Hancocks Group acquires JTS International

H2 Equity Partners (“H2”) are pleased to announce the acquisition of JTS International (“JTS”) by World of Sweets Limited, a division of its portfolio company Hancocks Group (“Hancocks”).

JTS has been acquired from its founder John Stimpson, who set the business up in 1991. JTS has sales of over £20 million and is an important UK supplier of confectionery products. JTS operates its own in-house design, development and technical departments that create a range of innovative new products each year and source products to meet specific customer requirements. JTS also imports confectionery from around the world to offer an extensive range of confectionery to supermarkets, discount stores and wholesalers.

There is a strong strategic fit between the businesses and the acquistion enables Hancocks to widen both its customer and product base and grow the direct distribution part of the business significantly.

About Hancocks

Hancocks is the UK’s market leading confectionery specialist and the acquisition will increase sales to circa £140 million. Hancocks sells its own brand, exclusive products and main brand confectionery via a national cash and carry network, a direct distribution business and an export and e-commerce channel.

H2 and the management team acquired Hancocks from the founding family in November 2012.

Henry Stevens

Senior Associate

 

Henry joined H2 in 2024 and is involved in both evaluating new investment opportunities and supporting existing portfolio companies.

 

Prior to joining H2, Henry spent nearly six years at the strategy consultancy firm, Roland Berger, where he was a core member of the Transaction & Investor Services platform supporting private equity and strategic investors across the Industrial and Regulated & Infrastructure sectors predominantly within the mid-market.

 

Henry graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor (Hons) in Economics. His interests outside of work are road cycling where he competes in time trials, running and skiing.

Terry Musson

The Amberon Group is a market leading traffic management provider to the utilities and Local Authority markets. Amberon was established in May 2002 with our first depot in Paignton, South West England. Our founding core principles remain at the heart of everything that we do and our continued desire to achieve our purpose; to provide the best service in the Traffic Management sector. This has been the foundation for our success and has cemented our position as the market leader in TM.

During the initial transaction we never felt under any pressure & instantly recognised we would become part of the family. H2 took the time to listen to our views & business strategy, it was obvious from the very beginning that they would be the perfect partner for us.

The guys at H2 have enabled us to continue the momentum & have provided the expertise & knowledge to help us continue on the journey to constantly improve our service offering.

Working with H2 during the last 2 years has given us additional support not just financially but the advice & expertise has helped analytically & strategically.

The ambition and the drive H2 have is extremely infectious & continues to assist the group to overachieve.

It’s enormously reassuring to know H2 will always be at the end of the phone to offer advice but heartening to know they have the trust in us to deliver.