UK security group G4S to acquire Denmark’s facilities company ISS for $8.2 bn

ISS is one of the world's largest facilities services providers with a market presence in over 60 countries in Europe, Asia, South America, North America, and Australia. It is the world's fourth largest private sector employer having more than half a million people on its payroll.

It provides a wide range of services from cleaning and maintenance, transport and terminals, food hygiene, healthcare, catering and canteen management, front-desk receptionists to security guards and gardeners among others.

Post merger, G4S will be the second-largest non-governmental employer in the world, with more than 1.15 million employees, after US retail giant Wal-Mart.

Goldman and EQT, which had acquired Copenhagen-based ISS in 2005 for around $3.5 billion, had in August 2010 planned to either sell ISS or go in for an initial public offering.

In December 2010, London-based Apax Partners had entered exclusive talks after beating bids from others, including a consortium of private equity firms comprising Blackstone Group, Bain Capital, Nordic Capital and Clayton Dubilier & Rice, as well as from CVC Capital Partners working with Apollo Management. (See: Apax Partners in talks to buy Danish services firm ISS for $8.5 billion)

Apax was reported to have offered $8.5 billion (£5.4 billion) including debt, but a weak financing market made the bidders withdraw from the auction.