The deal
Our Corporate Finance team successfully advised Finest Brands, on its on its sale to Irish sports programme services and media investment firm, TDL Media.
Founded over 40 years ago by John and Bridget Ayres and run today by John and Bridget’s daughter, Sarah-Jane Fedarb, Finest Brands started as a mail order saddlery business, the Champion brand was founded thanks to their love of riding and concern for safety. It is recognised globally as one of the leading brands for safety riding helmets and has carried the British Standards Institute kitemark since its inception over 40 years ago.
TDL Media is a sports programme services and media investment firm based in Ireland, and is the investment vehicle of Setanta Sports co-founder, Michael O’Rourke.
Our team led by Director Tom Coombes worked alongside the founding family of Finest Brands to market the business to a number of interested parties, structure the transaction and project manage the process through to completion alongside Finest Brands’ shareholders and management team.
Tom Coombes, FRP Corporate Finance Director said; “The three brands owned by Finest Brands are standout in their field and the Champion brand is an important manufacturing employer in South Wales. We’re proud to have closely worked with the family on this deal and have secured a long-term home for some of the most prominent brands in the UK heritage sporting market.
This transaction adds another important credential to team’s manufacturing and consumer credentials. We look forward to seeing the brands grow further globally under TDL Media’s ownership and wish Sarah-Jane and the founding family the best for the future.”
Sarah-Jane Fedarb, a Shareholder of Finest Brands, said: “The Cardiff team helped us find a partner in TDL who we firmly believe will continue with the values and ethos that my family has worked hard to ensure run through the business, our ethics, our ethos, our handmade British manufacturing and the loyalty to our valued and dedicated teams in the group.”
Legal advice to the Shareholders was provided by Blake Morgan (Richard Jones and James Bowen), with tax advice from Azets.
Deal summary
Date:
March 2024
Sector:
Consumer & Retail
Deal type:
Selling a business
Deal size:
Undisclosed