HL Display acquires Concept Group to further improve market leadership in UK

2021-03-04

HL Display is acquiring Concept Group (Concept Data Display Ltd and Colour Display Ltd), an UK-based provider of retail solutions and services. The acquisition will strengthen HL’s offer and customer base and as a result HL’s position as a leading supplier for in-store merchandising and communication solutions to grocery retailers.

HL Display is strengthening its market position in the UK through its acquisition of Concept Group. The company has 65 employees, with its head office and production site located in Leeds, UK. Annual sales are around £5.54m. Through over 30 years of experience in design, manufacturing and supply of in-store merchandising and display units, Concept Group has built a strong position in the UK grocery retail market, supplying both retail multiples and independent stores. After the acquisitions HL Display’s UK operations is expected to have a turnover of around £36m.

“With its strong footprint in the UK grocery retail market, Concept Group presents an important building block in our strategy of strengthening our market position as a leading supplier of in-store merchandising and communication solutions for grocery retailers. Furthermore, Concept Group’s woodworking manufacturing capabilities and offer for independent retailers will strengthen our companies’ combined offering,” says Björn Borgman, CEO of HL Display.

“With the acquisition of the Concept Group we gain access to new customers in UK and consolidate the market enabling both production and other synergies. It also marks the first acquisition to further build HL’s market leadership position in Europe, with more acquisitions to come,” says Joakim Twetman, Head of Business Area Industry, Ratos.

The acquisition was completed on 3 March 2021.

 

For further information, please contact:
Joakim Twetman, Head of Business Area Industry, Ratos
Phone: +46 70 339 16 66
joakim.twetman@ratos.com

Björn Borgman, CEO, HL Display
Phone: +46 722 641 790
Bjorn.Borgman@hl-display.com

 

About HL Display:
HL is a global leader in in-store merchandising and communication solutions, helping customers to create a better shopping experience around the world. Founded in 1954, HL today is present in more than 70 countries and solutions can be found in 295,000 stores, helping customers to grow sales, inspire shoppers, drive automation, and reduce waste.

The HL Display Group has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and sales companies covering 26 markets as well as distributor partners covering the remaining markets globally. The company has 1,000 employees and net sales of 1,520 MSEK.

About Ratos:
Ratos is a business group consisting of 11 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer & Technology and Industry. In total, the companies have SEK 33 billion in sales. Our business concept is to develop companies headquartered in the Nordics that are or can become market leaders. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas for Ratos. Everything we do is based on Ratos’s core values: Simplicity, Speed in Execution and It’s All About People.