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Angel Member Profile - Ian Brierley

Angel Member Profile - Ian Brierley

John L.Brierley is 125 years old but it's changing with the times.  YABA business angel Ian Brierley is the fourth generation of his family to run the Huddersfield-based textile manufacturer and he's found that diversity is the key to the company's longevity.

Although textiles are still important to the business, it's distribution and processing that the company specialises in, rather than manufacturing, which is now mainly done overseas. The company group also includes a craft business which makes pipe cleaners, paper shapes, pompoms and sequins for the growing craft market and to sell into the education sector via group-buying syndicates.

Maybe surprisingly, the pipe cleaners have a variety of technical applications and are used in the health sector to clean test tubes and in engineering to clean valves, amongst other uses. The third arm of the business is an acquired turbo-charger company which operates from its own premises. "There is some synergy and group activity between the different businesses," says Ian. "I'm on the board of each and so have a strategic overview, but I'm happy for the individual businesses to carry on running independently of each other."

Ian's been a member of YABA for a couple of years with a view to spotting possible acquisitions to add to the company portfolio. Unlike some other business angels, he's more interested in established companies rather than start-ups. "It's lower risk, lower reward, than investing in a new business and that's a good fit with my overall strategy. But if the right opportunity was presented – who knows?" he says. "It's great to see the ideas and innovations presented at Investment Forums – they're always very interesting and the networking opportunity is just as valuable to me."

The long-term plan for the core business is to continue looking for suitable acquisitions. Although it's important to Ian that any new acquisitions meet his criteria as far as possible in terms of company size, sector, ethos and location, he's not averse to considering a very different venture to add to the portfolio. "The recycling sector interests me for a few reasons. It's connected to manufacturing but it's not the same as any of our current businesses; it also has a sustainable and eco-friendly aspect which is important to us. Our aim is to be socially ethical, to treat our employees well and to contribute to charity when possible. By being successful and profitable as a business we are better placed to fulfil these aims."

Centrally located in the M62 corridor, Ian's preference is to look at acquisition opportunities in a one-hour radius around Huddersfield. "If it's a small company or an easily re-locatable one, we have the space to house them in our mill building," he says. "If not, it would be better for them to be fairly local from a management point of view." Could he see any new acquisition opportunities coming from his YABA contacts? "It's certainly a possibility and it's why I like to attend an Investment Forum or Master class whenever I can," he says. "As well as learning something new, the YABA network could provide some innovative and different opportunities."

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