GLS Educational Supplies

Deal Summary

Catalyst advised on the £27 million sale of GLS Educational Supplies to Findel plc.

Operating from a 145,000 square foot warehouse in Enfield, GLS is the leading educational supplies business in the South East. It has sales of £51 million supplying over 14,000 curriculum, consumable and capital equipment products to over 10,000 educational establishments from pre-school nurseries to colleges and universities.

Findel plc is the UK’s leading provider of consumer home shopping products through mail order catalogues, and of educational supplies to schools.

What difference did we make?

Catalyst originally advised on the management buy-out of GLS in 2000 funded by Barclays Private Equity and we continued to work with the management team post deal.

We built a detailed understanding of the most likely buyers of GLS and their respective strategies and when the time came to sell the business, we knew that one of the most likely strategic acquirers was Findel plc.

The biggest difference we made on this deal was our in-depth understanding of Findel which enabled us to demonstrate clearly the synergies available to them in acquiring GLS. This made the opportunity compelling for Findel and helped us to negotiate an attractive multiple on sale.

The biggest difference we made on this deal was our in-depth understanding of Findel which enabled us to clearly demonstrate the synergies available to them in acquiring GLS. This made the opportunity compelling for Findel and helped us negotiate an attractive multiple on sale.