British camping brand OLPRO secures major investment

British tent and camping brand OLPRO is looking forward to increasing its operational capacity and growing its business after successfully securing a £1,075,000 investment from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), an equity fund managed by Midven.

OLPRO has been on a steady growth trajectory for the past six years, more than tripling its turnover in that time by utilising a sales strategy that supplies leading retailers in the UK such as Halfords, Argos, B&Q, The Range, and Wayfair, as well as selling direct to end consumers through its own successful website. The acceleration of the company’s growth was helped by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused an expansion of the camping market – an estimated 42 per cent of England’s adult population went on a camping or caravanning holiday between 2018 and 2021, 38 per cent of those were newcomers. The company plans to add 10 team members to its staff by 2025 across sales, marketing, customer services, and warehousing.

OLPRO managing director Daniel Walton said: “OLPRO is fast becoming the recognised go-to brand for stand out camping and campervan equipment. As a British-designed and innovative brand, we’re now selling into more countries as OLPRO products have become more readily available. This funding allows us to invest further into the team, our product development, and to hold more stock so we can cover demand.”

Surjit Kooner, investment director at Midvern, added: “OLPRO’s management team are the main driving force behind the business. They are experienced and well connected in the outdoor leisure industry, and they have a clear growth trajectory for the business. By securing this investment the OLPRO team has the potential to significantly accelerate growth in a rapidly growing market.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank. Midven is part of the Future Planet Capital Group.

Top image: OLPRO's Lisa and Daniel Walton

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