 Andrea Bonomi, the venture capital company's 31-year-old owner, had felt that Britain was "a fantastic place" for manufacturing, but under-appreciated by British people themselves, and considered Karrimor an exemplary family business (albeit in his view "mis-managed" ), owned by a "hardworking" family with a "fiercely loyal" workforce, and a good choice for UK investment.Under 21 Invest, Karrimor purchased Lowe Alpine's distributor Europa Sport, also acquiring Europa's existing distribution rights for other manufacturers.The purchase was anticipated to boost Karrimor's group revenues, already £19 million, to a peak at around £30 million, and propel the company into second place in the UK footwear market and also consolidate its position within sports and leisure products.