Katy Sue is the new home of Kanban Crafts

Katy Sue, one of the UK’s fastest growing craft businesses, has today acquired one of their largest competitors in a significant UK and international expansion. The fast-growing craft business, which is implementing a buy and build strategy to consolidate the highly fragmented craft market has completed the acquisition of the trading assets of Kanban Crafts, a well-loved papercraft brand made popular on shopping TV in the UK and Germany.

Having grown rapidly by acquisition over the past four years, Katy Sue headed by founder Sue Balfour and experienced entrepreneur Neil Stephenson, has completed five bolt-on acquisitions in recent times but this more significant acquisition moves the business to a platform of size and scale in the papercrafts segment. The acquisition of Kanban is one of a number of deals the business is currently looking at as it continues to build a family of well-loved craft brands.

Yorkshire based Kanban brings complimentary papercraft manufacturing capability along with more than 20 years of designs and creative content. Popular with card making fans, the brand is known both in the UK and Germany where it will continue to trade. Sue Balfour explains,

“I have been a Kanban fan for a long time, appreciating their constant innovation and incredible foiling detail. We are delighted to bring yet another quality UK manufactured product range to Katy Sue HQ. Our plan is to quickly relocate the business to our factory in South Shields and bring the brand back to TV and online during March. We can assure all Kanban fans that we will shortly return to the airwaves on Create and Craft and QVC Germany.”

Commenting on the deal, Paul Wright, Chairman of Hochanda Global Ltd, owners of Create and Craft TV added,

“We are thrilled to continue our strong relationship with Katy Sue and of course Kanban at this very exciting time for the channel. Kanban has been the premier supplier for card making kits to Create and Craft over many years and we and their army of fans look forward to seeing the new products arriving on our screens soon”.

Katy Sue has grown to over 30 staff during the pandemic and is investing heavily in its TV presence and ecommerce capability, specifically its own websites and marketplaces such as Amazon. This expansion is part of the company’s plans to grow revenues to £10m, employing over 100 staff by the end of 2025.