A Newport-based finance firm has helped family business Jolly’s Drinks to find new life.

Changes to manufacturing processes and further product development in the face of multiple economic pressures were needed for new owners to come on board.

And Henry Howard Finance helped make that happen, and at the right time.

Jolly’s is a soft drinks manufacturer based in the south west of England operating in the wholesale market. Legislative issues surrounding sugary goods and single-use plastics, as well as changing consumer tastes, meant additional investment was required to move the company forward and fast.

Originally founded by the Jolly family in 1896, incoming managing director Cheryl Ingram knew a 2018 takeover could only succeed with further investment in factory facilities, equipment and existing product ranges.

Financing the acquisition and investing in the business at the same time would only be possible with external support – and that’s where Henry Howard Finance came in.

Cheryl said: “All these things were happening at the same time and we simply couldn’t have taken the business on without a significant amount of disposable income to hand.

"Henry Howard Finance supported us in gaining access to the capital we needed to acquire the company so that we could make our own investments directly into the business itself.

Matt Jones, head of asset finance at HHF, which is based at Langstone Business Park, said: “This is a great representation of the boost we can give SMEs.

“We are aware that attracting the right investment at the right time for new business owners can often mean the difference between launching or acquiring or not at all, with little in between – we’re absolutely delighted that in this case it has enabled a long-standing family firm to find new life in the modern world.”