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Elaghmore acquires Gardners

Gardners

UK private equity fund Elaghmore has acquired Gardners, one of Europe’s leading designers and manufacturers of large format visual displays for world-famous brands and leading UK retailers. Elaghmore has bought Gardners from its management, who will remain with the business. Based in Cardiff and employing over 100 people, Gardners was an early pioneer in digital print technology. Today, from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, Gardners now provides large format graphic solutions to leading brands, retailers and agencies. Gardners offers a full end to end solution, from creative design, through to complex installation.

Gardners works with customers across the retail, logistics, construction and leisure sectors. Elaghmore will provide financial backing to support the growth plans of Gardners, including significant investment to enhance production capacity through the use of the latest technology. Gardners will continue to operate autonomously but will work closely with another Elaghmore business Kesslers, which was acquired in September 2017. Delivering impressive growth under Elaghmore’s ownership, Kesslers is a leading European designer and manufacturer of digital and physical in-store display solutions. The combination of the Gardners and Kesslers businesses will employ over 250 people with annual sales of £40 million. The two companies will collaborate to provide customers with a comprehensive suite of integrated internal and external display solutions.

The combination is the cornerstone of Elaghmore’s plan to create a world-leading provider of integrated digital and physical display solutions, including in-store, front of store, outside spaces and transportable media. Gardners is the sixth acquisition made by Elaghmore from its £60 million, initial private equity fund, Elaghmore I (Fund 1) which closed at the end of 2016. The investment strategy of the fund is focused on businesses that present a significant opportunity for growth and value creation. Elaghmore has a strong track record over the past decade, investing in and successfully growing businesses.

Elaghmore, said: “Gardners is a very exciting business which serves an impressive blue-chip customer base. The opportunity for Gardners to collaborate closely with Kesslers, brings a new and exciting dimension to our plan to create a world-leading provider of integrated digital and physical display solutions. We look forward to working closely with Richard and James at Gardners to support them in reaching the next stage of the Company’s development.”

Commenting on the transaction, Directors Richard Courtney and James Morris of Gardners said: “We are delighted to join Elaghmore and be a key part of the growth plans within a world-leading group, we believe a collaborative and complementary approach in this space will provide significant value for all of our clients. In a consolidating and changing market place, this investment sets us on a far broader, adaptable and longer term display solutions strategy.”

Commenting on the transaction, Guy Stanton, CEO of Kesslers said: “We are very excited to be working with Richard and James, who have built an impressive business at Gardners. Combined, we have several unique products that we can offer our blue chip client base to enhance our customer touch point solutions.”