News: Rotherham manufacturer acquired in international deal

Empire Tapes, a British tape manufacturing business supplying customers across the globe with a varied selection of tapes, has been acquired by Ireland's Zeus Group.

As a leading specialist manufacturing and distribution group, Dublin-based Zeus provides a diverse range of sustainable packaging solutions tailored to the unique needs of businesses worldwide.

Founded in 1993 and with its base at Manvers in Rotherham, Empire Tapes are manufacturers, rewinders and converters of adhesive tape.

Zeus said that the deal, which is for an undisclosed sum, supports its continued growth trajectory across Europe and further reinforces the company’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric solutions. Empire Tapes also enhances Zeus’ industrial adhesive capability.

Empire Tapes brings more than 20 years of expertise in high-performance adhesive technologies, serving industrial clients across the UK and globally. With a strong reputation for agility, technical specialism, and UK-based manufacturing, the acquisition bolsters Zeus’ industrial packaging capabilities and expands its specialist offering in technical adhesives such as double-sided, masking, and barrier tapes.

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The deal was announced alongside a deal to acquire Spanish firm, Rio Tinto Plásticos.

Brian O’Sullivan, Founder and Owner of Zeus Group, said: "These acquisitions reflect Zeus’ ambition to deliver world-class, sustainable packaging solutions by combining technical excellence with local market insight. Empire Tapes and Rio Tinto Plásticos are both highly respected operators in their fields. Their addition to the Zeus family brings new capability, enhanced customer value, and an even stronger platform for future growth across Europe.”

Dean Sherriff, Chairman of Empire Tapes, welcomed the opportunity to accelerate the company's growth and technical development under Zeus’ ownership.

Zeus also said that the strategic additions are set to boost annual revenue by €20m, helping to pass the €500m mark this year. THe group has an ambitious goal of reaching €1 billion in annual revenues.

In 2023, Empire Tapes secured £4m from NatWest to support the business to progress in the sports sector. In 2017, the company diversified into the sports tapes space, focusing on the tape used to wrap boxers’ hands and secure their gloves during training and for competitive fights. It is now a world-leading brand, used by champions.

Empire Tapes website

Images: Empire Pro Tape / Facebook

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News: Rotherham-based tape manufacturer earning the support of boxing royalty

Empire Tapes, a British tape manufacturing business supplying customers across the globe with a varied selection of tapes, has secured £4m investment from NatWest to help grow the new sports tape sector of the business.

Founded in 1993 and with its base at Manvers in Rotherham, Empire Tapes are manufacturers, rewinders and converters of adhesive tape.

In 2017, the company diversified into the sports tapes space, focusing on the tape used to wrap boxers’ hands and secure their gloves during training and for competitive fights. The company’s Glove tape has a unique design which is waterproof and therefore stays intact during long sessions. In fact, the tape is so effective that there hasn’t yet been a stoppage to fix loose tape during a match where Empire’s tape was being used.

The tape further increased in popularity after it was endorsed by Lineal and WBC World Heavyweight Champion, Tyson Fury, helping to secure its status in the industry.

The sport sector is an important area of growth for Empire Tapes and the team have also launched their own range of boxing equipment and other products. Their training Boxing Gloves are the first non-competitive gloves to be sanctioned by the British Board of Boxing Control in the history of the sport. The funding from NatWest will support the business to progress these plans and help take the brand to a global audience.

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Mark Putwain, Finance Director at Empire Tapes, said: “We’re excited to be continuing to grow the sports sector of our business with help from NatWest. The support we have received so far has been invaluable in helping us move towards achieving our business growth goals and we are grateful to them for sharing our vision of the future for Empire Tapes.

“Since the beginning of our relationship, the NatWest team completely understood where we wanted to take the business in the next chapter for Empire Tapes and were truly excited about our plans. Their enthusiasm has helped drive us in recent years and pushed us towards our growth goals."

