I am delighted to announce the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Guthrie Douglas, bringing a globally recognized shading innovator into the Draper family.
Guthrie Douglas is a family business established in 1981 in Warwickshire, UK. Their team of specialist engineers is focused on creating specialty shading systems for extraordinary spaces. The GD product range is known globally as the market-leading, reliable solution for shading technically challenging windows and is frequently specified on some of the world’s most prominent buildings.
As well as acquiring a majority stake in Guthrie Douglas, we are investing in an exciting growth plan for the company, with significant investments to be made across the business—from sales and specification to product development and customer service. We will soon be offering GD products to the US market.
Guthrie Douglas will continue to be managed as an independent business, with Andrew Kitching remaining as Managing Director, and the current management team remaining in place on a permanent basis. Jerry Crone (Draper CFO) and I will join the GD board.
“In today’s world it is increasingly difficult to find like-minded businesses with similar values, and we are fortunate to have found a partner who shares our excitement and belief in the growth potential of our company,” said Andrew Kitching, Managing Director of Guthrie Douglas. “I have no doubt that with the team we have in place here, and now with the backing of Draper, GD will scale up significantly in the coming years.”
We’re excited to welcome Guthrie Douglas to the Draper family. Their team has built a reputation for solving tough shading challenges, and their specialty systems are a perfect fit for the kinds of projects our customers are tackling. This partnership gives us the opportunity to bring their solutions to the US market while supporting their continued growth globally. We’re looking forward to what we can accomplish together.
You can learn more about Guthrie Douglas here: www.guthriedouglas.com. Stay tuned for more developments as this innovative partnership moves forward!
