Securing funding for further expansion and a management buyout.
Specialist Crafts Ltd are renowned for being the UKs largest mail order supplier of Art, Craft and Design materials to educational establishments in the UK. Selling in excess of 28,000 products from 3 locations.
The company is best known for its Specialist Crafts brand, however they have also built two further strong businesses, Dryad, in the Middle East and Heart Educational Supplies, in the UK & Ireland.
Over the past twenty years company growth has been rapid under the leadership of Nick Beavon. The company has created a formidable brand that competes with premium art and design brands whilst satisfying the needs of Art Teachers and Art Professionals, as well as other educational subject leaders across the world.
With Distribution Centres in Leicester (UK), Galway (Ireland) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) they supply every secondary school and high school in the world teaching the English Curriculum as well as 70% of American International Schools.
With continuity and succession in mind the Beavon family looked to its experienced management team to continue building this international company and on 21st February 2020 sold 75% of their shares to a Management Buy Out.
David Edwards, previously Operations Director, has served the company for over 14 years and takes over the role of Managing Director, leaving Nick Beavon as Director of Sales & Marketing and Nicks wife Angela will continue as Finance Director.
Sandeep Khele, General Manager of Dubai, Paul Corlett, Head of Purchasing and Andrew Skidmore, Head of IT also have become shareholders in the business.
Nick Beavon enthused ‘My passion is sales & marketing. It was an easy decision really, the leadership team at Specialist Crafts is so strong that when the time came, we simply would not have sold the business to anyone else! Everyone wins, the company continues with a stable management team reinvigorated by ownership and I get to follow my passion and continue building our fantastic brand!’
David Edwards said ‘Working at Specialist Crafts has allowed me to grow and really appreciate owner manager lead businesses. My background in large multi-national companies gives me a very strong grounding for such I high growth business, but very early on I realised that not only is business about growth, but also about its people, and at Specialist Crafts everyone is valued for the contribution they give. I will continue to mentor the people in our wonderful business and with my passion for technology, hope to build on incredibly good foundations.’
The company now plans to expand into Northern America and is working to secure strong partnerships in the USA and Canada as well as increase its brand growth in the UK, Europe and Asia.
Information request to: Nick Beavon – Sales & Marketing Director nickb@speccrafts.co.uk +44 (0)7990 571371
Websites:
Catalogues:
• https://www.specialistcrafts.co.uk/media/flipbooks/SC2020%20UK%20FLIPBOOK/sc20edl.html
• https://www.specialistcrafts.co.uk/media/flipbooks/OB2020%20UK%20Flipbook/ob20edl.html
• https://www.hearteducational.co.uk/media/flipbooks/HTX2019%20UK%20Flipbook/htx19uk/htx19uk/htx19_uk.html
• https://www.hearteducational.co.uk/media/flipbooks/HDT2019%20UK%20Flipbook/hdt19uk/hdt19uk/hdt19_uk.html
