Independent, fourth generation family business, Ward, ranked 10^th among the East Midlands’ top-performing businesses based on financial performance, growth and profitability. The firm also gained the top spot for Derbyshire businesses by EBITDA and was ranked third regionally for size.

Grant Thornton’s East Midlands Top 200 Report is the only in-depth study into the region’s fastest-growing companies by key sector and performance indicators. Analysing the financial performance of 200 businesses in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire that have delivered the greatest sustained profit growth between 2019 and 2023, it provides a barometer of overall economic performance.

Donald Ward, Operations Director at Ward, said: “As an independent, fourth-generation family business, we are proud to be named alongside some of the Midlands most well-known and well-respected businesses. Continuous innovation and investment in people, plant, equipment, technology and waste management and recycling processes helps us maintain sustainable growth within the East Midlands and further afield.

With a turnover exceeding £320 million, Ward is the largest independent metal and waste recycling company in the East Midlands. The business operates across 11 sites nationally, employing over 400 people.

The firm continually invests in its waste management, processing and recycling operations. Over the past two years, ongoing investments have included new buildings, equipment and technology to maximise efficiency and improve recycling rates for all material streams.

Investment in a new purpose-built material recycling facility site at Ilkeston with advanced sorting technology has increased its processing capabilities and a new Rail Head at Burton has enabled rail connectivity between its various sites for transporting bulk materials. This has improved sustainability, reduced carbon emissions and removed vehicles from the road network. The opening of a new port site at Cardiff will further increase its metal export potential.

These investments have allowed the company to grow, increasing its processing capacity and maximising material recycling.

In 2022, Ward was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, in recognition of its investment in exportation facilities and overseas sales.

Nick Gillott, Partner at Grant Thornton, said: “If the 200 fastest-growing businesses across the four counties of the East Midlands have anything in common, it is surely dynamism and the quality of their leadership.

“Leading the way is never easy, as such, we are delighted to showcase 200 inspiring businesses that have done an incredible job of using their own creativity and commercial nous to grow their operations regardless of the challenging conditions. This all adds up to a very exciting time for fast-growing East Midlands firms and it’s our pleasure to congratulate and acknowledge the success stories.”

Ward will join other businesses mentioned in the report at a special dinner at Cleaver & Wake Nottingham on Thursday 17th October.

For more information on Ward’s metal recycling and waste management capabilities visit www.ward.com.

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With an investment of over £1 million, it has upgraded its fleet to accommodate the extended services, with the addition of new wheelie bins, Front End Loading (FEL) vehicles, skips and bespoke containers.

The new services boost Ward’s commercial waste management offering across several sectors, including hospitality, construction and demolition, manufacturing and industrial, retail, facilities management, offices and public sector organisations such as education and local authorities.

The service will initially focus on Derby, Nottingham, Chesterfield and the surrounding area, with plans to expand beyond the East Midlands over time.

Ward has also launched a new dedicated online quoting system, providing clear and concise pricing information which allows customers to raise estimates for services in their area and this can be found via ward.com/compaction.

Heather Foo, Head of Sales (Waste) at Ward, said: “This is a great addition to the wide range of waste management solutions we already provide, offering a comprehensive waste collection and recycling service across all sectors.”

“Our compaction business provides a cost effective service solution for regular waste management with our fleet designed to meet the needs of every customer. We are proud of our reputation for providing an exemplary service and this new launch underpins our commitment to being a leading provider of waste management solutions.”

Ward is focused on providing its customers with the most cost efficient carbon neutral recycling service via its modern energy efficient fleet, all recycled at its state-of-the-art new £10m recycling facility in Ilkeston.

