Swindon firm helps owners of rubber products business to retire with sale

The owners of a business which supplies rubber products have retired after selling their company with the help of a Swindon firm.

Peter and Jane Estwick sold Kopak Industries with the help of specialist corporate finance business Watersheds.

Originally founded in 1968, Peter Estwick bought the business in 2002, having worked in the rubber products sector for 25 years previously.

Since then, he has built the business to be a market leader in providing technical products made from natural and synthetic polymers to sectors including automotive, classic automobile, heavy plant machinery, wholesale electrical and van conversion markets.

When the time came to retire, the business owners sought the guidance of Watersheds to ensure the smooth sale of their business.

They wanted to sell to somebody who would recognise the full value of the firm and be able to continue to grow it to its full potential.

A deal was struck with Warwickshire firm SJG International Limited.

Robert James, managing director of SJG, already had a working relationship with Kopak as suppliers and customers of the company.

He saw the potential of being able to consolidate the supply chain

Watersheds were on hand to act as a buffer between the two, and worked to agree a deal structure and provide hands-on project management, as well as removing much of the demand and stress of selling a business.

Mr Estwick said: "Watersheds took much of the stress and anxiety off our shoulders in finding the right buyer to fit with our plans in keeping the business growing in the future whilst providing a synergy with any potential buyer."

William Senior, a partner at Watersheds, explained that selling a business can be a challenging task for the owners, with multiple parties involved.

He said: “Selling a business can be overwhelming for the owners as there are many parties to deal with.

"We were able to support and advise Peter and Jane from beginning to end and project manage the accountants and lawyers involved.

"This allowed them to focus on continuing to run the business successfully."

The deal was also supported by Machins for legal advice.

Watersheds said it has "a proven track record of selling to public companies, large overseas buyers, private equity, private trade buyers and high net worth individuals".

It added it "regularly" buys as well as sells businesses, which it said gives it a "really valuable insight into the mind and motivation of the buyer".