REG - Lords Group Trading - Acquisition

Lords TradingAnnouncement

09/06/2025 13:00

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RNS Number : 0414M  Lords Group Trading PLC  09 June 2025

9 June 2025

 

Lords Group Trading plc

('Lords', 'the Company' or the 'Group')

 

Acquisition

 

Lords strategically acquires the trade and assets of CMO

 

Lords, one of the UK's largest specialist distributors of building materials,
announces that it has acquired the trade and assets of CMO Group Limited(1)
('CMO'), the UK's largest online-only retailer of construction products
following a CMO pre-pack administration process (the 'Acquisition').

 

The Acquisition brings together Lords' infrastructure and merchanting
expertise with CMO's digital-first online model and reflects Lords' continued
focus on growth, diversification, and digital innovation in the construction
materials distribution sector.

 

Founded in 2008 as Construction Materials Online, CMO has built a
market-leading e-commerce platform serving homeowners and trade professionals
through a suite of specialist superstore websites. With over 140,000 listed
products and a unique hybrid approach combining online convenience with expert
technical support, CMO has brought true disruption to a traditionally offline
industry

 

The Acquisition, further details of which are set out below, marks a new
chapter for CMO and its c.120 colleagues who will join the Group. Lords
acknowledges that the events leading to the Acquisition have had an impact on
a number of stakeholders, including creditors and suppliers. The pre-pack
administration process was undertaken with careful consideration and in close
coordination with legal and financial advisers, with the intention of
preserving as much business continuity, employment, and value as possible.

 

Dean Murray, CEO of CMO, said:

 

"The Acquisition marks a new and exciting chapter for CMO. We have built a
strong, digitally-led business over the past 15 years, and in Lords we have
found a partner that not only understands our model but shares our ambition. I
am incredibly proud of what the CMO team has achieved and excited about what
is next."

 

Commenting on the Acquisition, Shanker Patel, CEO of Lords, said:

 

"We are delighted to welcome CMO into the Lords family. CMO brings a
well-established digital platform, strong customer reach, and a specialist
product-led approach that complements our own. This partnership allows us to
blend traditional merchanting strengths with cutting-edge digital
capabilities.

 

"We are also mindful of the impact of the pre-pack administration process on
affected parties and are committed to conducting the transition with respect.
Our focus now is on ensuring a stable and successful future for the CMO
business and all its stakeholders."

 

All trading activity continues under the new ownership without interruption.
Customers, suppliers, and partners are being contacted directly to ensure
continuity and alignment.

 

- Ends -

 

For further enquiries:

 

 Lords Group Trading plc                                            Via Burson Buchanan
 Shanker Patel, Chief Executive Officer                             Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
 Stuart Kilpatrick, Chief Financial Officer

 Cavendish (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)                     Tel: +44 (0) 20 7220 0500
 Ben Jeynes / Hamish Waller (Corporate Finance)
 Julian Morse / Henry Nicol / Matt Lewis (Sales/Corporate Broking)

 Berenberg (Joint Broker)                                           Tel: +44 (0) 20 3207 7800

 Matthew Armitt / Harry Nicholas / Detlir Elezi

 Burson Buchanan                                                    Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
 Henry Harrison-Topham / Steph Whitmore / Abby Gilchrist            LGT@buchanan.uk.com (mailto:LGT@buchanan.uk.com)

 

NOTE

 

(1) The trade and assets of CMO subject to the Acquisition exclude the 'Tiles'
business formerly owned by CMO Group Limited and generated revenue in the year
ended 31 December 2024 of c.£52 million. The total cash consideration payable
of £1.8 million will result in Lords acquiring a property valued at £1.2
million.

 

Notes to editors:

 

Lords is a specialist distributor of building, plumbing, heating and DIY
goods. The Group principally sells to local tradesmen, small to medium sized
plumbing and heating merchants, construction companies and retails directly to
the general public.

 

The Group operates through the following two divisions:

 

Merchanting: supplies building materials and DIY goods through its network of
merchant businesses and online platform capabilities. It operates both in the
'light side' (building materials and timber) and 'heavy side' (civils and
landscaping), through 31 locations in the UK.

 

Plumbing and Heating: a specialist distributor in the UK of plumbing and
heating products to a UK network of independent merchants, installers and the
general public. The division offers its customers an attractive proposition
through a multi-channel offering.  The division operates over 16 locations
enabling nationwide next day delivery service.

 

Lords was established over 40 years ago as a family business with its first
retail unit in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.  Since then, the Group has
grown to a business operating from 47 sites.

 

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to
constitute inside information pursuant to Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014
as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended.  Upon the publication of this announcement
via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now
considered to be in the public domain.

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