An investment made by the Coalfields Funds has scooped the prestigious Deal of the Year award at this year’s Insider East Midlands Dealmakers awards dinner.

The investment in Nottingham-based company, Trekmates, was made by the Funds as part of a £8.7million in early 2011 alongside debt facilities provided by The Co-operative Bank.

The company designs, sources and supplies a broad range of outdoor clothing and accessories to over 500 retailiers both in the UK and overseas. The business serves the independent sector and large national chains and has a growing international presence. Established in 1997, Trekmates trades under its own brand with an emphasis on value-for-money products with high quality and technical excellence.

Simon Ward, who led the deal for the Coalfields Funds, commented, “Trekmates is a great business and deserves to win this award – it has shown strong growth over the years and has dedicated management team in place. It is well positioned to continue to grow and to generate increasing levels of employment in the local area”.

“This investment demonstrates the Funds’ ongoing commitment to partnering with entrepreneurs to achieve their goals. Winning this award demonstrates the ackowledgment of the regional financial communities of the Funds’ ongoing investment activity”.