There have been several big continental buyouts of UK bike firms recently. And now another British brand is set to become part of an international group of companies. This time, it’s Helmet City, which has built up a sizable retail helmet business over the past 18 years, growing to five physical stores in the south of England and one of the biggest online e-commerce shops. Owner Graham Dobney has decided to (semi) retire and is selling the business to the Curas Investa Group. Curas, based in Nieuwkuijk in the North Brabant region of the Netherlands, owns several businesses in Holland and Germany, including Chromeburner, Biker Outfit, Motorstroom, Revshop and Batavi Trading.
Dobney started out in the bike trade in 1992 after taking voluntary redundancy from his job as an engineer at British Telecom. “My brother, a friend and I travelled to the USA and bought containers of motorcycles. After realising just how cheap they were in the States, we took delivery, doubled our investment, and started a company importing motorcycles from around the world. Bonanza Motorcycles was created, and we imported motorcycles from mainly the USA, Italy and Japan, buying and selling new and used motorcycles for the ‘grey’ and ‘parallel’ markets, as they were called at the time.”
In 2004 sales started to dip, and Dobney switched focus to the helmet business. “I started to sell helmets at shows and on eBay,” Dobney told BDN.
“This led to me forming Helmetcity.co.uk. Then in 2010, my daughter joined me and we built the business together until it prospered to what we have today.”
The family business is obviously close to his heart, so he was careful when considering selling up. “I wanted to sell to someone who would continue to build the brand, continue to increase retail and internet sales, keep all my exceptional and very loyal staff, and continue with my daughter Jen (now managing director) to build the company to the next level.”
The answer to this came from just over the North Sea, in the Netherlands. “I have sold to Curas Investa Group, which started ChromeBurner Motorgear, and is now a holding of multiple companies within the motorcycle gear industry.
“These companies operate independently, but they have grown together by sharing knowledge and experience. They intend to continue with building the Helmet City brand, expanding within the UK, adding brands, increasing sales, and they met all my strict selling requirements.”
Curas Investa seems happy with its new acquisition. Rob Hannink, the group’s founder, said, “We are very pleased with this addition to the Curas Investa Group, once again strengthening our international portfolio. Helmet City fits nicely with the other companies within the group, and of course, we see the opportunity for growth within the UK market. Through our current companies, we have gained a lot of knowledge and expertise over the past few years, which will help us ensure a successful future with Helmet City.”
Curas Investa’s 2021 turnover was around €32m, and, thanks in part to the Helmet City takeover, the firm expects that to increase to €50m in 2023.
It’s thought that Brexit has played a part in the Curas Investa move, along with other changes in the retail market. The imposition of non-tariff trade barriers between the UK and the EU has meant an increase in customs charges and slower delivery for firms selling across the border.
Taking on a UK-based firm allows EU companies to operate more easily within the UK, centralising administration and simplifying logistics.
Dobney concluded: “After 30 years in the industry, which I have enjoyed immensely and during which I made many friends, it is with some regret that I have decided to retire from running Helmetcity.co.uk. I want to thank all of the UK helmet distributors, many of the owners, and account managers, who have become personal and family friends. I will miss seeing them on a regular business basis, but I will still see many of them socially. Finally, a big thank you to my family, who have always supported the business, especially at shows, where they have enjoyed the bartering, and the social side of the bike business with all our customers.”