German gaming and pop culture firm Saga Alliance has acquired Heathside Trading, a Blackburn-based distributor and manufacturer of toys and collectibles with operations in the UK and the Netherlands.
Saga, which made the acquisition through its Saga Invest unit for an undisclosed sum, said it planned to expand Heathside’s operations across Europe, focusing first on France and Germany.
Heathside, founded in 2006 to specialise in the purchase and sale of branded clearance merchandise, has grown over the last few years and is now known for its pop culture and licence-based brands, Khadou and Master Replicas.
The brands work with properties such as South Park, Minecraft, Deddy Bears, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Star Trek, Sonic, Molang, Doctor Who, Only Fools and Horses, Foundation, Stargate, Dune, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Care Bears, Sesame Street, Harry Potter, Battlestar Galactica and many others.
Darren Epstein from Heathside said: “We were approached by a number of companies at the back end of 2023 and the shareholders decided to move to exclusive discussions with Saga during the Nuremberg Toy Fair. Given the team’s background and their focus on growth, it made sense to move forward with Saga. We wanted partners who would bring focus to what we have built at Heathside over the years. We believe that over the next 12 months, our retail partners will see even more reason to work with us on our portfolio of product ranges.”
“We are building a Pan-European distribution and manufacturing solution at the intersection of toys, collectibles and other licensed goods,” said Gregory Benassar, principal at Saga Invest. “As such, we are delighted to complete our purchase of Heathside, a very successful company within all these segments. We are entrepreneurs at heart, and we see that as core to the Heathside business. We wish to continue and enhance that philosophy.”
Following the sale, Robert Myers, a long-standing figure in the toy business, will retire. He said: “After so many years, I am delighted to hand over the reins to the next generation. Under the management of Saga and the rest of the leadership team, I know the business is being left in the most capable of hands, and I look forward to following the company’s success moving forward.”
John Nelson will serve as interim CEO until the beginning of 2025. Gregory Benassar will become co-CEO, with Epstein (EVP Global Business Development) and Max Nelson (head of Sales) remaining to ensure continuing growth within the business.
Saga Invest is made up of four members: Gregory Benassar and Alexis Desplats, who played instrumental roles in the historic growth of Asmodee; Alexander Dubynski, founder and former owner of Blackfire Distribution prior to its sale to Asmodee; and Jürgen Helmhold, who brings extensive business expertise from his time as a senior partner in SHWP, an interdisciplinary firm of chartered accountants, lawyers and tax advisers.