Member Article

Investment in rising holiday home supplier pays off for Newcastle's NVM

Newcastle-based investment firm NVM Private Equity LLP (NVM) has announced a profitable exit from Arleigh International, a supplier of accessories and spares to the holiday home and boating market.

Since 2004, NVM has invested a total of £3.3m to support Arleigh International. Since the initial investment Arleigh has grown both organically and through strategic investments, expanding fiercely across the UK.

The sale represents NVM’s fourth profitable exit from its portfolio in the past six months, with the exit returning almost four times what the business has put into Arleigh in total. Moreover, the exit generated an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 24% for NVM.

Nuneaton-based Arleigh International has supplied spare parts and accessories to the UK caravan holiday home market since the late 1960’s.

It expanded into the narrow boat supplies market in 1997 through the acquisition of Marine Mart, a business founded by Alastair Thomas in early 1990s, when it was just a Portakabin by the canal selling narrow boat engines and gearboxes.

On a macro-level, Arleigh has benefited from the rising popularity of UK ‘staycation’ holidays. In 2016, sales of new motorhomes returned to record levels with a 26% increase in sales during the first quarter of 2016.

Martin Green, Managing Partner of NVM: “It has been great to see Arleigh develop into the business it is today.

“Since our original investment, Arleigh has gone from strength to strength expanding across the UK and extending its product portfolio.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the Arleigh team over the last 11 years and we are confident that the business can continue its success as part of LKQ. We wish the management and staff all the best for the future.”

Alastair Thomas, Managing Director of Arleigh International, added: “NVM’s involvement in Arleigh was always a positive and respectful one.

“From day one they saw the potential and enabled the business to grow exponentially. It has been a very rewarding and uplifting experience and now sets the stage for the next exciting chapter to be written under the ownership of LKQ.”

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