DTE and Hill Dickinson advise on acquisition of Vatre

Griffon Corporation subsidiary AMES Companies has acquired Vatre Group, a UK supplier of innovative garden pottery and associated products sold to leading UK and Ireland garden centres. The sale of Vatre was advised on by DTE and Hill Dickinson.

Vatre Group provides garden pottery and associated products. The Company offers urban, glased, natural, and traditional pottery made from zinc, fiberglass, wood, stoneware, and metal ware. Vatre Group serves customers in the UK and Ireland. Trading as Apta, has developed its market presence and brand over a number of years, under the stewardship of Paul Sykes. Its national presence and market dominance in its chosen sectors made it an extremely attractive target for the Griffon Corporation.

A multinational conglomerate headquartered in New York City, Griffon operates as a diversified management and holding company conducting business through wholly owned subsidiaries. Amid an on-going move to strengthen its UK subsidiary AMES Companies, Griffon has completed a lengthy courtship with Vatre. Following the sale, Apta’s main shareholder and Managing Director, Paul Sykes, will remain in his role for the foreseeable future to help continue the growth of Apta under its new ownership.

The deal was guided on the sell-side by M&A consultants from DTE Corporate Finance and Hill Dickinson. DTE Corporate Finance acted as lead advisor to the shareholders of Vatre Group, a national UK supplier of innovative garden pottery and associated products, on its sale to Griffon Corporation, a global, US-based business, wishing to expand their consumer offering in the UK. Meanwhile, legal advice was provided by Jonathan Gillow and Katie Somerville of Hill Dickinson.

Andy Humphrey, DTE Corporate Finance Director, who, with the support of Luke Seymour and Lewis Pearson, advised the shareholders of Apta, said, “It was a pleasure to work with Paul and the team at Apta, helping to secure the future of the company which is now ready to embark on the next part of its journey.  Apta is a fabulous company and we look forward to seeing it develop over the years to come.”

Commenting on the deal, Paul Sykes added, “Delivering the Apta deal and achieving value for the shareholders was due in no small part to the excellent work and tremendous commitment of the DTE Corporate Finance & Hill Dickinson teams. Even under pressure the teams never wavered, always providing sound judgement and solutions to the inevitable issues associated with selling to a purchaser listed on the NYSE.”