Ward’s existing waste management solutions include a fully comprehensive collection service for commercial, industrial and construction waste, ferrous and non-ferrous recycling, hazardous waste management, secure destruction, confidential waste management and textile recycling

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With the UK generating over 222 million tonnes of waste each year, recycling and waste management are booming sectors.[1] They also export to a growing international market, helping this country manage its waste more sustainably while at the same time supporting jobs, boosting trade and helping to grow the economy. This is something which Ward, one of the UK’s largest independently owned recycling firms, can attest to.

The fourth-generation family business achieved record turnover and international sales in 2023 at £312m, thanks in part to backing from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the government department responsible for issuing loans, guarantees and insurance. This service is available to ensure that no viable export fails for want of finance.

Ward specialises in metal recycling and waste management, helping a range of sectors reduce their impact on the environment by collecting their materials and recycling as much as possible. It serves a growing export market for recycled scrap metal, shipping reclaimed material to a global client base.

In 2022, HSBC UK agreed to provide export funding with backing from UKEF to help Ward expand and meet significant demand for recycled metal from clients in India, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt. HSBC UK secured a loan guarantee from UKEF for an extra £9 million in financing, with the guarantee issued under UKEF’s General Export Facility product; this allowed HSBC UK to release the funding to Ward.

Through its GEF product, UKEF provides partial guarantees to banks which help UK exporters gain access to trade finance facilities.

Ward has since used the additional funds to increase the amount of metal for export which is processed and stored at its docks in Immingham and more recently Cardiff. This allows it to load multiple ships simultaneously – each carrying up to 20,000 tonnes of material – and therefore export more metal in less time. In March 2023, less than a year after UKEF unlocked this £9 million financing deal, Ward achieved its highest monthly export sales of metals.

Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance, said:

“Stories like Ward’s show how UKEF, working with financial institutions like HSBC UK, can unlock new exporting opportunities for firms across the country.

“Backed by the right financing, innovative businesses like Ward are supporting growth and reducing waste in the UK whilst making global supply chains more sustainable – this is something which we are proud to support”.

James Balfour, Finance Director at Ward, said:

“We have seen a phenomenal year of growth since this financing was agreed. Support from UKEF and HSBC UK has allowed us to bring our exporting business to new heights, especially in Asia and the Middle-East. I’m excited to see how our team can build on this success.”

Ward’s exporting success was recognized with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Excellence in International Trade in 2022.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data/uk-statistics-on-waste

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These two new hires underpin Ward’s commitment to continuous investment to meet the needs of its ever-expanding customer base while realising the firm’s ambitious growth targets. Both appointments will be based at Ward’s head office, Donald Ward House in Ilkeston, where they will join the commercial team, reporting into Heather Foo, Head of Purchasing (Metals) and Sales (Waste).

Working within the waste team, Mick brings 25 years of sector experience and will be responsible for developing Ward’s customer base of key national and regional tier 1 construction contractors. Establishing strong working relationships and identifying opportunities against project pipelines will be a main focus, as well as working in partnership with customers to identify requirements and align with Ward’s offering.

Kieron brings nine years of bid management experience to the business and will be responsible for increasing bidding capabilities and driving the bid function for Ward’s entire offering, supporting growth through the tender process.

Following on the back of its Queen’s Award for Excellence in International Trade success last year, Ward has already implemented several strategies to meet its future aspirations, including refurbishing its processing operations at Ilkeston, implementing site improvements across its nationwide locations, expanding its FORS Gold accredited vehicle fleet and developing its teams through training, development and recruitment.

Heather Foo, Head of Purchasing (Metals) and Sales (Waste), said: “It is great to have Mick on board to further enhance the waste team and the wider business. His experience and passion shines through and we are very pleased to have him as part of the Ward family.

“The business is equally thrilled to welcome Kieron to the team, who will have a key role in expanding the business through the bid process. This is a new role for Ward and one that will see the business grow through focusing on winning work through tenders. With Kieron’s experience, knowledge and enthusiasm, we are excited to see this develop”.

Find out more details about Ward’s international metal recycling and waste management capabilities.

