Gala Tent acquires print firm to boost business
MARQUEE and gazebo manufacturer Gala Tent has acquired a 50% stake in digital printing business Sign Man.
Both firms are based in Rotherham and the deal will see Sign Man relocating to Gala Tent’s 53,000sq ft purpose-built premises on Farfield Park.
Gala Tent, which has an annual turnover of £7m, provides custom printed services for commercial gazebos for promotional products, market traders, motor racing, new businesses and for exhibitions and events. By bringing the custom printed service in-house, Gala Tent said it expects to be able to double its capacity and turnover from printed gazebos and marquees, within the next 12 months.
Jason Mace, managing director of Gala Tent, said: “Sign Man is a perfect fit with our business. Tom Madden has extensive expertise in high quality digital printing and we are very excited about what this will mean for our business. It will give us much greater control of our printing of branded goods, providing a much quicker and more efficient service to customers.
“We expect to be able to offer a much shorter lead time for the delivery of branded goods and it will also mean we can expand our custom printed business and increase our market share.”
Madden, the owner of Sign Man, said: “It is fantastic to have the backing of Gala Tent, as they have a strong reputation in the industry and a customer base that requires branded goods. We are excited to be relocating to the Dearne Valley and together with the backing of Gala Tent, we will be investing in the business to further increase our range of branded services to customers.
“As a result of the acquisition, we expect to create a number of new jobs in the digital printing business over the next six months, which is great news for the local economy.”
Founded in 1999, Gala Tent has grown to sell over 10,000 tents and marquees each year, along with around 90,000 event accessories and furniture products. In the UK, Gala Tent is a preferred supplier for organisations including the military, NHS, the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, South Yorkshire Police Service, St John’s Ambulance and AA.
