After a week of speculation and rumour, Solus have just released a statement confirming they are in talks with Scotts,"working on a plan that would bring the two businesses together in the UK"... 

The Statement from Solus in full:

Mark Pearson, Chief Executive Officer of Solus Garden and Leisure Limited, and 









Martin Breddy, Vice President and General Manager of The Scotts Company (UK) Limited, have today revealed that they are working on a plan that would bring the two businesses together in the UK.

Over the last 25 years Scotts and Solus have developed a strong strategic partnership resulting in:

.     Scotts' position as a leader in the UK lawn and garden market driven by strong brands and advertising excellence

.     Solus building a business based on consistently excellent service levels and strong own brand ranges.

While the negotiations are still in progress, the parties are pleased with the progress to date and are now entering the due diligence stage. This process is expected to last 4 to 6 weeks.

Simon Yealland, Founder and Chairman of Solus, said: "We have had an excellent 35 years working with our suppliers and our joint retail customers here in the UK and abroad. I am delighted with the plans that Martin and Mark are developing- it would be a great deal for all of our partners."

Mark Pearson said: "The partnership that Solus has enjoyed with Scotts is now ready to take the next step forward - the two businesses would be much stronger together. We are passionate about driving the sales of all of our brand partners' ranges as well as our own Solus brands. This, together with distribution excellence and the support that we can give each other, is what the market needs.

"If completed, this is going to be excellent news for our customers, our suppliers and the industry in general."

Martin Breddy said: "Scotts and Solus have looked at possible combinations for a number of years. We are delighted to finally work on this opportunity to bring the two businesses closer together. Such a union would create a fantastic opportunity to combine Scotts' innovation, advertising and marketing with Solus' service levels and complementary core gardening products, and we are excited to join forces to support the industry in its mission to drive a resurgence in UK gardening in 2014 and beyond."

While negotiations are still ongoing, Pearson and Breddy have confirmed that one of the chief goals of the proposed deal is to ensure seamless supply in the coming months and to make the 2014 season a success for the trade.