Ground Control to Major Deal

09 August 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970

Ground Control has strengthened its winter maintenance capabilities through the acquisition of Litter Boss, claiming the acquisition of increases nationwide economies of scale and operational efficiencies.

The move, says the firm, will not only add hundreds of customers to its portfolio but also bring the combined skills and experience of over 500 staff into the business.

The joining of these two organisations cements Ground Control as the largest specialist gritting and winter maintenance provider in the UK. The deal was supported by a £16 million funding package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Litter Boss, which has its HQ in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is primarily focused on winter and exterior maintenance alongside a standalone internal cleaning business. It operates at 3,500 sites across the UK.

“Bringing Litter Boss into the Ground Control family is a strategic move to increase our winter maintenance capabilities across the UK,” explains Simon Morrish, CEO for Ground Control. “The combined infrastructure, people and systems of our two companies expands our ability to offer customers a solution for their business continuity needs.”

Richard Johnson, Winter Maintenance Director of Litter Boss, who will now be Director of Winter Maintenance for the combined business, adds: “I am looking forward to working for Ground Control at a time when services like winter and grounds maintenance are increasingly on the radar of a wider variety of businesses. The combination of our respective portfolios bolsters our position and challenge of leading this new business excites me enormously.”

As Ground Control heads into the second half of 2017, the company is expecting further growth to all core areas of the business, including maintenance, landscaping, design, arboriculture, pest control as well as winter maintenance.

Picture: Litter and gritter combine

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 09 August 2017