South Wales-based Ilesbus, has been acquired by Minicoach World Limited in a deal facilitated by financial and real estate advisory group BTG, which has seen several jobs saved and the previous orders continued by the purchaser.
The company, which supplies minibuses and midibuses manufactured by coachbuilders on its site in Swansea and a facility in Turkey, entered Administration on 23 March 2026, appointing licensed insolvency practitioners Huw Powell, Andrew Hook and Paul Wood, Partners at BTG, as joint administrators.
Yorkshire-Based Minicoach World Limited led by Andrew Garratt and Kevin Procter, who are also directors at coach dealer TSUK Ltd, completed the purchase of Ilesbus . UK and a number of its assets on 7 April 2026.
The sale comprises the business including the goodwill and order book, stock, work in progress and a number vehicles. As part of their purchase, the new owners are honouring the orders of customers who paid deposits to the previous company to prevent further disruption and ensure they receive the vehicles they have ordered as expected. These customers will be contacted individually in due course regarding the status of their order and expected delivery date.
In addition to the transfer of the existing employees to the purchaser, several of those who were made redundant before the joint administrators were appointed have been offered positions once again.
The purchaser has the option to purchase the leasehold for the former Ilesbus . UK site in Swansea, and remaining assets will be sold by Agency and Auctions specialists from BTG’s real estate advisory arm, BTG Eddisons.
The joint administrators from BTG have been supported in their appointment and with the sale by Paul Evans, an independent consultant at PME Consulting Services, in addition to Eve Loughrey, Insolvency Senior Associate, and Andy Lynch, Partner, from law firm Frances Wilks & Jones.
Minicoach World Limited is aiming to resume operations and production promptly to limit disruption and continue service for customers and the wider supply chain. This includes development of its parts supply to provide the market with better access to spares with same day collection and next day delivery, in addition to plans for growth and expansion of product range and capability into the future.
Huw Powell, Partner in Restructuring at BTG’s Cardiff Office, said:
“Working in close collaboration with Minicoach World, PME Consulting Services and Francis Wilks & Jones, we are grateful for the efforts and support of all the teams involved to have been able to facilitate the quick sale of Ilesbus . UK. We are particularly glad that this has saved the jobs of the remaining five employees while providing the opportunity for production to recommence, and hope that this will benefit customers and the wider supply chain.
“Moving forward, we will continue our role as joint administrators to strive for the best outcome for creditors, including undertaking steps to realise any remaining assets, complete our investigations and report to stakeholders in line with our statutory requirements. We wish Andy and Kevin success in this new venture as they look to grow it in the long term.”
Andrew Garratt and Kevin Procter, Directors at Minicoach World Limited, said:
“We are pleased to have been able work with BTG to rescue Ilesbus . UK out of administration, preserve and reinstate jobs for the management and the majority of the team, and pick up the operations to continue service for customers and limit supply chain disruption. The quick acquisition means we are well placed to start back on the front foot, ramping up the parts supply to bring the market quick, convenient access to spares. We are especially pleased to be able to honour the orders of those customers who have deposits with Ilesbus UK, who we will be contacting individually about their order in due course. We will be working hard to revive and grow the business into the future and look forward to working on our plans for the business and product lines in the coming months.”