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Independent, fourth generation family run business, Ward, has completed a deal with L. Clancey & Sons for its 3.9-acre scrap metal site in York and the business as a going concern. The acquisition of the business will further enhance the nationwide capabilities of Ward, offering greater coverage in the North of England, while enabling the succession planning of Clancey’s, as two of its partners take retirement. 

Clancey’s has a well-established reputation, developed over its 160 history and this successful operating model will be maintained, as will the business name. One of the sellers, Richard Clancey, a member of the founding family, will stay on as Site Operations Manager, employed by Ward and all other staff are being retained. 

Thomas Ward, Commercial Director at Ward, said:

“This is a really exciting time for both our family businesses. Clancey’s have a solid reputation in metal recycling, they share our values, outlook and approach to customers. We hope they will become an extension of the Ward team operationally, while retaining its own identity. This new site gives us even more geographical reach for both businesses with good transport links to our Midlands, Immingham and Redcar sites.” 

Richard Clancey, partner, at L. Clancey & Sons, said:

“Both our businesses are strongly family orientated and we have very similar values, from the way we look after our teams to the way we support our customers. This will be a really positive step for us all. Both myself and my daughter are looking forward to working with Ward and seeing what we can achieve together.”

Ward was supported with legal advice from Square One Law (led by Charlie Fielding) and financial due diligence was provided by PKF Smith Cooper (led by David Nelson). Azets (led by Stephen Garbett) and Harrowells (led by Matthew Rowley) acted on behalf of L. Clancey & Sons.

Ward is multi-awarding wining family business, recently named among the Top 200 businesses in Derbyshire and recognised in this year’s Queen’s Award for Excellence in International Trade. Investment in the new site at York complements Ward’s existing metal processing and recycling facilities across the Midlands, Teeside, Lincolnshire and London, enabling the metals specialist to expand its nationwide metal recycling capabilities.

For more information on Ward’s metal buying, selling and export services, browse our metal recycling services.

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Donald Ward, Operations Director at Derbyshire-based metal recycling and waste management specialist, Ward, has requested a further explanation from the Chancellor regarding the lack of support for businesses affected by the removal of the rebated fuel allowance.

On 17th March, Donald Ward wrote to the Right Hon, Rishi Sunak MP, the Chancellor of the Exchequer to leverage support in managing spiralling energy costs in the next budget by postponing the taxation of red diesel, or rebated fuel, for at least 12 months.

In lieu of a response, Donald Ward submitted a second letter on behalf of Ward and the many other Derbyshire-based businesses operating nationally within the metal recycling, building, construction and demolition sectors. This latest letter outlined how these businesses, which were considered ‘essential services’ during the pandemic, will now be significantly disadvantaged by this additional fuel surcharge against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty and the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

Under the existing plans, from 1st April 2022, it will no longer be permitted to use rebated red diesel in most plant, machinery, and construction equipment. Instead, all equipment must use diesel or biofuels, on which the full rate of duty has been paid.

In the letter, Donald Ward states:

“The planned changes were, when originally announced, forecast to cost our business 70% more in operational costs with red diesel priced at 64.65 pence per litre (ppl) in December 2021, while white diesel was priced 109.91 ppl.

At the time of writing, red diesel has itself increased to 96.92 ppl, white diesel is now running at 177.3ppl and continuing to rise, as well as experiencing supply shortages.

For most of the metal recycling and construction sectors, we are completely reliant on diesel for our processing equipment, plant and machinery and lack of viable alternatives means no suitable alternatives are currently available.

Also requested in the original note was a phased approach to mitigate the impacts to business. We believe that neither of these requests have been addressed, despite raising concerns that the implementation would be disastrous for many waste and resource operators, construction and demolition businesses and result in unintended consequences impacting the environment, the wider economy and employment levels.”

The letter concludes with a further request of an explanation for the lack of support for businesses and what the Government’s plans are to help those affected.

Read the full letter here.

