New leadership and BGF investment signal exciting era for Victorian Sliders
Following its original investment in August 2021, BGF – one of the biggest and most experienced investors in the UK and Ireland – has provided an additional round of funding alongside HSBC to support the growth plans of multi award-winning manufacturing business Victorian Sliders. As a result of the transaction, Scot Starkey will pursue other ventures and will no longer be involved in the business. Group Managing Director Steve Winslet has been joined by an experienced team to help build on Victorian Sliders’ market-leading proposition. Mark Shather joins as Finance Director, with decades of experience in multiple sectors, including window manufacturing. Strategic Development Director Nick Evans has significant funding and operational experience in private equity backed businesses across global markets and multiple sectors, including manufacturing. They, together with Jason Powell, who has worked alongside Steve Winslet since August 2022 leading Production, will combine to deliver the team’s customer-centric growth agenda.
In the coming months, they will seek to drive product development, key strategic partnerships, and expansion into adjacent markets and geographies. The imminent appointment of a new high-profile Sales & Marketing Director to spearhead this customer-centric strategy will complete the new team. The deal was led for BGF by Edwin Davies and Hannah Waters, who worked closely with Victorian Sliders Group Managing Director Steve Winslet.
Edwin Davies, Investor at BGF who also joined the Victorian Sliders board following BGF’s initial £14-million investment in the Carmarthenshire-based company, said: “As a long-term investor, we are very proud to have supported Victorian Sliders accelerate its growth journey over the last three years. “We have seen Victorian Sliders go from strength to strength and we are confident that with BGF investment, combined with the new leadership team’s experience and expertise, the business’ impressive growth trajectory will continue to gather further momentum.”
Group MD Steve Winslet said: “We want to thank Scot Starkey for his years of investment and dedication to the business, and wish him all the best for his future ventures. With an experienced new leadership team in place, our focus is on implementing a customer-centric strategy that puts the installers, housebuilders, local authorities & housing associations we work with first. Over the last 18 months, we’ve already driven huge improvements in quality, reliability, lead times and customer service. In the months and years ahead, we’re determined to continue those improvements, and turn Victorian Sliders into a world-class manufacturer. We’re delighted to be entering this exciting new era.”
