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Case Study: Weedfree
Published: October 2011
Caption: Ian Atkinson, Finance Yorkshire Investment Manager, James White of Brown Butler Accountants and Neil Bangham, Managing Director of Weedfree.
Weedfree provides weed control and vegetation clearance services
The Company
Weedfree Limited, a Goole-based company, provides weed control and vegetation clearance services to local authorities, industry, utilities, power generators and the railway network.
The company has been the market leader for industrial and amenity weed control for more than 40 years.
Over recent years, the company’s portfolio has grown to include specialist services for the UK rail industry with its own advanced weed control train now operating on rail networks throughout Europe.
The Challenge
The long-established company had a defined growth project, but was hindered by lack of funding. The seasonal nature of the industry caused an uneven cash flow which was preventing the progression of the business plan.
With a capacity for strong export growth in a niche sector, the company wanted to expand business further and concentrate on marketing its services across the continent.
The Solution
Finance Yorkshire provided Weedfree with a £100,000 business loan to help fund its growth strategy which includes a marketing drive across Europe, with a view to building the business in new countries.
Weedfree described the investment process as easy and professional throughout. After being introduced to Finance Yorkshire by long-serving Weedfree accountant James White, of Brown Butler Chartered Accountants, the investment process was smooth and quick, thanks to the help of Finance Yorkshire Investment Manager Ian Atkinson.
The Investment Rationale
Finance Yorkshire was impressed with the company’s growth plan and recognised the potential to further expand its UK operation with export contracts, particularly through the expansion of the company’s unique and environmentally viable spray train which already has proven success in Belgium and Denmark.
Finance Yorkshire recognised that with the funding to drive a new marketing campaign, the business could expand its success and in turn build the business here in the UK.
Future Expectations
The Weedfree spray train is leading the way in environmentally effective herbicide application – a message that the company is keen to promote to grow business.
Building on the success in the UK, Weedfree will target other markets across the continent to develop the brand.
The company is dedicated to constantly evolving technology to improve effectiveness and reduce environmental impact as well as developing application methods which should see annual reductions in the usage of herbicide. The company aims to continue to reduce its carbon footprint in the overall process of weed control, and as it does so retain its position of market leader.
- Weedfree (Acrobat .pdf 2.6MB)