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The Midlands’ largest independent metal recycling and waste management specialist has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

Donald Ward Ltd, trading as Ward, is one of 225 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Announced today (Thursday 21 April), Ward has been recognised for its excellence in International Trade.

Headquartered in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, Donald Ward Limited was incorporated in December 1976, although the business commenced trading circa 1940 at Woodville in Derbyshire. A fourth generation, independently owned family business, Ward now employees close to 400 people across its sites nationwide.

The company collects and processes around a million tonnes of materials annually; recycling products such as metals, plastics, glass, cardboard, wood, textiles, soils, and hardcore to ensure its customers fulfil environmental regulations and commitments.

It aims to divert 100% of the waste it processes from landfill and uses sophisticated metal sorting equipment to extract every last scrap of metal from end-of-life vehicles, as well as other waste electronic and electrical items.

Thomas Ward, Commercial Director at Ward, has been instrumental in expanding Ward’s export capabilities

Thomas Ward, Commercial Director at Ward said:

“Winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade is a huge honour for the Ward team. Our core business, which represents around 80% of turnover, is the buying, selling, processing and recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from a variety of sources, including end-of-life vehicles and arisings demolition projects. 

Over the three years to March 2019, thanks to significant investment in deep sea dock facilities and ongoing hard work of our dedicated teams, our overseas sales grew by 84%, a growth rate of 36% per annum. We were able to expand our export capabilities to service larger customers in Turkey, Eygypt, India and Pakistan.” 

The company wins the Queen’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years.

He continues:

“We are planning sustainable growth with significant future investment into our people, processes, equipment and infrastructure. We are excited about the potential opportunities that winning the Queen’s Award could bring to help us achieve our long term ambitions.”

Now in its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Applications for Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2023 open on the 1st May 2022. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise.

Processing and loading metals for export at Ward’s facility at Immingham

For more information about Ward’s metal recycling and export capabilities, visit: www.ward.com.

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The Postgraduate placements aim to provide organisations with short-term, focused and cost-effective access to specialist graduate expertise to support strategic growth, while offering students real life experience of the world of work. 

Part way through a Masters in Business and Marketing, international student Deepak was interested in gaining practical work experience. The placement with Ward offered him the opportunity to match his skills in marketing with his passion for sustainability. 

We caught up with Deepak at the end of his placement to see how he found working at Ward and what he would take away from his time on the team. 

What interested you about working with Ward and why did you choose Ward for your placement?

“There were a few suitable vacancies available, but the one at Ward caught my eye particularly as I’ve always wanted to do something within the environmental or sustainability sector, but I have no formal qualifications in this field. As a marketing intern at Ward, this one offered a mixture of sustainability experience and practical marketing application. 

I liked that it was going to be working in the sustainability team of waste management and recycling company. I had been in a dramatic society during my undergraduate degree where we did social plays on issues such as plastic recycling, so I was keen to understand more about the company and how it reduces waste to landfill.”

What kind of activities have you been doing in your placement?

“I’ve been supporting the sustainability team with the creation of presentations and reports, helping with the measurement of social value, plus working on documents and research to support The Ward Way, Ward’s sustainability strategy and roadmap to 2030. 

Working with Ward’s marketing team, I’ve been involved with research for social media content and the creation of social media posts and assets. I’ve also been tasked with auditing the digital content on social channels and the website in relation to sustainability and making recommendations and suggestions on how this can be improved in the future, which I’ve really enjoyed.”

What have been your highlights during your time at Ward?

“The experience as whole has been a highlight really. From the start with my induction with sustainability team in the office, seeing the big chunky machines in action and going through the whole recycling process. 

I was a bit worried initially that it would be really formal and corporate, but the team is professional, yet friendly and informal. I was introduced to everyone and felt welcome and acknowledged. It was fascinating to see what happens on Ward sites and the machinery working in real time. 

