Bristol drainage clearance company targets £5M turnover this year

A Bristol drainage clearance company has continued its investment in fleet and personnel as it celebrates its 10^th year in business by targeting £5 million turnover this year.

Trent’s Drains was set up by father and son Mark and Louis Trent in 2013 and in the past four years has grown dramatically off the back of several major contracts with national brands.

Turnover of around £800,000 in 2020 more than doubled to £1.8 million in 2021, rising to £2.5 million n 2022 and will reach £3.5 million in this financial year, which ends in April.

Throughout its growth the company has been supported with bespoke van sales, featuring specialist suspension requirements to manage the weight of Trent’s high pressure jet cleaning equipment.

Liam Nicholas, business development director at Vanaways, has provided the company with around a dozen vans over the past few years alone. 

Following two latest additions the fleet size, based out of Trent’s offices in Hengrove, is now 21 vehicles with 12 jetting vans on the road. The team has grown to 28 people including two new blockage engineers currently being recruited.

Jozef Przytocki, Transportation Manager at Trent’s Drains, said that the fleet needed to match the company’s reputation for quality and reliability.

“We’ve come a long way since the early days,” he said, “when Louis and Mark acquired their first second hand van with tow-along jetter behind it.

“We’ve invested heavily in equipment and vehicles, so we’ve needed partners who can provide what we need to let our engineers do their job reliably.

“We’ve successfully navigated our fleet purchasing through a landscape of regular price changes with different manufacturers, and as our changing machinery has placed different demands on our vans.

Vanaways is also undergoing spectacula growth, having moved into new offices in Ham Green near the M5 at Bristol early last year.

Company turnover has risen to dramatically over the past 12 months from its 2022 figure of £55 million, with details to be announced shortly.

Working with suppliers across the UK, staff numbers have risen to 72 and the business completed sales on more than 10,000 vehicle sales last year.

Liam said: “Louis, Mark and the team need the right horsepower to transport their equipment, with the right interior spec because of the distances their operatives have to drive,” he said.

“What’s also been important is the speed of the journey from the production line to the premises, as well as the best value with a streamline and easy process.

“I’m pleased with the relationship we’ve had over the years – it’s meaningful, not just transactional – and advice has been a key component of what we’ve provided."