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Howes Percival advises on sale of family-owned Northamptonshire business, Signature Ribbon


Howes Percival have acted on the sale of Northamptonshire based business Signature Ribbon Company Limited to Cole Fabrics Plc.

Signature Ribbon was founded by Philip Clarke and Rosalie Clarke in 2001. The families’ involvement with the business has grown alongside its expansion into a market leading ribbon manufacturer and printer, with Nick and Mike Clarke having active owner-management roles in recent years.

The company now has manufacturing and printing facilities in the UK and Far East and supplies ribbon to both local and national-leading retailers. The family-owned businesses success is due to its commitment to its customers and retaining a strong presence in the local business market.

The team was led by Gerald Couldrake and Matt Mayes (corporate) and supported by Simon deMaid (employment), Owen Franks (property) and Sam Moore (tax).

Owner and director Nick Clarke commented: “Signature Ribbon has been a huge part of my family’s life and we are delighted to see a return on the time and effort we have put into the business. Signature Ribbon has responded excellently to the challenges of Brexit and COVID-19 and Cole Fabrics felt like the right fit to take the business further.

“Howes Percival’s superb and efficient service made the sale a smooth process. I would highly recommend their services.”

Howes Percival’s Gerald Couldrake commented: “We have a long-standing relationship with Signature Ribbon and we were delighted to act on the sale of the business. Signature Ribbon is well placed to expand and prosper under the ownership of Cole Fabrics.

“I have enjoyed an excellent business relationship with Philip and Rosalie and wish them well in their retirement.”

For more information on Howes Percival’s Corporate team or help with acquisitions or disposals, please visit our website here https://www.howespercival.com/services/corporate/

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For further information please contact:

Gordon or Liz at MAW Communications on 01603 505 845

Notes to editors:

Howes Percival has offices in Cambridge, Leicester, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Norwich.  It has 49 partners and 169 lawyers in total.

The firm is recommended in The Legal 500 – the authoritative guide to the UK’s leading law firms.  In the 2021 guide, no fewer than 11 different departments achieved the guide’s highest possible ranking (Tier 1): Corporate and Commercial; Dispute Resolution – Commercial Litigation; Dispute Resolution – Debt Recovery; Finance – Insolvency and Corporate Recovery; Human Resources – Employment Law; Private Client – Agriculture and Estates; Private Client – Tax, Trusts and Probate; Real Estate – Commercial Property; Real Estate – Property litigation; Real Estate – Environment & Planning;  Intellectual Property.