With the purchase of F&R Cawley Ltd, SUEZ announces second expansion of UK commercial waste and recycling business in 2023
This second UK acquisition in 12 months marks another step towards SUEZ’s international growth targets. As one of the largest waste markets in Europe, the UK is a strategic growth area for SUEZ. It forms a key part of SUEZ’s international growth ambitions, with a target to reach 40% turnover from international markets by 2027.
F&R Cawley, a leading independent regional recycling and waste management company
The acquisition expands SUEZ’s footprint in the North of London, where earlier this year it secured Milton Keynes City Council’s waste and environmental services contract. Together with Cawleys headquarters in Luton, SUEZ has acquired its three depots, materials recycling facility, and two transfer stations and its battery processing facility, allowing SUEZ to expand the range of services it offers to its commercial customer base. SUEZ enters the UK lithium-ion battery processing market at a time of growing demand for closed-loop solutions, driven by the proliferation of battery powered devices and surge in popularity in electric vehicles.
Founded in 1947, F&R Cawley Ltd has grown over three quarters of a century to a company that today has a turnover of £36.8 million. Employing over 200 staff, it handles 90,000 tonnes of waste annually from its 4,500 customers across three locations with a 70 strong fleet.
With this acquisition, SUEZ can provide commercial customers across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire with a resilient and responsive, full value chain solution for their waste, from collection through to recycling and energy recovery, supported by a comprehensive fleet, local transfer and sorting facilities and long-term energy recovery off-take contracts.
This second acquisition in SUEZ’s first year back in the UK recycling and recovery market highlights our ability to capitalise on opportunities in areas identified for strategic growth. F&R Cawley complements SUEZ’s offering in innovative and resilient solutions such as battery recycling, where SUEZ is already a first player in France with the development of a battery recycling facility in Dunkirk.
Sabrina Soussan , Chairman and CEO of SUEZ
Anna Cawley, Strategy and Communications Director said: “Cawleys has grown to become a leading independent commercial waste business and we’re proud to have served our customers for over 75 years. When it came to selling our business, we wanted to find a buyer who shared our values and who we were confident would maintain our excellent customer service. As a triple bottom line business with a strong track record in the industry, SUEZ is perfectly placed to take our business forward.
It's not all change though, the Cawleys management team will continue to work with SUEZ and are committed to a seamless transition for our customers, who will continue to receive the same great service from their regular crew and customer service team.”.