Hillarys closes in on £250m sale

Hillarys, the Nottingham-based supplier and installer of luxury blinds, could be about to change hands in a £250m deal.

According to reports, the owner of Hillarys – private equity firm European Capital – have been speaking to a range of City investment bankers with a view to selling the business.

Hillarys was was set up by Tony Hillary in 1971. He sold the business to Close Brothers Private Equity in 2001. European Capital bought the business in 2007 for £229.

However, say reports, the deal may be a complicated one as European Capital itself is going through a change of ownership with the fund’s American parent company on the verge of being bought by Ares Management – the business that owns the Farrow & Ball paint company.

In its last accounts, Hillarys posted revenues of £130m and profits of £17.7m for the year ending 2 October 2015.