CMA pulls down blinds on takeover of Hillarys

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has today brought the proposed £300 million acquisition of Hillarys blinds by Hunter Douglas to a grinding halt.

The CMA launched an initial enforcement order into the acquisition of the blinds and curtains retailer amid potential concerns over the deal.

This decision means that Netherlands based Hunter Douglas will now have to keep the two companies separate until the CMA completes the next stage of their investigations.

The Dutch company, founded in 1919 and which is famous for inventing the aluminium venetian blind in 1946, first announced it was acquiring Hillarys in May of this year.

Read - Hillarys blinds sold in £300m deal 

Hillarys currently employs 1,350 people across three manufacturing sites – two in Nottingham and one in Washington and it sells its products through a network of over 1,200 self-employed advisers.

Hillarys was originally founded by Tony Hillary in 1971, first as a made-to-measure blind firm before expanding into curtains, shutters, awnings and more recently carpets and flooring.

Read more about Tony Hillary here.

Source: Insight DIY Team

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