The founders of UK-based Diamond Facilities Support Group have bought out a 56 per cent stake from investor John Gray as the business celebrates fourteen years.
Group chief executive Adam Atkins and group managing director Helen Cooper held a 44 per cent stake through Coat Holdings at the time of Diamond's formation, and have overseen its growth into an integrated facility services provider with a turnover of £15 million, 185 employees and subsidiary companies, drainage business Jet Through, roofing firm Nationwide Roofing Repairs, cleaning business Nationwide Property Clean, fire and security company Sanctuary and specialist product supply brand Purcho.
Atkins and Cooper attribute much of the growth to self-delivering the majority of the group's services and referrals.
Atkins adds: “This deal heralds an exciting new era for Diamond Facilities Support as we look to ramp up our expansion plans over the coming years.
“We’d like to place on record our thanks to John – as his initial financial support back in 2010 gave us the precious time needed to lay the foundations for the business to be able to serve clients and build our reputation - from renting office space through to employing staff and ordering equipment.
“Unlike many other FM businesses, around 90 per cent of the services we provide are delivered by our own staff, which has played a core role in our organic growth over the years as we have been able to maintain a high level of service, which has resulted in referrals landing around 50 per cent of our new business.”
Our attention is now turning to expand the business even further by growing our workforce across the group to around 250 over the next three years, as well as bringing some of the minority of FM services that we currently sub-contract in-house.
Cooper adds: “To be in this position 14 years on from starting the business with a graffitied desk we dragged up from the cellar and two mobile phones is a magnificent achievement.
“While Adam and I have been adept at spotting and capitalising on growth opportunities over the years, we would not have succeeded without the talented and hard-working team on which our reputation is built.
“We already have a “ten year club” to celebrate people’s long-service, which shows the great staff loyalty we have fostered, which is reflected in the consistently high service we provide to businesses across the UK.
“Our attention is now turning to expand the business even further by growing our workforce across the group to around 250 over the next three years, as well as bringing some of the minority of FM services that we currently sub-contract in-house.”
