Ten jobs on way as Sheffield waste firm snaps up rival

Fletchers Waste Management bought Retford Waste despite a delay of a month due to the pandemic.

Two new trucks are arriving at the 10-strong company in January and new machinery will be installed in the middle of next year, according to managing director Gavin Leverett.

He said the aim was to double the amount of waste it could handle and quadruple the turnover.

More marketing is also part of the growth strategy and includes launching Retford Waste’s first website.

The family-owned business has been operating for more than 30 years. Boss George Marsh has retired.

Mr Leverett said: “It would have been very easy to back out because of the pandemic but we believed it was the right thing to do long term.

“Retford Waste is a great fit for us.”

Another acquisition of a waste company is in the pipeline, he added.

Fletchers, based at Clement Works, Clement Street, Darnall, handles and sorts rubbish and hires out skips.

As an essential business it has operated throughout the pandemic.

Mr Leverett said commercial waste had taken a hit during lockdown but had been offset by domestic waste.

They had switched focus from restaurants, which are closed in lockdown, towards takeaways.

They had also set up a national brand, Fast Skips, using sub-contractors across the country and grown a national waste brokering business for larger companies.

He added: “You have to be nimble. We also wanted to increase our routes to market and grow our share of the national market.”

Fletchers is likely to have improved on last year in its next annual results, due half way through 2021, he added.

“It’s not all been plain sailing but it’s not been as bad as it could be.”

Gavin Leverett took over in February after founder Richard Fletcher stepped back.

He launched the company in February 1982 dealing mainly in scrap. At that time all other waste went to landfill.

Today the business says it recycles 98 per cent of material after significant investment over the last five years.

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