Manchester’s legendary, 60-year old lifestyle brand and online retailer Henri-Lloyd Group has been acquired by Swiss-based outdoor clothing brand ODLO.
The acquisition comes months after ODLO announced the acquisition of Janus – a merino clothing manufacturer – and solidifies the brand’s commitment to growth and scale through acquisition across their portfolio.
ODLO is owned by Norway’s Monte Rosa Capital, and although the figure behind the deal remains undisclosed it is believed to be substantial, and expected to be concluded shortly.
Hugo Maurstad, ODLO chair, said: “We are excited about including Henri-Lloyd into our family of brands. It is an iconic brand with a proud history. Together with ODLO we aspire to further expand its product range and geographic footprint. Henri-Lloyd and ODLO are both companies that originated from technical innovations in outdoor sport apparel and they will complement each other going forward.”
Henri-Lloyd was established in Manchester in 1963 by Henri Strzelecki, a Polish former soldier who moved to Manchester to study textiles. He created several world-firsts within technical clothing that have today become industry standards, including seam taping garments for waterproofing and the invention of the nylon non-corrosive zip. The firm currently employs 85 staff in its UK retail business.
A team at north west law firm Taylors Solicitors has advised the owners of Henri-Lloyd on the sale to ODLO. Taylors also advised Henri-Lloyd when it changed hands in 2018, when the brand and valuable assets were acquired out of administration by investors led by Hans Eckerström with the aim of re-establishing the company as the premier brand for yachtsmen and sailors around the world.
Eckerström said: “The acquisition of Henri-Lloyd by ODLO opens up tremendous opportunities for the brand to reach its true potential to the benefit of all shareholders, both current and future.
