Northern Ireland-headquartered McAvoy, a leading provider of modular buildings and social infrastructure solutions, has been acquired by European mid-market investor Duke Street.

The acquisition follows five years of majority ownership by Blantyre Capital, an independent investment manager specialising in mid-market equity and debt.

McAvoy, founded in 1972 and situated in Lisburn, designs, builds and rents high-quality modular buildings for the health, education, pharmaceutical and commercial sectors across the UK and Ireland.

McAvoy delivers turnkey modular solutions that comply with traditional building regulations but can be constructed up to 50% faster. Its Lisburn facility spans 70,000 square feet and has the capacity to manufacture up to 1,200 modules per year, making McAvoy one of the largest modular building providers in the UK. Modules are typically over 70% complete before leaving the factory, allowing rapid on-site assembly and minimising disruption.

The company employs more than 160 staff and maintains offices in Dublin, Birmingham, Bristol, and London. McAvoy has seen strong growth in its modular rental division, which enables customers to access premium buildings without significant upfront investment while providing ongoing maintenance and support.

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Duke Street's investment will expand McAvoy's rental fleet and support continued delivery of high-quality, custom-built modular buildings at pace. Ron Clarke, CEO of McAvoy, said: "Securing the backing and support of Duke Street, one of Europe's most well-respected investors, underscores the strength of our proposition. They join at a critical time in the modular building industry, when the need for high-quality solutions has never been higher. Our company is uniquely positioned for further growth with a model that combines operational excellence, sophisticated design and deep sector expertise.

"We thank Blantyre for their commitment and support over the past five years. Together, we have achieved significant growth, establishing McAvoy as a trusted provider of high-quality, adaptable modular buildings across the UK and Ireland."

Joe Thompson, Partner at Duke Street, added: "McAvoy is a sustainable, well-capitalised and market-leading business that has a strong reputation for building premium modular solutions. In the last few years, the exceptional management team, led by CEO Ron Clarke, has successfully taken to market a new and differentiated modular product, SmartSpace, that exceeds building regulation requirements. Duke Street’s acquisition of McAvoy complements our long-held investment focus in essential social infrastructure services that provide the backbone to the economy."

During Blantyre Capital's five-year ownership, McAvoy expanded its modular rental fleet and introduced new permanent modular buildings, driving growth and profitability. Johann Scheid, Investment Director at Blantyre, commented: "We are confident that McAvoy has found an excellent new home in Duke Street for its next chapter of growth. We wish the company, its management, staff, and new shareholders every success in the future."