R.M. Williams' owners are looking to sell the bootmaker.Credit:James Brickwood
Adelaide-based R.M. Williams is majority-owned by Singapore-based L Catterton Asia,a private equity firm backed by the owners of Louis Vuitton. The firm has brought in investment bank Goldman Sachs to look for buyers and run an auction later this year,sources confirmed.
R.M. Williams – best known for its elastic-sided horseriding boots – has been a mainstay of rural fashion since its foundation in 1932,and in recent years has been positioning itself as a luxury shoe brand for"townies"both in Australia and abroad.
The company has about 50 retail shopfronts,including outlets in New York,London,New Zealand and Scandinavia,and its boots are stocked in about 500 department stores.
Global sales push
R.M. Williams sales have been growing thanks to that global push,coming in at $142 million last financial year. That was up from $126 million in 2017,$119 million in 2016 and $124 million in 2015,documents filed with the corporate regulator show.
Australian Hollywood star Hugh Jackman owns 5 per cent of the bootmaker.Credit:AP
The bootmaker's largest shareholder is L Catterton,a private equity investor backed by LVMH Moët Hennessy – the French luxury goods conglomerate that owns Louis Vuitton,Christian Dior,Givenchy,and the famous Moët Hennessy Champagne house.