Irvine-Based Sage Unit Adds Company

The Sage Group PLC, Britain’s biggest maker of accounting software, on Monday completed its acquisition of Best Software Inc. for $445 million.

The U.K. group, which runs its U.S. operations out of Irvine, paid $35 a share in cash for Best, a Virginia maker of accounting and financial software applications for the Web.

No layoffs are expected at Best, which operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the British firm.

Sage had $499 million in sales last year; Best reported annual revenue of $91.4 million. Sage now has nearly 3,500 employees worldwide, with more than 1,000 based in the United States.