Liam Douglas, Relationship Director at NatWest, said: “At NatWest we’re passionate about supporting businesses who have a unique and ambitious vision for the future and helping them achieve their business goals. Empire Tapes is one of those businesses and we’re excited to be part of their journey as they diversify into a new sector. It’s great to see them gain support from industry greats like Tyson Fury and we look forward to seeing where this part of the business goes next.”

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Empire Tapes was started by Dean Sherriff and boosted by the addition of business partner, Mark Stanley, in 1997, leading to significant growth over the years. New members were added to the team that bring different levels of expertise. They are now one of the largest UK based tapes wholesalers, specialising in a wide range of tapes from masking tape, paper tape, cloth, aluminium & foam tapes. The company’s product range is vast, catering for its customers’ and varied requirements.

Empire Tapes website

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News: Rotherham companies to inspire Britain

A number of Rotherham-based firms feature in the London Stock Exchange Group's "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" report, which identifies the UK’s most dynamic and fastest-growing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

SMEs account for around 60% of employment and over 50% of turnover in the UK private sector. The companies featured in this year's report have recorded an annual average revenue growth rate of 41.2% and have generated more than 42,000 jobs in the two years to December 2019.

Manvers-based Bluetree Group has been picked out for special praise, given the way it has pivoted its print business to become a mask manufacturer. The company is the first in England to produce Meltblown, a filtration layer used in personal protection equipment.

Featuring in the report, Adam Carnell, a Director at Bluetree Group, said: "Over the past 12 months, we have invested over £18m into our production facility and recruited an additional 400 colleagues, doubling in size, enabling us to produce 20 million Type IIR masks per week."

Lighting manufacturer ASD Lighting is also featured. Based on Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, ASD has a reputation for innovation and quality and provides a range of products for domestic and commercial installations. The firm increased turnover by over £1m to £25m for the year ending June 2019. Profit before tax increased slightly to £3.8m.

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Another Rotherham firm featured is Empire Tapes, which is a manufacturer, rewinder and converter of adhesive tape. Based at Manvers, the company also includes Empire Tapes Plc - the UK's largest producer of technical tapes for the sports industry and seen around the world on the top figures in boxing.

Real estate company, Harworth Group PLC, is also in the report. Based close to its flagship Waverley development, the listed firm is a specialist in brownfield regeneration and has a £232.3m income-producing portfolio across the UK.

Pricecheck, an international wholesaler and distributor of fast-moving consumer goods, is also on the list. The company, which has its main warehouse facility at Beighton Link and further space at Manvers, recently achieved its ambitious target of £100m turnover by 2020. Trusted by the world's biggest brands, Pricecheck offers more than 6,000 branded products to customers in the UK and to more than 80 countries globally.

Another Rotherham business in the report is the Underwood Meat Company which is a catering butcher which also operates a number of its own retail outlets. For the year to October 2019, turnover had increased to £78m from £74m in the previous year.

Wilsons Carpets is the final Rotherham entry in the report. The growin firm has stores and warehouses that stock over 1 million square metres of flooring.

1000 companies website

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News: Rotherham's inspirational SMEs

Five Rotherham-based firms have been included in the London Stock Exchange Group's "1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain" report, which identifies the UK's most dynamic and fastest growing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Now in its fifth year, the report shows that those included SMEs are growing at 71% on average and that one third of them come from the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine regions. 70 SMEs on the list are based in Yorkshire and companies were selected based on combined key financial performance indicators and sector benchmarks.


Staying on the list from 2017, Rotherham-based Bluetree Design and Print, Crawshaw plc and Wilsons Carpets are joined by Pricecheck Toiletries and Empire Tapes.

The Bluetree Group operates through a number of different brands, including Route 1 Print and instantprint. The £30m turnover group moved to bigger Rotherham premises in 2015. Funding from Barclays and the Sheffield City Region Growth Fund Programme enabled the company to take a new 86,900 sq ft site at Brookfields Park in Manvers. Staff numbers have passed the 250 mark.

