Buyer found for established maintenance and cleansing company

A 160-year-old Leeds-based winter maintenance and cleansing business has been acquired by a national company.

Mazars, the international accounting and advisory firm, advised the shareholders of JW Crowther & Son on its disposal to Ground Control Holdings, which is a national external maintenance and commercial landscaping provider.

Founded in 1860, Crowther’s has been family-run throughout its history.

The Crowther family who work in the business will continue post-completion to ensure a smooth handover. The acquisition encompasses the entirety of the company’s operations, and all 45 employees will remain with the business at its Leeds site.

Ground Control, headquartered in Billericay, Essex, has grown significantly in recent years as the business has expanded its services and client base.

The strategic acquisition of Crowther’s strengthens Ground Control’s position as the largest gritting and winter maintenance provider in the UK, with the addition of over 2,000 customer sites and an extensive network of gritting depots, providing certainty for customers in a fast moving industry.

Oliver Hoffman, UK Head of M&A at Mazars, said: “This is a positive story for a long-established and highly successful Yorkshire business.

“This acquisition enables the smooth exit of the existing shareholders and is underpinned by a clear strategy for Crowther’s in its next phase of growth as part of Ground Control.”

Paul Crowther, managing director at Crowther’s, said: “Since taking on the responsibility for stewarding the business in 1997 I have been proud to watch the business grow, and we’re excited for this new chapter in its growth.

“We wanted to find a buyer who understood and respected our business and could continue to drive it forwards, as well as ensuring our colleagues and customers were left in safe hands.

“Ground Control’s focus on the customer, as well as Health and Safety and the wellbeing of their employees made them the obvious choice.

“Our advisers, Mazars and Progeny, were instrumental in guiding and advising us through this process, and we welcome the new era with enthusiasm.”

The sell-side advisers were both based in Leeds, with Mazars’ Leeds M&A team of Oliver Hoffman, Chris Dale and Arran Smedley, and a team from Progeny (led by Alistair Scott-Somers) providing corporate finance and legal advice respectively.

Ground Control was advised by Blake Morgan LLP for legal advice and by MAE Financial (Phil Morris) and BDO for finance and tax.