Major expansion for cleaning company

St Andrews-based ABBY Group has already launched its development programme by acquiring two firms based in Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Now, it has sights set on further expansion as it seeks rapid growth over the next 24 months, backed through a funding package drawn up by external investors.

ABBY was established by husband and wife Robert and Julie May in 2008 after the couple sold their licensed trade interests. 

Robert May, group operations director, said: “We have worked hard to get where we are today and it is now our intention to rapidly increase turnover from £6 million to £15 million in two years which represents growth of 150%.

“It’s a challenging number and we require to expand through rapid acquisition and organic growth.

“We are fortunate to have the backing of investors who have shown great faith in us and are continuing to fund thE new business development plan.

“We are seeking out new opportunities in which ABBY can invest and will consider opportunities - not just in Scotland but anywhere  in the UK which will assist us in developing the ABBY family of companies.

“We’d be  delighted to hear from any company which would consider joining us on what will be an exciting phase in our growth. We’ll be more than pleased to have discussions about possible ways forward.”

He added: "There can be various reasons people are looking to welcome a different approach for the future of their businesses. I know from personal experience the difficulties of running a company on your own. It can at times be a very lonely place - even if you are fortunate enough to be big and successful. 

“That's part of the reason why I was pleased to welcome new investors who have assisted with our ambitions. 

“We have been delighted to welcome two other companies on board so far. The aim has been to welcome their personnel in joining with us, to develop and be part of a bigger, like-minded team, sharing the same values and embracing the same kind of corporate and business culture to which we aspire."

The May family has grown ABBY from scratch, starting out in domestic cleaning contracts and branching into office cleaning.

They now offer a huge variety of services across a broad spectrum and have become experts in cleaning work for the country’s biggest housebuilders as they prepare new-build properties for handover to their new owners following the completion of construction work.

At present, ABBY carries out around 300 such new-build cleans every week for firms including Cala, Barratt and Persimmon which requires three staff alone to look after the nationwide booking and scheduling of work carried out by 14 teams comprising 70 full-time staff..

Robert May said: “We’re probably the biggest provider of cleaning services in this sector in Scotland at present. A lot of work is involved and there are three thorough and separate cleaning stages involved before each house is ready for its new owner. 

“There’s an initial clean after the build is completed, a second clean after snagging and a final clean the day of or the day before the owner moves in.”

The company has made steady growth since it was launched by the May family just months after the birth of their daughter Abigail - after whom the name ABBY was chosen.

Within the last year they have acquired two leading family-owned concerns.

Glasgow firm Coronet Services, who carry out work for - among others - property management firm Ross + Liddell and Aberdeen-based First Class Cleaning, whose clients include DHL, was acquired from administration.

First Class Cleaning, which opened 10 years ago, will - like Coronet - continue to trade under its current name.

All 25 full-time members of staff and 30 part-time in Aberdeen have been retained. A further five full-time jobs have also been created since they took over.

Robert May said: “First Class Cleaning came to our attention and provided a lot of work in the construction business, end of tenancy and holiday lets.

“It is a very well known company in the area and will continue to trade under its existing name in the Aberdeen area and retain its very important identity whilst being part of the ABBY Group.”

Robert outlined the rationale behind the acquisitions and said: “We are strong in construction, new-build and property management.  The opportunity came up at Coronet which is strong in office cleaning, a sector we were not really involved in.

“This immediately catapulted us into being one of the leading providers in that sector. We now look after clients like Lambert Smith Hampton, Workman, Ryden, DHL as well as Whyte and McKay, to name a few. 

“In Aberdeen, First Class Cleaning provides a lot of work in the construction business, end of tenancy and holiday lets.

Mr May explained the planned expansion project will involve further acquisitions which will see turnover increase by 150 per cent from £6 million to £15 million in two years. Since its recent expansion, ABBY has already added more than £250,000 of new business.

Further acquisitions will help account for around 60 per cent of future projected turnover, said Mr May.

The company has come a long way since its first crucial break when Mr May met a painter and decorator at a networking event who introduced him to the owners of a nightclub who needed cleaning work carried out. That resulted in securing a contract with the owners who had a chain of clubs throughout the country, opening the door to £150,000 worth of work.

He said: “That gave us a great platform for growth and within two years turnover was £500,000.”

Some time later he got an unsolicited call from Barratt Homes asking him to tender for a new-build contract in Prestonpans.

He said: “We’d never done anything like it but despite that said we could do it. We submitted a tender and won the work. From there it snowballed, from not knowing what we were doing to hundreds of projects every week - just by meeting the customer’s expectations.” 

More recently, COVID presented new lucrative opportunities for ABBY, especially with building contractor clients who were required to be compliant with a host of new rules and regulations on sanitation and cleaning before they could return their sites to operations.

Mr May said: “At one stage we had teams working on 82 different building sites to get them up and running again.”

The company now offers myriad services including: commercial cleaning, domestic cleaning, offices, factories, rental accommodation, end of tenancies, buy-to-lets, health care facilities, GP and dental surgeries, schools and colleges, car showrooms, managed apartment blocks, hotels and restaurants, care homes, carpet cleaning, waste management, deep cleans, chewing gum and graffiti removal as well as insurance reinstatement work

Mr May said: “If it needs cleaned … we clean it.”

Outlining future strategy Mr May said: “Until recently we have grown organically but now we have established a sales team to bring in additional business.”

Customer service and looking after the workforce are key to the ABBY Group’s principles.

ABBY operates a state-of-the-art audit software system and uses film to thoroughly monitor work that has been carried out to maintain consistently high standards for clients who receive before and after pictures of each job.

Mr May said: “You’ve got to always ask: ‘What would you want for yourself and what does the customer want?’. If you meet those expectations you’re not far away.”

Another important element in the service is continuity of staff on individual contracts with the same personnel providing the same services to the same clients on a regular basis, wherever possible..

Mr May explained: “In this way relationships are built. Customers look after the clients and vice versa. All staff are interviewed, vetted and trained. They’re expert, professional, honest, hardworking and reliable.”

The company pays the living wage of £11 an hour and Mr May added: “The most important people in this company are the cleaners. Everyone else is here to support them.”

Now, with its first acquisitions bedded in, ABBY is preparing for the next phase with sights firmly fixed on further takeover targets to generate the expected growth planned for the next couple of years.

 

Contact information:

ABBY Cleaning Group

Tel: 0141 353 3471

Email: https://www.abbygrp.com/contact-us/ 

Visit: https://www.abbygrp.com/