Full steam ahead for Mariner

Australian boutique investment bank Mariner Corporate Finance - a joint venture between Bill Ireland’s Mariner Financial firm and Melbourne-based corporate adviser David Williams - is concentrating on floating a second company after the successful pre-float capital raising for Tasmania-based aquaculture company Tassel.

Mariner Corporate Finance director Williams, speaking at the official launch of the Mariner group of companies in Melbourne, says the Tassal float is “a good result for Mariner” and is now 80 per cent complete, predominantly through wholesale placements.

Williams says Mariner Financial has been formed to offer investment opportunities to the superannuation industry while its subsidiary company, Mariner Retirement Solutions, will offer investments in commercial property.

The next float will be a pharmaceutical company which has developed a pain relief device now installed in some ambulances in Australia.

Mariner director Bill Ireland says the main target for the group is the superannuation industry, which he believes will continue to be the biggest driver in growing the financial services industry .

“The philosophy of the new company is to solve problems and deliver solutions that will add value, and we are looking for investment opportunities to put to the marketplace,” he says.

Ireland says Mariner will focus on creating strong partnerships with other organisations rather than buying up and down the supply chain.

“In a past life I wanted to own the lot, but am now looking at the appeal of partnerships,” he says.

The company expects to set up partnerships in areas such as property syndication, fixed interest and funds management.

Three companies have been formed to generate partnerships. These are the corporate finance arm mentioned above, which will look at merger and acquisitions advice; Mariner Mortgage Management, which will invest in commercial mortgage loans and Marnier Property Partnerships.