Although it was only formed in 2017, Somerset-based A & J Waste Services Limited already has the reputation and capabilities of a much longer-established operation thanks to the experience within the company and the flexibility of its business model.
“I started the company six years ago after working for a groundworks contractor for over 25 years,” explains James Watson, Managing Director. “I drew on this experience to put together an operation that could provide Materials Management services to the construction industry throughout the south and south-west of England.”
From its head office in Shepton Mallet, A & J Waste Services now covers a region that stretches across from Heathrow in the east, as far north as Worcester and down to the tip of Cornwall, all without owning any of its own lorries and with just a core staff of 20 employees. The company can service such a large area with so few people thanks to its business model, which utilises the services of 150 sub-contracted haulage companies.
“Due to our geographical coverage, if we were to offer a similar scale of operation with our own lorries, we’d face a headache in terms of the lorries not being in the right place to cover all the work,” adds Stuart Knight, who has recently become Operations Director, having previously amassed a wealth of experience in the waste industry prior to joining A & J. “This sub-contracted model, provides us with a tremendous amount of flexibility that suits our requirements and the needs of our customer base. It has allowed us to grow very quickly without losing any quality from a service perspective.”
Underlining the strength of the service it can provide, A & J Waste Services’s customer base includes many of the leading housebuilders, such as Persimmon Homes, Barratt Homes, Wain Homes and Taylor Wimpey, as well as the likes of Balfour Beatty and Volker FitzPatrick. From their perspective, the benefits of the arrangement for the sub-contracted hauliers are clear too, as the company prides itself on paying them on the 1st of each month, having developed a slick invoicing and ticketing process. This has helped to instill a high degree of confidence in the hauliers and, as a consequence, A & J Waste Services has never struggled to find suitable haulage when needed. Sales are generated through relationships gained through a well-connected and highly experienced sales team.
Demonstrating the rate of progress it has made, A & J Waste Services has seen its turnover increase from £2.5m in its first year to its current level of £16m. This has been achieved not only thanks to the strength and flexibility of its model, but also the experience that James and Stuart have amassed by working in the housebuilding and waste industries bolstered by a friendly, knowledgeable, and well connected sales force of Andy Stewart, Adam Farley and Mel Bryant, who all bring decades of industry experience, as well as a slick transport team of Stacey Howe and Nick Sheppard, plus many other staff all playing a vital role to the success of the business. Being poachers turned gamekeepers has given them the insight to traverse the challenges associated with the sector, such as obtaining the relevant licenses for running large landfill sites.
“We’re very proud of the model we have developed,” highlights James. “However, we’ve only been able to capitalise on its strengths thanks to the relationships we have been able to build and the consistency of service that we provide that means customers keep coming back. Ultimately, it’s all about delivering what you say you’re going to. The key has been getting knowledgeable people onboard, and Stuart is a prime example of that philosophy in action.”
Having already made such major inroads into the marketplace since its creation, A & J Waste Services is now striving to keep that progression going by improving further and taking its systems and internal processes to the next level.
“We want to kick on and continue our growth in a more efficient manner,” says Stuart. “We’ve got key customers that we want to bring onboard including some Tier 1 contractors, as we look for further opportunities to develop the business. There’s a huge amount of housebuilding in the pipeline and we’re keen to keep capitalising on that. There’s plenty to be positive about and as long as we continue to make the right appointments and keep developing our systems and our service then we’re confident we will continue to progress. We have a great model and it’s just a case of tweaking it where appropriate.”
Given how far A & J Waste Services has come since its creation, the signs are that the company will keep continuing along its upward trajectory thanks to the strength of its business model and its focus on customer service.