02/04/2014 - Stewarts Coaches acquires Woods of Leicester
Two award winning Guild members come together
Stewarts Coaches, the award winning, Berkshire-based transport company, has acquired Woods Coaches of Leicester for an undisclosed sum.
Stewarts Coaches, which recently won a "Coach Operator of the Year" title at the Route One Operator Excellence Awards, will retain the Woods Coaches name and existing management team.
Following the acquisition, the Stewarts Group now operates a fleet of more than 60 vehicles - from luxurious 16-seat minibuses to full size touring coaches, state-of-the-art buses and magnificent "team coaches", which offer full hospitality facilities. Of these vehicles, 42 are operated from Stewarts Group's Berkshire headquarters under the Stewarts Coaches brand, whilst 19 are operated by Woods Coaches from the company's Leicester base.
"Woods Coaches is an excellent fit for Stewarts", says Stewarts Group's CEO and co-owner Andy Cotton. "We share the same core values and commitment to passenger safety, driver welfare and exceptional standards of service."
Originally established in Reading in 1986 as a small taxi and mini-coach business, the Stewarts Group now employs more than 100 staff. Stewarts Coaches provides transport services to clients in both the public and private sectors, as well as to private individuals. The company works for a large number of high profile corporate clients and also operates the Thames Valley Park shuttle bus service, which serves more than 50,000 passengers per month.
Founded in Leicester in 1950, Woods Coaches also offers corporate and private hire services, but the business is largely focused on the holiday and day trip market - for which it has established an excellent reputation. Woods Coaches will continue to be operated under the leadership of Kevin Brown, who has worked in the business for more than 20 years and acquired it from the founding family in 2011. Kevin is an exceptionally experienced professional who leads a team of talented and dedicated staff.
Stewarts Group's Chairman and co-owner Chris Howell is keen to develop the Group's services. "We are delighted to unite these two strategically located businesses under the Stewarts Group banner and we look forward to expanding the range of award-winning services we offer across the Midlands and Thames Valley regions."
