Goole garden landscaping business acquired for £40m by US-based The Ames Companies Inc.

Kelkay Limited, the Goole-based manufacturer and distributor of decorative outdoor landscaping products, has been acquired by The Ames Companies Inc (Ames), a subsidiary of US-listed Griffon Corporation.

Ames, which manufactures and provides long-handled tools and landscaping products for homeowners and professionals, bought Kelkay for approximately £40m ($56m).

Anthony Harker, founder and managing director of Kelkay, will continue to run the business following its sale.

Harker commented: “As a market leader in the manufacture and distribution of garden landscaping products, we have become the partner of choice for garden retailers throughout the UK and Ireland.

“Joining The Ames Companies Inc and the wider Griffon Corporation group will give us access to the global network we need to support our international growth ambitions, but also build on our established success at home in the UK.”

The KPMG corporate finance team in Leeds advised Kelkay on the sale to Ames.

The transaction was led by Giles Taylor, Stewart Cape and Anthony West from KPMG’s Northern Corporate Finance team, with support from Nathan Potton in the company’s Private Client Tax team.

Legal advice was provided by Robin Skelton and Jonathan Pollard of Eversheds.

Giles Taylor, partner at KPMG in Yorkshire, commented: “Yorkshire’s business community is attracting a great deal of attention from international corporates looking for quality acquisition opportunities which can provide routes into UK markets.

“Transactions like this will also become more common as local businesses explore ways to take their own products and services abroad, increase in scale and add to their own financial muscle.”

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