Huws Gray

About 

Inflexion’s minority investment supported the transformational growth of Huws Gray to become the largest independent builders merchants in the UK, doubling headcount and profits before its sale to Blackstone.  

Huws Gray was founded in 1990 in Anglesey, Wales, and at the time of the 2021 sale was operating from over 100 trading locations across Wales, East Anglia, the North West of England, the Midlands and Yorkshire, with over 1,800 staff. The business is a one-stop shop for small contractors or independent builders, offering comprehensively stocked branches to ensure that customers can get what they need when they need it. 

Value acceleration 

Inflexion’s extensive M&A experience supported management's buy-and-build strategy. Within six months of the original investment, Inflexion originated and executed the transformational acquisition of Ridgeons to double Huws Gray's revenues. This was followed by a further 15 acquisitions. Ultimately the partnership saw the footprint of the business nearly double to over 100 branches with a significantly broadened geographical footprint. Headcount more than doubled from 800 to 1,800.  

Throughout the entire hold period, Huws Gray remained majority owned and led by the existing founder-led management team.