McMurray Sports, the Northern Irish sports retailer, has snapped up a Scottish rival in an undisclosed deal that will give it its first physical presence in Dublin.
The family-owned Northern Irish firm, which also operates one of the largest online field hockey sites in the UK, has acquired Gilmour Sports, another independent sports retailer that also specialised in field hockey.
McMurray Sports, which has customers as far afield as Japan and the United States as a result of the success of its online site Total Hockey, has said its Scottish acquisition, rumoured to be a six-figure deal, could result in new jobs.
The company is owned by brothers Alan and Steven McMurray and its expansion and growth plans have been backed by Ulster Bank.
Steven is optimistic that there could be more opportunities for the Banbridge family business on foot of the Scottish deal, which gives it another online site and a new Irish shop.
"Gilmour Sports is a strong brand with a strong customer base in Scotland and England, as well as in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.
“We are experiencing ongoing organic growth, but we feel this acquisition will put us in a very strong position in some key markets,” he said.
