Arbuthnot backs Nova acquisition of Shakespeare with £5.92m ABL facility

Arbuthnot Commercial Asset Based Lending (ACABL) has provided a £5.92 million asset-based lending (ABL) facility to support Nova Capital Management’s acquisition of Shakespeare Monofilament UK Ltd as part of its purchase of both Shakespeare Company LLC and Shakespeare Monofilament UK.

The funding package, ACABL’s first transaction with Nova Capital Management, comprises a £2.5 million Confidential Invoice Discounting facility, a £1.5 million Inventory Revolver, £222,000 for Plant and Machinery, and a £1.7 million Property Term Loan.

Completed in 2025, the facility provides additional funding headroom to support Shakespeare’s future growth plans.

Based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, Shakespeare Monofilament UK was founded in 1897 and manufactures engineered materials across three core product lines: Performance Monofilaments, Engineered Nylons and Conductive Fibres, and Polymers and Filaments. Its products are used in sectors including healthcare, automotive, military, marine electronics and consumer goods.

The transaction also marks the first deal between ACABL and Nova Capital Management, the London- and Chicago-based private equity firm specialising in complex carve-out transactions. Nova has completed more than 75 investments with a combined deal value of £1.5 billion.

Barnaby Hodgson, Investment Manager at Nova Capital Management, said: “This was a complex international transaction where we were buying a US business with a UK subsidiary. There were a lot of moving parts and more than one lender involved when looking at the overall transaction. The Arbuthnot team was very patient and attentive, which made all the difference during the deal process. We have been very impressed indeed.”

He added: “Shakespeare Monofilament UK Ltd is an exciting business with superb growth potential. We have found a great partner in Arbuthnot. It can be quite daunting for a business to be working with an ABL facility for the first time. The investment Arbuthnot has put into helping the team at Shakespeare to master and make full use of the new facility has been inspiring. We definitely picked the right ABL partner and look forward to working with them again.”

“This was our first deal for Nova. It was an intricate process where we not only worked closely with the Nova team, but also the US lender supporting the acquisition of the US business. Yet again, we have been able to demonstrate how we stand out by delivering the insight and flexibility that are crucial in getting complex transactions completed well. We look forward to supporting Nova as they unlock Shakespeare’s true potential.”