RJD completes management buyout of leading specialist distribution platform, Barber of Sheffield

Third investment from RJD Fund III RJD Partners (“RJD”), the UK Private Equity investor, has invested in the management buyout of Barber of Sheffield, the leading European supplier of specialist products to the body art, medical and veterinary markets.

This is the third investment from RJD’s third buyout fund, following the recent investment in Babington Group, and follows RJD’s sales of upmarket holiday park operator Verdant Leisure and network services business ISG Technology.

Based in Sheffield, Barber is the largest supplier of body art consumables and studio accessories in Europe. The Business also supplies specialist products tailored to the medical and veterinary markets, including specialist needles, instruments and hygiene products. The company services a growing, highly diversified and loyal customer base through its e-commerce platform, having successfully developed a pan-European, mobile optimised website infrastructure.

RJD has taken a majority stake in the business and has invested alongside Barber’s management team, led by Richard Boston and Craig Burns. They have overseen the group’s recent organic and acquisition-led growth strategy, successfully establishing the business as European market leader having joined the business in 2014 from Shop Direct Group and Sheffield United respectively.

RJD will work alongside Barber’s ambitious management team to grow the business further organically and realise their exciting plans to expand their presence through acquisition in the growing body art consumables market, both domestically and across Europe.

The investment in Barber builds on RJD’s track record in the support services market, following successful investments in businesses such as Character World, the licensed bedding specialist. Debt facilities in support of the transaction were provided by Santander UK plc.