Bolton sweets manufacturer Maxilin Crawford acquires former competitor

Traditional sweets manufacturer Maxilin Crawford has acquired the assets of former competitor Tilley’s Sweets.

The Bolton-headquartered company snapped up Tilley’s for an undisclosed sum with support from NatWest, RBS Invoice Finance and Lombard, the bank’s asset finance partner.

Maxilin Crawford, which is the parent company of liquorice maker Maxilin Ltd and Glossop-based lollipop producer R Crawford (Northern) Ltd, made the acquisition as part of a strategy to expand its product lines.

The deal will see Maxilin more than triple its weekly production capacity from 20 tonnes of sweets to 90 tonnes and trade as Crawford & Tilley.

Joanne Williams, Maxilin Crawford’s managing director, said the sale of Tilley’s “came at just the right time”.

She explained: “We were planning to expand our production capabilities and whilst at an industry show, we learned Tilley’s was available and it made absolute sense to purchase the business and its assets as Tilley’s fitted perfectly with our current ranges and will allow us to expand and grow our product lines.”

To obtain funding to drive the acquisition forward, Joanne turned to NatWest senior relationship manager Steve Walsh. Steve then worked with RBS Invoice business development manager Dan Anderson, along with Lombard director Rohan Whittle and relationship manager Andrew Christmas, to obtain appropriate financing.

Steve said: “Maxilin Crawford has enjoyed strong and sustainable growth in recent years, and the acquisition of Tilley’s Sweets is a fantastic addition to the business.

“Joanne and the management team have a clear plan for further business growth and we wish them every success for the future.”

Dan commented: “The acquisition of Tilleys Sweets complements Maxilin Crawford perfectly and builds on their already impressive product range.

“We were delighted to support Maxilin Crawford in this transaction and look forward to working closely with the business as it continues to expand.”

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