CALL 24/7 0800 526 488 Home Services Sectors Depots Technology Safety Advice About Contact Lanes Group History In the beginning The Lanes Group plc began life in June 1992 as Lanes for Drains, a Leeds-based drain cleaning and drain repair operation. Today, it’s the UK’s largest independent drainage specialist and part of a group which also includes the renowned Lanes Reline Division, and the Lanes Rail Division. From little acorns The Group’s growth, though significant, has always been achieved in a controlled and focused way. Brand new greenfield depots have been established in parts of the country, whilst in other areas we have acquired existing businesses or purchased their assets; the latter allowing Lanes to use infrastructures, gather skilled staff and local knowledge, and to hit the ground running. And that goes some way to explaining our successful expansion, from one depot to a nationwide network of 23 in just over 20 years. Your local Lanes During the 1990s, bases were created or acquired to establish Lanes’ depots in the North West, South Yorkshire, Chester, East Midlands, Preston, the North East — and London. Although the network was concentrated in the North and Midlands, purchasing UK Waste in London in 1998, and assimilating staff who specialised in London Underground contracts, facilitated the formation of ‘Lanes Engineering and Construction’, now the highly successful Lanes Rail Division. From 2000 to the present day, whilst still building on a structure which was mainly north of Watford, Lanes turned its attention to the far north and to the south to complete the nationwide network. Again, this was achieved either by setting up new local branches or through acquiring existing businesses and assets. By the end of the decade, we had added Bristol, the South East, Hampshire, Kent, West Midlands, a further North East branch, three bases servicing Scotland (including the Highlands and Islands); Surrey, Cardiff, Plymouth and Cambridgeshire. In 2012, the Group created a sophisticated super hub in Slough after winning multi-million pound Wastewater Network Services contracts for Thames Water; that venture being swiftly followed by another dedicated utility contract depot, this time in East Anglia, to manage wastewater services for Anglian Water. With 23 depots covering the country, Lanes is a national operator, yet still provides a local service for everyone. What’s in a name? By 2005, whilst drainage services were still very much the core business, parts of the company were making their names in other areas: cleaning and hygiene, alongside a sister company in pest control and, notably, the Rail Division which, by now, was carrying out major civil engineering projects for rail companies alongside its drainage contracts. The Board decided to bring everything together under one banner — the Lanes Group plc. This provided a cohesive, overarching identity when Lanes acquired two more established businesses, Castlebrae Drainage Services (of Glasgow and Edinburgh) and Drain Devils (of Aberdeen) in 2006 and 2008 respectively. Both continued to use their own recognised brands until 1 August 2013, when they were fully integrated into the Lanes for Drains depot network in name as well as data and financial systems. Who’s who In 1997, after Allan Earnshaw’s untimely death, his son, Wayne, took over commercial responsibilities for the business, becoming Managing Director. Today, Wayne Earnshaw, David Nutton, Alan Wallis, Bruce Crompton, Andrew Brierley and Scott Norris are the directors of Lanes Group plc. Drainage.. and then some Despite some diversification, drainage, in all its forms, remains at the core of Lanes’ existence. And, as you may expect of a company at the forefront of its industry, our range of services in this field is absolute and all-encompassing, covering everything from domestic unblocks to major commercial drainage rehabilitation contracts. In addition, we have established the company as the specialist drainage specialist in a number of market sectors, including energy; utilities; highways; local authorities; commercial; industrial; transport; insurance; domestic and property management. Lanes was an early adopter of ‘no-dig’ as a form of drain repair and is now an acknowledged leader, not to mention pioneer, in the field, with a full division dedicated to the technology. An impressive list of clients (government departments, civil engineering giants and utility companies amongst them), huge investment in sophisticated and revolutionary equipment, and a raft of industry awards clearly illustrate this success story. Other areas of our business have developed naturally, alongside the drainage rationale. Lanes Rail Division works with London Underground, Network Rail and most of the infrastructure organisations on rail related drainage and a much wider remit of rail-related engineering projects. Active Hygiene Services came on board in 1991 (even before Lanes for Drains) and Active Pest Control was set up in 1993. Both Active brand companies have since been sold (to Cleansafe and Green Compliance, respectively). In 2006, the Lanes board entered a joint venture with leading figures from the insurance market to create a new company — Lanes Assistance Services (LAS). Offering emergency warranty packages to insurers, the newcomer took the market by storm and in 2010 was the subject of an MBO backed by private equity specialist, Gresham, to the tune of £12.3 million. LAS continues to be a prominent Lanes’ client. Investment, investment, investment Lanes has never been shy of financial commitment, whether to new business, new technology or new infrastructure. To service the Thames Water contract, for instance, our biggest business win to date and potentially worth up to £216 million over eight years, we invested over £3 million in plant, equipment and a new contract HQ in Slough. More recently we have created the UK's first ever City & Guilds' course for drainage engineers, part of our strategy of promoting a culture of excellence throughout the Group; whilst our investment in, and dedication to, health and safety, has seen us win a RoSPA Gold award for four years in a row. We are immensely proud of our reputation. Continued investment in people, infrastructure and equipment, means our aim that everyone should be within reach of Lanes’ service is now a matter of fact. Some depots have moved to bigger and better premises; we have our eye on, and our hand in, the industry's technological advances and our frontline teams have the best equipment at their disposal. On top of that, we recruit only the most dedicated, enthusiastic and friendly people. That way, we provide the service that our clients not only demand, but deserve. It’s the Lanes’ way. 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