Support services group Mouchel Parkman is preparing a £125m war chest to fund acquisitions. The group is putting in place debt facilities worth £125m to fund potential acquisitions, after announcing a 17% rise in pre-tax profits to £14.3m in the six months to 31 January 2007. In November last year, the group bought Ewan Group, Hornagold and Hills, and Traffic Support Ltd, for a total of £50m. Chief executive, Richard Cuthbert, said: ‘We look at opportunities to build the business through acquisitions all the time. The work we are doing with local authorities suggests to us that we can grow the business quite organically, without more purchases, but if we get the chance to acquire other companies, we would like to be able to do that. ‘Contracts such as the Rochdale and Oldham MBCs bundled services commissions offer the potential to transform the way in which municipal services are provided to the public, and we're fortunate to be at the vanguard of such partnerships,' added Mr Cuthbert. The group announced a record order book of £1.35bn in February.