External maintenance and commercial landscaping provider Ground Control has cemented its position as the country’s biggest private gritting company and winter maintenance provider with the acquisition of JW Crowther & Son, known as The Gritting Company.

Last year the 160-year-old company generated turnover of £7.3m, whilst the previous year “The Beast from the East” saw exceptional revenues of £12.9m as demand drove the need for gritting services.

Ground Control says the scale and expertise of its operations – together with its commitment to environmentally sustainable practices – continues to porves certainty for the company’s expanding customer list.

The investment will immediately boost the company’s gritting operation by 25% and means it will now service over 8,000 different locations – including three of the biggest supermarket groups.

“The union of these two family-owned businesses offers the opportunity to combine our extensive knowledge and expertise with innovation and technology to further develop our service offering and ensures we can achieve consistently exceptional customer service in a rapidly changing industry,” said Simon Morrish, CEO of Ground Control.

Nigel Crowther and Paul Crowther, both owners and directors of JW Crowther & Son since 1997, will remain with the business for a transition period to ensure a smooth handover.

Paul Crowther said: “We wanted to find a buyer who understood and respected our business and could continue to drive it forwards following our departure, as well as ensuring our colleagues and customers were left in safe hands. Ground Control’s focus on the customer, health and safety and the wellbeing of their employees, combined with their passion for the environment, made them the obvious choice”.