Acquisition Will Further VSG’s Leadership in the At-Height Safety and Adjacent Industrial End Markets
NEW CANAAN, CT, November 4, 2024 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital” or “Gridiron”), an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, is proud to announce that its portfolio Company Vertical Supply Group (“VSG” or the “Company”), a leading supplier and manufacturer of life safety equipment, has acquired Tacklestore ltd. (“Tacklestore”), a UK leader in at-height safety, fall protection, material lifting, and personal protection equipment (PPE). Tacklestore was founded by Mike Hughes in 2004 and currently operates out of its head office in Bristol, with seven depot locations across the UK. Tacklestore sells its leading brands including G-Force, LiftinGear, LoadSurfer, ActionRam, and LifeGear through its depots and websites: safetyliftingear.com, lifegear.com, and safety-lifting.com. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
“We are very excited to add the Tacklestore brands, websites, and depots to the VSG platform and build on the amazing base Mike Hughes created. By adding the Tacklestore brands to our current assortment offered at our Honey Brothers locations, we are expanding the industries we cover to help us achieve our goal of becoming a one-stop shop for all of our customers’ work-at-height needs,” remarked Jeff Morris, CEO of Vertical Supply Group.
Vertical Supply Group (VSG) was established in 1960 as Sherrill Tree, initially serving arborists and tree care professionals. Since that time VSG has expanded its portfolio to include multiple brands and products for those who work at height, becoming a leader in vertical access, life safety, and climbing equipment.
“We had been looking for the right partner to carry on the Tacklestore legacy. We feel that our brands and people are in great hands with VSG and the partnership will open many opportunities for us to reach a global customer base,” added Mike Hughes, founder and Managing Director of Tacklestore.
“VSG’s partnership with Tacklestore’s product portfolio expands VSG into new attractive industrial, entertainment, utility and construction end markets in the UK and will provide a springboard for expansion into new end markets and geographic areas in the future,” commented Tom Burger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Gridiron.
“The acquisition of Tacklestore further expands VSG’s addressable market and progresses our growth strategy to significantly expand VSG’s international presence while building out VSG’s owned and controlled brands strategy to create a good, better, best product offering across diversified end markets in the work-at-height and life-safety industries,” said John Warner, Managing Director at Gridiron.
About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in consumer products & services, industrial growth, and business services segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.gridironcapital.com.
About Vertical Supply Group
Vertical Supply Group (“VSG”) is a vertically integrated business focusing on product development, manufacturing, and equipment supply. Comprised of brands Sterling, Notch, Rope Logic, Yates Gear, and Silky, as well as webstores TreeStuff.com, SherrillTree.com, HoneyBros.com, Universal Field Supplies, UtilityDirect.com, Bishco.com, and RescueDirect.com, VSG delivers the most comprehensive assortment of products for arborists, climbers, rope access and technical rescue technicians, utility lineman, and other work-at-height professionals globally. Learn more at www.verticalsupplygroup.com.
About Tacklestore ltd.
Tacklestore is a specialist supplier of lifting and fall protection products. It is comprised of 13 brands, including G-Force, Liftingear, and LoadSurfer, as well as several websites such as safetyliftingear.com, safety-lifting.com, and life-gear.com. Headquartered in Bristol, UK, Tacklestore offers an extensive range of products and technical expertise across lifting gear, height safety, load restraint, material handling, PPE, workwear, and industrial supplies. Their services also include inspection, repair, testing, and rentals across nine UK locations. Learn more at www.tacklestore.net.
Contacts
Gridiron Capital, LLC
Thomas A. Burger Jr.
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
tburger@gridironcapital.com
