Intelligent Lifts Acquired by Orona
Entrepreneurs Hub advise Intelligent Lifts on sale to international lift and escalator group Orona
Intelligent Lifts & Escalators Ltd, a UK-based provider of lift and escalator maintenance, modernisation and installation services, has been acquired by Orona, an international lift, escalator and mobility solutions group headquartered in Spain.
The acquisition was facilitated by corporate finance boutique Entrepreneurs Hub Ltd – a firm that provides strategic growth and expert business sales advice to SME business owners and entrepreneurs across the UK.
Established in 2011, Intelligent Lifts has built a reputation for combining technical expertise with a modern, technology-led approach to lift and escalator maintenance, this includes cloud-based remote monitoring and rapid-response call-outs. The company serves a diverse client base spanning residential, commercial, healthcare, leisure and critical environments including data centres.
Jake Elkins and Lee Wallis, owners of Intelligent Lifts, have been working with Entrepreneurs Hub for a number of years to help them grow and position the business for an eventual exit. When the time was right, Entrepreneurs Hub helped them to find a partner who could support the company into the future.
Jake and Lee said:
“We wanted a partner who shared our commitment to service quality and technical innovation, and who could give the team the platform to keep growing. Entrepreneurs Hub understood what we were looking for and have been an essential partner to steward us through the process.
“For us that wasn’t just about navigating the mechanics of the deal. Having the EH team to manage and guide the process gave us the space to carry on running the business without the distraction, which we know can be fatal to a deal actually getting to completion. It also helped us make balanced decisions throughout and perhaps, most importantly, share what is a significant mental load.”
Orona was identified as a strong strategic partner given its scale, European engineering heritage and long-term investment in modernisation and passenger experience – complementing Intelligent Lifts’ multi-brand maintenance capability and UK market presence.
Andrew Shepperd, who led the deal for Entrepreneurs Hub, said:
“This was about recognising the strength of what Jake, Lee and the team had built, and positioning Intelligent Lifts in front of the right strategic partner. Orona’s scale and long-term vision for the UK market made this a great fit, and we’re delighted to have secured a strong outcome for the shareholders.
“The interest we generated in the process, a great mix of overseas, financial and trade acquirers, reflected the quality of the business and the strength of the growth story we built around it.”
Hear from the business owners directly
Start with your end goal in mind – Intelligent Lifts
“The best thing to do is start at the end, where do you want to get to, and then work back from there.”
We needed a bigger family – Intelligent Lifts
“We just needed to be part of a bigger family, really.”
We’re not entrepreneurs, we’re engineers – Intelligent Lifts
“When you come from an engineering background, it’s kind of uncharted territory.”
You’ll know when it’s time – Intelligent Lifts
“When it’s the right time, you’ll know.”
Word of mouth built everything – Intelligent Lifts
“A lot of it was word of mouth, we never advertised really.”
Hold your nerve and do things differently – Intelligent Lifts
“You just have to hold your nerve.”
Post-sale the first night’s sleep in years – Intelligent Lifts
“Now it’s a pleasure to come to work.”
The value of good advice before the sale – Intelligent Lifts
“It was definitely tailored to our business and our challenges.”
What the process really feels like – Intelligent Lifts
“In those moments, momentum is everything.”
You couldn’t do this on your own – Intelligent Lifts
“I could not have handled this solo.”
