Sale of Essential Supply Products (ESP) to Lucart Group

Deal Summary

Headpoint Advisors has advised Carl Theakston, the founder and Chairman of Essential Supply Products Limited (ESP) on its sale to Italian company Lucart Group for an undisclosed sum. This is Lucart’s first acquisition in the UK.

Malvern based ESP was established by Carl in 1990 and has grown to become the UK’s leading independent manufacturer of professional hygiene products. ESP is a converter of disposable tissue paper products and supplier of dispenser systems to wholesale distributors, who in turn, serve the Away from Home (AFH), non-consumer market.

The current manufacturing plant was set up in 2017 and is spread over an area of 20 acres. The company employs 85 people on five different processing lines and generates revenues in excess of £25m annually.

Lucart is a family-owned company who share the same key values as ESP, with a strong emphasis on protecting the environment and offering consistent, high quality products. It is the second largest AFH manufacturer in Europe. Founded in Italy in 1953, with headquarters in Lucca, Tuscany.

Lucart has 12 paper mills and over 55 converting lines located in Italy, France, Hungary, Spain and now the UK. It employs 1,685 staff and generated revenues of €670m in 2020.

Headpoint was appointed because of our track record of working successfully with family-owned businesses and our experience in the paper industry, based on circular economy principles.