A leading Leicestershire, UK based knitted garments manufacturer is under new ownership following a recent management buyout. Earlier this month, a management buyout took place which saw Managing Director, Ben Littlejohn and Sales Director, Nick Barana supported by industry investors complete the acquisition of the BHM group of companies, which includes BHM Knitwear Limited (BHM).

BHM, which operates from a unique, state of the art design and sampling facility in Fleckney, South Leicestershire, has supplied fashion knitwear to UK and European brands for over 40 years. With manufacturing sites in UK, Romania, Turkey, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar, BHM has been successful in developing new categories of supply in knitwear, jersey, leisurewear and outerwear.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the management team has managed to successfully grow the business gaining support from external investors who are looking at the long-term opportunity for BHM. The investors advised by Team Emperia, who continue to advise the company going forward, were impressed by the exciting youthful dynamism of the management team and believe that the business has an opportunity to become an industry disruptor.

Ben Littlejohn, Managing Director, comments on the deal: “This deal provides a fantastic opportunity for myself, Nick, the investors and the rest of the team at BHM. With a perfect mix of enthusiasm, passion and a wealth of experience, the future of BHM looks incredibly exciting and I’d like to thank all of those involved in helping complete this deal.”

Rachel Bennett, a corporate finance partner at Flint Bishop, was the lead advisor to the new owners, with Bates Weston providing financial and tax due diligence. Bennett comments: “This is such an exciting opportunity for BHM’s home-grown talent, Ben and Nick, supported by international industry experts, to take the BHM group to the next level. It is heartening to see strong businesses continuing to transact during the current Covid-19 crisis, setting themselves up to come out of it even stronger.”

Roy Botterill and Ashley Taylor at Shakespeare Martineau and Gerald Couldrake at Howes Percival also advised on the deal.

BHM Knitwear Website