Collard expands skip operations with Handy acquisition

R Collard Limited, the Hampshire, UK, based demolition, waste and haulage management company, has announced the acquisition of Handy Skips of Bracknell, with the latter’s business, assets and goodwill to be integrated into the former’s existing skip-hire operation.

The strategic acquisition expands R Collard's skip hire business portfolio and increases its geographical scope to include Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead while at the same time protecting and creating jobs through investment in the local economy.

It will bring the number of skips managed by R Collard to 1,500 ranging in size from 4 to 40 cubic yard capacity, supported by a 65-vehicle logistics operation coordinated from its Customer Contact Centre in Eversley. The acquisition forms part of a growth programme that has been entered into as part of a sustained investment campaign scheduled for 2015, which is the 20^th anniversary year for the business. At the start of 2015 two new eight-wheel, 32-tonne tipper trucks were added to the fleet while last month work started on a new 8,000 square metre state-of-the-art washplant at the Eversley Quarry that was opened officially in early June.

“I am delighted to be acquiring Handy Skips”, says Robert Collard, Managing Director of R Collard Ltd, “It is part of our long term strategy to be the major regional skip hire service for the M3/M4 corridor and this addition to our business gives us the expanded trading base we were looking for.”

Wastes generated by its demolition and skip-hire divisions are processed at R Collard’s four materials recycling centres in Eversley, Aldershot, Bramshill and Farnham. Wastes are sorted into individual material streams for recycling with only hazardous items such as asbestos sent to landfill.