BGF exits The Paint Shed following acquisition by The Brewers Group

The Paint Shed has been acquired by Brewers, bringing together two of the largest UK independent paint retailers. The deal provides a successful exit for BGF, which has backed The Paint Shed since 2020.

The Paint Shed, founded by Ogilvie Rolland in 1992, has 20 stores across Scotland as well as an online store, and employs 87 people. Brewers, already the UK’s largest independent decorator’s merchant with 193 stores across England and Wales, is a long-established family business.

We have worked closely with The Paint Shed’s management to support positive growth through new stores and expansion since our 2020 investment, and we look forward to seeing the business go from strength to strength. I am confident that the acquisition by Brewers is a strong outcome for all parties, representing a good fit for the company going forward, whilst delivering BGF a strong internal rate of return (IRR) of 22%.

Graham Clarke, investor at BGF

The Paint Shed will continue to operate as a standalone subsidiary of The Brewers Group. The combined group will enable efficiencies in distribution, expanded product ranges and customer services meaning together the two businesses can offer the best customer proposition in the market. In the near to medium term, The Paint Shed sees the opportunity for 5-10 more store openings across Scotland and has not ruled out further growth by acquisition.

Michael Rolland, Managing Director, The Paint Shed, said: “Looking ahead, the partnership with Brewers supports our view that, whether online or in store, independent paint retailing is the future. We plan on continuing to win market share in the locations we serve and grow The Paint Shed brand wherever we think we can add value to the customer. In our experience, people prefer to shop with specialist retailers, as opposed to generalists or single brand offerings.”

I am delighted to see the company join forces with Brewers. As another business with strong family roots, their values and culture mirrors our own, and will be a fantastic fit. It is our amazing people that have built such a successful company, I can’t thank them enough for their contribution and commitment over the years, and I wish the team every success going forward.

Ogilvie Rolland, Executive Chairman of the Paint Shed

Simon Brewer, CEO of Brewers said: “Ogilvie, Michael, and The Paint Shed team have built an incredible business, with great progress made over the last few years despite a challenging environment. The culture and values they have instilled in their business reflect those that matter most to us and that is why this coming together is most exciting.”

“The Paint Shed’s geography is a perfect fit with the Brewers Group’s own store network. Together we bring even greater economies of scale which will benefit all our customers, we are extremely optimistic for the prospects of the combined business and our next phase of growth.”