TOWN chairman Dean Hoyle’s card business is on the brink of being sold for £350m.

According to reports last night, private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners will buy Card Factory.

Charterhouse is believed to have beaten off opposition from Permira, Cinven, Summit Partners and Warburg Pincus to purchase the Wakefield-based firm.

Mr Hoyle and his wife Janet set up Card Factory in 1997. The company is expected to record pre-tax profits of £50m in 2009 – up from £30m in 2008.

The firm is one of Yorkshire’s fastest-growing companies, with 4,500 staff and 430 stores, including two in Huddersfield – at the Piazza and the Packhorse Centre.

There are also Card Factory shops in Dewsbury, Batley and Halifax.

Last October Card Factory was named in the Sunday Times Top Track 250, which lists Britain’s biggest private companies.

The firm ranked 238th in the list with sales of £157m last year.

Mr Hoyle, 42, is a lifelong Town fan.

He joined the club’s board in April 2008 and took over from Ken Davy as chairman and majority shareholder in June 2009.