A Bristol drain clearance company is targeting a turnover of £5m this year as it continues to invest in its fleet and personnel.
Trent’s Drains, which was set up by father and son Mark and Louis Trent in 2013, has grown dramatically over the past four years on the back of several major contracts with national brands.
As a result, its turnover more than doubled from £800,000 in 2020 to £1.8m in 2021, then rose again to £2.5m in 2022. It is due to reach £3.5m in its current financial year, which ends in April.
Pictured, from left: Mark Trent, Liam Nicholas and Jozef Przytocki
Throughout its growth, Trent’s Drains has been supported with bespoke van sales from Bristol specialist leasing firm Vanaways, including vehicles with specialist suspension systems to cope with the weight of its high-pressure jet cleaning equipment.
Vanaways business development director Liam Nicholas has provided the company with around a dozen vans over the past few years alone.
Following its 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 26, with two new blockage engineers currently being recruited.
Trent’s Drains transportation manager Jozef Przytocki said the fleet needed to match the company’s reputation for quality and reliability.
“We’ve come a long way since the early days when Louis and Mark acquired their first second hand van with a tow-along jetter behind it,” he said.
“We’ve created a reputation for quality and expertise which has been the basis for winning the contracts which have seen us grow so much over recent years.
“To support our growth, we’ve invested heavily in equipment and vehicles, so we’ve needed partners who can provide exactly what we need to let our engineers do their job reliably and productively.”
He said with Liam’s help the firm had successfully navigated its fleet purchasing through a landscape of regular price changes with different manufacturers, and as its changing machinery placed different demands on its vans.
“It’s been vital to have someone who can advise on what would suit us best,” Jozef added.
“We’re looking forward to an ongoing relationship with Vanaways as our company continues to grow.”
Vanaways is undergoing spectacular current growth of its own, having moved into new offices in Ham Green last year.
Its turnover has risen dramatically over the past 12 months from £55m in 2022.
Working with a large network of suppliers across the UK, the company offers free delivery with a digitalised sales process which enables quick fulfilment of the customer’s fleet needs.
In the meantime, staff numbers have risen to 72 as it completed sales on more than 10,000 vehicle sales last year.
Liam Nicholas said the work he had done over the years with Trent’s Drains illustrated the company’s hassle-free acquisition process.
“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.
