Fascia Graphics Limited
CCL Industries Inc. has acquired Fascia Graphics Limited, a designer, manufacturer and supplier of industrial graphics. Formed in 1994 by the current owners, the company has developed an excellent reputation within the sector, having firmly secured many long-standing relationships with clients.
Fascia Graphics turns over around £4m, with an adjusted EBITDA of circa £1m, by providing products including membrane keypads and membrane switches, graphic overlays, labels, nameplates, domed emblems and liquid graphics. The company also offers a number of complementary services, including colour matching, prototyping and testing, to ensure the highest quality of product is supplied to the client.
The shareholders of Fascia Graphics, Paul Bennett and Ernie Griffin, decided to exit the company in order to plan for retirement. Whilst Ernie Griffin will exit the company after a short handover, Paul Bennett has decided to remain within the company in order to ease the transition period and ensure ‘business as usual’.
KBS Corporate advised the Sellers on this transaction and identified CCL Industries Inc. as a potential acquirer. CCL Industries is listed on the Canadian stock exchange and is the world’s largest label maker. It had revenues of 4 billion Canadian dollars in 2016 and employs 20,000 staff worldwide. Amongst its previous acquisitions is the well-known UK label company Avery.
The final sale value, exclusive of surplus cash and the business premises, was £5m.
The acquisition was highly beneficial for both parties. With CCL operating as a leading industry figure, the deal both provided Fascia with a clear platform for future growth and development and met the differing requirements of both shareholders. Likewise, the transaction will allow CCL to diversify its service offering and gain some of Fascia’s niche specialities, alongside providing the company with the opportunity to relocate some of its UK operations to Fascia’s premises.
On the deal, Geoffrey T Martin, CCL’s president and CEO, said: “Both culturally and operationally, CCL and Fascia Graphics are a very good fit, and CCL’s reputation for manufacturing high-quality products, will ensure that Fascia’s customers continue to receive the highest quality products and production standards in the UK’s printed graphics industry.
“The new business will trade as CCL Design on close and bring expertise in printed electronics to our product lines.”
Paul Bennett, Managing Director of Fascia Graphics, commented: “Our customers will also continue to benefit from CCL’s commitment to our continuous improvement programme, which has resulted in our business making the most significant investments in innovative technology in the industry.
“The success of this programme is just part of the reason we’ve been able to manufacture a high-quality product with rapid turnaround times, at a competitive price.”
Guy Haynes of KBS Corporate advised on the deal through to completion and commented, “It was clear from a very early stage that there was a strong commercial and cultural fit, and despite interest from other parties, CCL were prepared to move quickly and decisively to enable this transaction to happen. Fascia Graphics is a well-run, innovative and growing company and it has been a pleasure to assist Ernie Griffin and Paul Bennett in achieving their aims via this transaction.”
Throughout the process, Guy maintained a strong rapport with the shareholders of Fascia Graphics, with Paul Bennett praising Guy on his “fine work and assistance in the sale of Fascia Graphics. All the way through the process you made what could sometimes be a scary experience seem straight forward.”
Gateley plc provided legal advice to the Sellers, while the buyers’ Due Diligence and legal process was conducted internally.
