Northants furniture firm snaps up Danish rival
Ocee Design, a supplier of contemporary commercial furniture, has bought Danish furniture designer Four Design.
The combined business, Ocee International Group, will focus on expansion across the European and global export markets.
The deal was supported by a £10m investment from the Business Growth Fund (BGF).
Northampton-based Ocee Design has more than tripled its turnover in six years to become a significant player in the UK commercial furniture market. With showrooms in Northampton and London, the business employs 85 staff, 50 of whom are engaged in the assembly of furniture.
Four Design is a modern furniture company with sales throughout Europe and manufacturing partners in North America, China and Australia. BGF’s funding will be used to scale the company’s operations in the UK and internationally, with Ocee now benefiting from a permanent base in Denmark.
Steve Halbert has joined the board as non-executive chairman. He was previously head of UK M&A at KPMG and former chair and executive chair of GVA Grimley. His current chairman roles include Inflexion backed Alcumus, National Accident Helpline and Safestyle UK.
Alistair Gough, chief executive of Ocee Design said: “The strength of the relationship between Ocee Design and Four Design is a significant driver in our decision to purchase the company.
“By merging the businesses, the Group brings the expertise of the management teams together, creating a financially strong, meaningful domestic and international operator.
“This is a great opportunity to benefit from the respective distribution, design, service and manufacturing strengths of the combined Group, and we look forward to an exciting and prosperous future.”
The investment was led for BGF by Mark Freer and James Syrotiuk.
