The Heritage Window Company receives £3.3m Investment and planned MBO success
YFM Equity Partners is investing £3.3m into The Heritage Window Company to fund the management buyout (MBO) and development capital to meet increasing sales demand. The MBO is led by Managing Director Sean Ballard and former CEO of Anglian Home Improvements, Peter Mottershead, who is joining the board as Non-Executive Chairman. The Heritage Window Company is a specialist manufacturer and supplier of slim line Aluminium windows. The UK market for Aluminium windows is estimated to be worth c£250m per annum.
The Heritage Window Company was founded by Geoff Dolan in 2000 and is the only British company to craft slim style aluminium framed windows under the Benenden™ range. In 2007 the Benenden™ range was featured in Channel 4’s The Grand Designs Art Deco House Project. Geoff Dolan will continue working alongside management post the transaction.
Sean Ballard is leading the MBO having joined the business in early 2012 as Managing Director. Since joining the business sales have increased by 25% to £6.2m and continue to rise. As part of the MBO, Philip Maskell, Finance Director at GTK, another YFM Equity Partners portfolio company will join The Heritage Window Company as part-time finance director. The company manufactures all of its windows to order at its headquarters in Bellingham, South London. It employs 46 staff across its manufacturing facilities and showrooms in Beaconsfield, Dorking, Bellingham and Sevenoaks.
Commenting, Managing Director Sean Ballard said: “The Heritage Window Company has high repeat business from satisfied customers who use us for their home improvement and renovation projects. Over 20% of our sales last year were as a direct result of customer referrals, and testament to our ethos of quality and service. We are delighted to have Peter on board to bring his wealth of industry experience and his success from Anglian Home Improvements. His expertise will no doubt help us to expand The Heritage Window Company brand and business throughout the UK.”
Jamie Roberts, Investment Director at YFM Equity Partners, who led the deal said: “The Heritage Window Company has a great reputation and has designed a unique A-rated energy efficient window that rivals other variants within its sector. We are pleased to be able to bring our experience from other transactions to help Sean and the team transform the growth and expansion plans.”
Sean Ballard added: “YFM Equity Partners has a proven track record of expanding and rolling out UK businesses and developing brands, they introduced us to Peter at an early stage to help with our plans and we look forward to working with him as our new Chairman. YFM have been true to their word in every sense and they have delivered what they said they would. We look forward to working with our new business partners as we expand the business across the UK.”
YFM Equity Partners advisors’ were: Osborne Clark who provided legal advice; Crowe Clarke Whitehill provided financial due diligence and gave tax advice and WK Corporate Finance introduced the deal to YFM Equity Partners.