Investment group acquires specialist distributor with £2m facility

A £2 million funding facility has supported investment group Threesixty Investments with its acquisition of specialist materials distributor Cooper Drainage Supplies in a retirement sale. Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending (ACABL) provided the funding for the acquisition.

Cooper Drainage Supplies provides materials including plastic drainage pipes, water and sewage pipes, civil engineering accessories and fittings for customers in the building, civil engineering and agricultural industries. The company was founded in 1990 by shareholders and directors John and Nicola Cooper and trades from three strategically located sites in Carmarthenshire, Gloucester and Stoke-on-Trent.

As well as financing the acquisition, the ACABL funding package, comprising a combination of receivables financing and a cash flow loan, will also be used to enhance working capital in order to drive further growth. The financing package represents the fourth transaction that ACABL has funded for Threesixty Investments, following its acquisitions of Pen Cutting Tools, Summit Engineering and Technocover.

Discussing the acquisition, Threesixty Investments director Peter Raybould said: "This marks our fourth transaction with Arbuthnot Commercial ABL, where on this occasion, they signposted the opportunity to acquire the business - a testament to the strength of our partnership.”

“By combining Arbuthnot’s funds with our equity, we have established a robust financial model for day-one operations. This model will enable us to expand our three existing sites and explore opportunities for a fourth depot in a different location."

Raybould added that such retirement sales “offer a win-win scenario, allowing sellers to exit while securing the future of the business they have nurtured.” He continued that Cooper Drainage Supplies’ “commitment to preserving the company's legacy, treating employees well, and upholding the brand's integrity aligns perfectly with our core values.”

ACABL Commercial Director Andrew Rutherford added: "There is a growing trend toward retirement sales, which represents a significant opportunity for acquisitive groups like Threesixty Investments. We look forward to potential opportunities to partner with Peter and his team on future acquisitions."


With traditional M&A financing difficult to secure in the current economic climate, alternative funding options could be vital for companies seeking to grow through acquisitions

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