Great Lengths acquires its UK and Ireland distributor to bring sales in-house

What's the deal? Great LengthsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the Italian maker of natural hair extensions, has acquired HB CollectiveDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, its longstanding Leeds-based distributor in the UK and Ireland. The transaction, announced in September 2026, brings the company's regional distribution operations in-house. Terms were undisclosed.

Who's involved? Great Lengths is backed by private equity firm Deutsche Beteiligungs AGDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → through its DBAG Fund VIII. The purchase covers HB Collective and its subsidiaries. Law firm BirkettsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → advised Great Lengths, with Blick RothenbergDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → providing financial advice.

What's the endgame? Great Lengths supplies hair extensions to salons worldwide, and folding in its UK and Ireland distributor tightens its grip on those markets. Chief executive Vito Pollina called the deal "an important milestone" as the company invests in "strengthening our international business."

Why now? HB Collective has been a distribution partner "for many years," Pollina said. Bringing it into the group, he added, creates "new opportunities to further enhance customer service, deepen relationships with salons and further develop the brand in these important markets."

The signal: The deal reflects a familiar private equity playbook — using a portfolio company to consolidate its own supply chain by acquiring distributors and cutting out the middleman. For salons, the change puts sales and service under one roof.

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Image credit: Generated with Gemini