Bristol Uniforms – a flaming good deal

RSM’s M&A and private equity team has advised on the sale of Bristol Uniforms and Bell Apparel to MSA Safety Inc, a US listed manufacturer of safety equipment.

The client

Bristol Uniforms specialises in the design and manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters, with over 60 years’ experience in the fire sector. Through the leadership of Ian Mitchell and Roger Startin, Bristol Uniforms has become a trusted supplier of innovative, premium quality protection to the world’s firefighters. 

Bell Apparel is a leading manufacturer of flame-retardant, waterproof and other protective workwear for the utility industry.

Based in Bristol, the two businesses employ almost 200 staff across four sites and supplies PPE both nationally and internationally

RSM's Solution

The RSM team advised on the sale of Bristol Uniforms and Bell Apparel to MSA Safety Inc. The acquisition by MSA, provides new opportunities to serve the customer base, especially in the UK, with a broader range of head-to-toe firefighter protection and the global reach to make the Bristol brand even more successful outside of the UK.  

Transaction team: Ian Wherry, Mark Colling, Clare Martin and Ryan Keen

Testimonial

'We see this acquisition as a great fit for both our organisations. It gives us new opportunities to serve our customer base, especially in UK, with a broader range of head-to-toe firefighter protection. Culturally, MSA and Bristol are very well-aligned, and we are a very grateful to the team at RSM for their hard work on our behalf to secure a good deal for both the existing shareholders and the future of the business in Bristol Uniforms.'

Ian Mitchell,

Joint Managing Director