The Tudor Group, the leading Manchester based cleaning company, is celebrating emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic with a stronger pipeline than ever having adapted its services to support public health in a greater variety of buildings and facilities.
During the start of 2020, the Tudor Group radically altered its business strategy to adjust to the impact of the pandemic. At the start of that year, the majority of its business was related to window cleaning for hospitality venues and event cleaning services for leisure sites. When those services were not required during lockdowns, the company accelerated its product development strategy to expand upon its specialist cleaning operation.
Now, The Tudor Group’s hospitality clients have returned and the company has also established a significant foothold in the property management, education, healthcare, construction, commercial and public sectors.
In order to support more organisations in opening safely, the company has developed a specialist deep cleaning service called ‘Back to Business’ and has completed a significant number of deep cleans throughout the last twelve months in residential properties and commercial offices in advance of employees and customers returning. In addition to this, the company is preparing to carry out cleaning services to over 5,000 student accommodations for the second year running.
As a result, the company is forecasting a significant increase in revenue in 2021 and anticipates the creation of over 100 jobs throughout its service delivery teams.
That the company is able to deliver its superior services to a much broader range of clients has been supported by a comprehensive investment programme in the past year. The role of Operations Director and a new Business Development team have been created, while significant enhancements have been implemented to systems and processes, including a platform that manages the entire sales process from initial enquiry to invoice and an electronic tool that enables the management of health and safety processes in real time.
Additionally, The Tudor Group restructured operationally to create a more flexible workforce to deal with the peaks and trough associated with the uncertainties of the pandemic. The company has also recently committed to paying the Real Living Wage, one of several initiatives it has introduced to attract and retain staff.
Crucial to the Tudor Group’s strong position is the integration into its business of A Quality Service Limited (AQS), the Welsh cleaning company that was acquired by the company in early 2020 as a result of a £1.1 million growth capital investment from owners Foresight Group, a leading private equity and infrastructure investment manager.
Over the past year, AQS has worked on sanitisation contracts at the Dragon’s Heart Hospital, a temporary hospital located at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, ensuring it was safe for NHS staff and patients. It has also undertaken deep cleans at other sporting venues such as Cardiff Blues and Glamorgan County Cricket Club to enable the safe return of fans.
Fabien Caqueret, managing director at The Tudor Group, added: “Looking back over the past year, I am immensely proud of how our business has adapted to this challenging period by changing our business strategy in order to ensure our expertise could be used as a tool in the fight against COVID-19. Although there have been difficult periods, we have remained profitable and operational and we’ve been able to fulfill every contract we’ve been asked to deliver.
“Amongst other things, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of hygiene in the places we live, work, travel and play, and the vital job that the staff who undertake this work have in keeping our country safe. Our becoming a Real Living Wage service provider reflected the esteem in which we hold all of our colleagues and I’m encouraging the government to class cleaners as key workers in recognition of the importance of the work they do.”
Hugh Minnock, senior investment manager, at Foresight Group said: “It’s been a privilege to support Fabien and his team and witness the incredible value they bring to every client they work with. Through The Tudor Group’s expertise and dedication, it is able to ensure each facility they work on is safe and supports the health and wellbeing of those who use it. More than ever before, we realise how critical hygiene is to all locations we interact with, and we look forward to supporting The Tudor Group as it continues to deliver the services that will help many organisations welcome people back as we come out of lockdown.”
Laura Gardiner, director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Tudor Group has joined the movement of over 7,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Tudor Group, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”