Crawshaw Group Plc is the UK's leading value butcher. The AIM-listed firm is based at Hellaby and a transformational deal with the 2 Sisters Food Group in 2017 enabled Crawshaw to restart its accelerated new store opening programme, with an initial focus on factory shop locations.

Established in 1968, Wilsons Carpets is a family firm specialises in carpets, laminate, rugs, vinyl flooring and artificial grass. Headquartered at Houndhill Park, Manvers, it has grown to run 15 stores across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with one of the largest now at The Gateway in Parkgate, Rotherham.

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Fast-growing supplier of international branded consumer goods, Pricecheck Toiletries, is celebrating 40 years in business this year and is heading past the £70m annual turnover mark. Officially opening in 2016, new premises at Beighton Link Business Park in Rotherham matched the firm's ambitious future growth plans, with the 115,000 sq ft warehouse able to accommodate 40% more than previously achievable and offices that tripled in size. The business now boasts a total of 170,000 sq ft and aims to reach £200m turnover by 2025.

Founded in 1993 and with its base at Manvers, Empire Tapes are manufacturers, rewinders and converters of adhesive tape. Earlier this year it bagged new banking facilities from Barclays to support expansion plans and the launch of a new product called "Pro Tape" which has been endorsed by Yorkshire boxer Nicola Adams and was used by Conor McGregor in the recent training camp and fight with Floyd Mayweather.

David Warren, interim CEO and group CFO of the London Stock Exchange Group, said: "1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2018 clearly illustrates the economic potential of the UK's SMEs and underlines the diversity and resilience of these businesses. Their geographical and sector variety lays the foundation for a diverse and balanced economy, enabling the skills and entrepreneurship of many thousands of people to flourish.

"Our role and that of the Government and the financial ecosystem is to ensure that high-growth businesses receive support to realise their growth potential. This not only benefits the companies, but the UK economy as a whole, by creating the jobs of tomorrow."

The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, added: "Small businesses are the backbone of the British economy with a combined annual turnover of £1.9 trillion and employ 60% of private sector workers outside of London. That's why, whether they are family run firms or tech start-ups, we are supporting high growth SMEs to achieve their potential."

Bluetree website
Crawshaw website
Wilsons Carpets website
Pricecheck website
Empire Tapes website
LSEG website

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News: Empire building with "Tape of Champions"

Empire Tapes has bagged new banking facilities from Barclays to support expansion plans and the launch of a new product.

Founded in 1993 and with its base at Manvers, Empire Tapes are manufacturers, rewinders and converters of adhesive tape.

Bringing together a "Think Tank" including the whole of the organisation, the company empowers its staff to get involved in the development of products at an early stage and emphasises collaboration within its own team, with suppliers and with its production people.

The latest development has seen Empire work with a professional hand wrapper and "cut specialist" to develop a tape for use by fighters. It has developed "Pro Tape" which has been endorsed by Yorkshire boxer Nicola Adams and was used by Conor McGregor in the recent training camp and fight with Floyd Mayweather.

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Dean Sherriff, managing director, Empire Tapes, said: "We're so excited with our latest product development and the Pro Tape has been recognised for ease of use, flexibility and durability and is already being used by so many fighters in the professional and amateur game not only the UK but throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and the US.

"Empire Pro Tape has secured a long-term supply contract producing a joint branded tape with the British Boxing Board of Control and as such is now the only approved printed tape to be allowed for the external lace protection of gloves. We can't thank Barclays enough for their support for the business and the funding facilities will enable us market the tape globally and expand into other sporting arenas."

Empire Tapes employs over forty people locally and turnover for the next year is expected to exceed £15m.

Neil Bradburne, Barclays relationship director put together the funding package for the deal. He said "We've been working with Dean and his team for several years now supporting the growth of the business and we're really excited with their latest development which is a pivotal moment in the company's history.

"The team at Empire Tapes really impressed me with their professionalism, vast background experience in the sector and most importantly, their burning desire to succeed.

"We're delighted to be able to provide funding to support their growth ambitions and with Barclays backing the future looks bright for this well-managed company."

Empire Tapes website

Images: UKSE

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