds. The addition of The General Lift Company increases the division’s scale and geographic coverage across the South of England.

Moore Kingston Smith’s corporate finance team, led by partner Dan Leaman and supported by manager Tom Betti-Berutto, provided full sell-side M&A lead advisory services. This included managing the sale process, leading negotiations, coordinating due diligence and advising on the share purchase agreement (SPA). Specialist M&A tax advice was provided by Mark Fielden, partner, and Sam Talbot, senior manager.

This is not the first time Moore Kingston Smith has worked with Derek Powis and The General Lift Company, having advised on the sale of General Lifts Southern in 2003. The longstanding relationship, built on trust and mutual understanding, combined with fresh strategic advice for this transaction, helped create an efficient and collaborative process that ultimately delivered a successful outcome.

Throughout this project, Moore Kingston Smith provided hands-on support and project management, allowing the shareholders to remain focused on running the business while navigating the demands of the transaction. The team coordinated the flow of information and communications across all parties, helping to keep the process on track from start to finish.

The transaction further strengthens Moore Kingston Smith’s credentials in the facilities management sector and follows the firm’s recent advice on the sale of New Green Services. The General Lift Company transaction marks the second facilities management deal completed by the team within the last 18 months. It reflects the continued consolidation and buy-and-build activity being seen across compliance-driven hard facilities management markets where providers are seeking greater scale, geographic reach and service diversification. As highlighted in Moore Kingston Smith’s Facilities Management Report 2025, regulatory complexity, recurring revenue models and strong demand for essential compliance services continue to drive investor interest and acquisitive growth strategies across the sector.

Derek Powis, Managing Director of The General Lift Company, commented:

“Joining Complii marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for us. As part of a larger group, we gain access to greater scale, resources and support, strengthening our ability to deliver the outstanding service our customers rely on while accelerating the growth we’ve already been building towards.

“I would like to thank Moore Kingston Smith for their advice and support throughout the process. Having worked with Moore Kingston Smith on the sale of General Lifts Southern back in 2003, it was a natural decision to turn to them again. Their experience, commercial insight and guidance were invaluable in helping us navigate the transaction from start to finish.”

Dan Leaman, Corporate Finance Partner at Moore Kingston Smith, said:

“It has been a pleasure working with Derek again and supporting him through this important transaction. We are grateful for the trust he has placed in Moore Kingston Smith, both on this sale and previously, and we are delighted to have helped guide him through the process. The General Lift Company has built a strong reputation in the sector and it’s also reinforcing Complii’s market share and geographic presence. We look forward to seeing the business continue to thrive as part of the Complii group and take advantage of the opportunities this partnership will create.”