Westland Horticulture has announced it has acquired established garden products provider, Gardman group, and taken the company out of administration. The purchase includes all trading assets, stock, infrastructure and Gardman brands, which include Cole and Bright, Grow It, Moulton Mill and Gardman Wild bird care. 

"This acquisition will bring much needed stability for our customers and to the Gardman business," Westland Horticulture has said. "The immediate focus will be to work with all customers to provide as much continuity as possible and ensure a smooth transition over the coming weeks.

"The purchase of Gardman provides the opportunity to put a greater focus on core gardening by joining together the product strengths in Westland and Crest with those of Gardman," said Westland. "The growth of wildlife, the increased interest in the outdoor space and the opportunity to re-energise propagation and growing were factors in purchasing the business."

A devastating fire broke out at Gardman's warehouse in Daventry this March, which completely destroyed the company's main UK warehouse and distribution centre. Shortly afterward, rumours of the company's closure began to circulate, to which a spokesperson told DIY Week: “Following the fire at our warehouse in Daventry on March 12, we can confirm that we will use our warehouse at Kings Lynn to supply customers until a permanent warehousing solution has been identified... We will divert our stock sat at UK ports and stock arriving from overseas to the Kings Lynn site."

Managing director at Westland, Edward Conroy said: “We have always believed that Gardman is an important part of the gardening landscape, and we are committed to maintaining this for the long term.

“Gardman is fundamentally a strong business with good products. Our focus is to work together with all customers to make the transition simple and clear to all. It is imperative that in the coming days we keep our lines of communication open with customers and stakeholders alike. Westland is focused on delivering a strong future for Gardman categories which can only thrive from being part of the Westland family. For now, it’s very much business as usual for all concerned.”