Banner, one of the UK’s leading school uniform suppliers, has hit the acquisition trail for the third time in less than three years.
The Trowbridge-based firm snapped up rival F.R. Monkhouse in a move that represents a key step in the firm’s strategy to be the market leader in supplying uniforms and sportswear to the schoolwear industry. 
The deal was funded by growth capital investors MML Capital Partners, which backed a management buy-out at Banner in 2015.
Stockport-based F.R. Monkhouse is one of the largest independent retailers of its kind in the UK with nine retail stores and nine on-site school shops in large independent schools. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
Banner, which has also operated under the Blue Max Banner and BMB brands, acquired school and sportswear specialists SWI and Orion in separate deals in 2016.
Banner chief executive Glenn Leech, who joined the business last September to drive further growth, said: “This acquisition provides many exciting opportunities for the combined business and will give us valuable insights into how we can further improve our offer.
“It was important to complete the deal as swiftly as possible to enable both ourselves and Monkhouse to focus on delivering high standards of service to all customers during the busy back-to-school period and WBD helped us achieve that.”
The deal was put together by a team in the Bristol office of international law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) team led by corporate partner Tom Fitzpatrick.
He said: “This is the first acquisition we have worked on for Banner and it is great to be involved with their dynamic growth strategy.”
WBD’s large corporate practice advises national and international clients on a broad range of corporate transactions, particularly mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, growth and development capital, and public company fundraisings.
