The owners of a family-owned removals firm say they have seen record turnover in the past year after investing in a new headquarters.
They said Ballards had quadrupled its turnover and more than doubled its staff numbers since moving to a five acre site next to the A1 in Nottinghamshire in 2017.
They said company revenues rose to more than £8 million in the last year and the team has grown to 90 people, including 35 full-time drivers.
Managing director Matthew Ballard said the site has seen a lot of investment, including creating short-term self-storage and long-term storage, as well as removals, haulage and self-drive vehicle hire.
The company has also bought two smaller removals companies, Steeles of Stamford in 2018 and Bespoke Moving Solutions, in 2021.
Mr Ballard – whose parents Richard and Janette founded Ballards Removals in 1978 – said: “Four years ago, we began one of the biggest periods of investment we’ve ever undertaken.
“We’ve acquired two well-regarded removals companies – Steeles of Stamford and Bespoke Moving Solutions – we’ve invested in new vehicles, new storage containers, a huge amount of new equipment and, biggest of all, we’ve opened our new headquarters right beside the A1 and welcomed dozens of new members of our team.
“It was a big gamble, but it’s proved to be a great success, helping the company to reach record turnover and become one of the leading removals, storage and vehicle hire companies in the region.
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“Although there have been challenges this year, with issues such as the nationwide shortage of drivers and new obstacles on the border with the EU, we’ve navigated through each of these to make this year our best ever.
“We’re now seeing the real benefit of our new headquarters, which gives us incredible access to all parts of the country and to continental Europe as well as loads more capacity for our long and short term storage solutions.
“I’m proud of the great work our team is doing and I’m excited by what the future holds.”
He said the new headquarters at Markham Moor, near Retford, include a specially built warehouse unit with 1,600 secure wooden storage crates.
There is also a 120-unit self-storage facility where customers can rent a watertight, repurposed shipping container for short to medium-term use.
The Ballards compound, which has 24 hour security, is also a depot for the company’s 55 trucks and vans.
The company has three other sites – a self-storage facility in Lincoln, Steeles of Stamford and a depot in Godalming, Surrey.
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