HINGE Advisors Leads Sale of 27-site Early Education Group

The team at HINGE Advisors was honored to lead the sale of the 27-site early education group The Malvern School to UK-based operator Busy Bees.

Early childhood education pioneer, Joe Scandone, and former educator and operations executive, Kristen M. Waterfield, founded The Malvern School in 1998 with a philosophy to deliver high quality educational programming to children between the ages of 6 weeks and 8 years. The school just celebrated its 25th anniversary and currently serves more than 630 employees and 2,500 students.

“The ability to represent Founders Joe Scandone and Kristen Waterfield —culminating their 25 years of development and growth — was a pleasure. The company represents the highest quality care and education seen in the United States, and working alongside them to secure the right partner to grow the brand with its amazing team was a privilege,” said HINGE Advisors Founder & CEO Kathy Ligon.

Due to The Malvern School's impeccable reputation and high quality services, the HINGE team was able to generate many offers from domestic and international investors looking to grow their platforms in the Northeast. 

Ultimately, after a thorough vetting process, HINGE and the sellers determined that U.K.-based Busy Bees had the best combination of price, culture and complementary business strategy.

“This acquisition opens up exciting opportunities for our schools, staff, and, most importantly, the children and families we serve. We are excited to join Busy Bees to provide an even more enriched experience for all of our stakeholders,” said The Malvern School Founder Kristen Waterfield.

This transaction was led by Transaction Advisors Kathy Ligon, Mike Pepper and Alec Ligon.

If you’re ready to sell your childcare business or want to start planning for your school’s succession, get in touch with the HINGE Advisors’ team at info@hingeadvisors.com.