Hööks Hästsport steps up expansion rate – brings in Accent Equity as part owner

2/22/2011 3:13 AM EST

Hööks Hästsport, a retailer of horse and rider products, is stepping up its expansion rate and plans to increase both the number of shops and distance shopping via the Internet and mail order. The family firm, which was started 80 years ago, has invited the Accent Equity investment fund to participate and support its growth plans.

Hööks is the biggest retailer of equestrian products in the Nordic countries today. The company has an annual turnover of about SEK 250 million and nearly 200 employees. The products are sold in 26 wholly owned retail outlets in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark as well as via e-commerce and traditional mail order. The company is housed today in newly built premises in Borås which contain, in addition to the head office, 10,000 square metres of warehouse space.

“Our core values are to be service-minded, quality-conscious, value-priced, engaged and responsive,” says Joachim Höök, deputy managing director and, together with his sister, owner of the company. “Over the years, this approach has given us many loyal customers. We now want to increase our presence both geographically and in terms of product range, and we know Accent Equity will help us in this endeavour. Accent has long experience of developing Nordic companies – not least family firms such as ours.”

As Hööks and equestrian sport have grown, horse equipment has also developed to become more functional and fashionable. Hööks has made the most of this trend with its own product development. Increased sales volumes have enabled new products to be developed directly with the manufacturer so that prices can be kept down. In addition to the original product range for horse enthusiasts, Hööks has now also introduced a range aimed at dog owners.

“Hööks has managed to achieve renewal and growth in a traditional sector,” says Niklas Sloutski, CEO at Accent Equity Partners AB, an advisor to the Accent Equity funds. “We look forward to supporting management’s continued expansion of the shop network in northern Europe as well as e-commerce.”

Hööks’ first mail order catalogue was published in 1976, and the company’s website was launched in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark in 1999. In addition to ordering products and catalogues, the customers can get information and tips on horses and horse equipment. Today the website is one of the most visited sites for retailing of equestrian products in the Nordic countries.

Hööks’ growth strategy aims at doubling the shop network within a five-year period and introducing the website in new languages, primarily to customers in northern Europe.

For further information, please contact Joachim Höök, +46 70 651 87 50, or  , or Niklas Sloutski (Accent) +45 70 300 99 59 or  

Founded in 1994, Accent is a private equity pioneer in the Nordic region. Since its inception, Accent funds have invested in 57 Nordic companies and divested 43 of them. Accent has served as an advisor to six funds with managed assets in excess of SEK 10 billion. Accent’s objective is to develop the portfolio companies into Nordic, European or global players via enduring improvements of the companies’ business operations and strategic positions. Based in Stockholm, Accent has a staff of some fifteen investment professionals with backgrounds in both industry and finance. In addition, Accent has a large number of industrial advisors in its network. www.accentequity.se