Father and son duo Dave and Chris Clarke tee up £350,000 cash injection for their Liverpool city region golf retail business from River Capital. Tony McDonough reports

Independent golf equipment retailer Trade Golf Supplies has secured a £350,000 investment from Liverpool SME funder River Capital.

Father and son duo Dave and Chris Clarke run Trade Golf Supplies, based in Rainford in St Helens. The business runs three stores under the Clarkes’ Golf brand but sees 70% of its sales come via its website from the UK and overseas.

This latest cash injection is coming from the River Capital Business Growth Loan Fund. The money will be used for working capital and stock purchases to meet the growing demand of its customers. 

Trade Golf Supplies currently employs 48 staff, including several registered PGA professionals. It expects to create a further five jobs as a result of the support provided by River Capital.

David Clarke said: “This funding from River Capital will allow us to streamline our borrowing and move away from short-term online lending facilities.

“It provides working capital to ensure we can meet supplier payments and maintain our large product inventory, which is key to our success in this competitive market.”

Founded in 1976 and incorporated in 1986, Trade Golf Supplies operates stores in Rainford, Formby, and Wigan. Its online operation currently ships around 1,500 parcels a week.

River Capital investment manager, Jim Moore, added: “We’re pleased to support the continued growth of this long-standing family business.

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“Trade Golf has an excellent reputation for customer service and has positioned itself well to capitalise on the rising popularity of golf through its retail locations and e-commerce capabilities.

“We now look forward to watching the continued success of Trade Golf and wish them well.”