Private equity firm Ardenton Capital Corp. made an equity investment of an undisclosed amount in Manchester, U.K.-based Budget Trading Ltd. and Dublin-based Budget Greeting Cards Ltd.

The sister companies supply greetings cards, gift wrap and gift bags to small and medium-sized businesses. The business has 180 employees and operates seven cash-and-carry warehouses in the U.K. and Ireland.

Ardenton, which buys controlling stakes in established private businesses, said it will aid Budget in launching a showroom in the East Midlands and help with its other geographic expansion efforts. The firm also said it will help Budget founder and managing director Paul Lavery build an e-commerce platform to spur further growth.