Working with Ashley Oates, head of sustainability was a highlight too. She was always supportive, even when busy and always made herself available, giving the placement a good part of her time. She was more like a mentor and I felt really good about that.”

What have you learned through your time at Ward?

“So many things that I was not sure of or hadn’t come across before, such as the COP 26 movement and insights into the sustainability sector. I’ve had the opportunity to research so much and develop an understanding about what is happening in the sector around the world. 

I had thought it might not be possible to get into the sector, as did not have environment qualifications, but it has given me confidence to see that it could be possible to move into a sustainability related role after graduation.”

How was working with your team during the pandemic?

“To be honest, the placement was built on the basis that we would work remotely so could fit it around our studies, so the pandemic didn’t adversely affect the experience. Visiting the site for induction was useful for meeting the team, getting support and experiencing the world of Ward. There was strict hygiene measures in place and everyone had their vaccinations, so that made things easier.”

What next for your education/career? 

“My first priority is to focus on my dissertation where I’m looking at how the claims businesses make about the environment and sustainability match their actions, or if there is evidence of greenwashing. My experience at Ward will definitely help inform that and hopefully create a good piece of work. 

After that, I’m going to be looking for a marketing role in the sustainability sector ideally. This experience has given me more confidence and it feels that I might be able to make something out of it. 

My priority would be to work in the UK, as I could progress further in the sector than back in India. The sustainability agenda is not as progressive there as in UK and eventually I could take the knowledge back to India in a few years maybe.”

Would you recommend the placement scheme to other postgraduate students?

“I would definitely recommend the placement scheme to other students. It’s been an immensely useful experience. It broadens your experience, helps you understand the way things work outside the world of university. It’s been great to work with people having a good mind set and enjoy a good work life balance. It gives us really good exposure and insight into the world of working.”

Ashley Oates, Head of Sustainability at Ward shared her experiences of the placement too, adding: 

“It’s been fantastic having Deepak as part of the team. He’s brought creativity, enthusiasm and a keen eye for detail. He has supported us with research, social media ideas, an objective audit of our website and digital presence, to generate fresh ideas and build on the sustainability activity of the team. 

The experience all round has been great. The postgraduate placements team at the University support you through the process, match you with the right student and manage the administration and take care of payroll and contractual things. For businesses it’s a great way to get bright students to support you with your business objectives, while giving them worthwhile work experience in return.” 

For more information on the Postgraduate Placement scheme from the University of Nottingham visit: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/workingwithbusiness/services/postgraduate-placements-nottingham.aspx 

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The site in Barking is a long-term partnership with DB Cargo UK and marks the next stage in the expansion of the firm’s bulk metal processing and export capabilities. It follows the opening of a new deep sea port facility at Redcar Bulk Terminal earlier this year and a deep sea dock at Immingham in North Lincolnshire in 2018 with Associated British Ports. 

Enabling Ward to move bulk ferrous metal by rail, the site eventually aims to transport a number of trains each month, each carrying over 1,000 tonnes of material on each movement. It forms part of Ward’s broader sustainability plans to reduce road cargo and handle bulk material to rail wherever feasible to do so. 

Donald Ward, Operations Director at Ward, said:

“Following a pilot exercise in Pinns Wharf, where we were transporting scrap by barge up to Immingham, we established the potential for buying metals from other London-based merchants and cost effectively transporting them via rail to our other sites, for recycling and export. 

“We’ve worked with DB Cargo UK to upgrade the site, installing a new weighbridge, radiation detectors, site accommodation facilities, new walls, gates and on-site security. We’ve also invested in new equipment including Liebherr material handlers and a CAT wheel loader. At the moment it has created five new jobs, but we are expecting to grow the team further in the coming months.”

DB Cargo UK provides freight, infrastructure and passenger charter trains throughout the UK, and freight services to and from mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel. It also provides traction and train crew for scheduled passenger operators.

Roger Neary, Head of Sales at DB Cargo UK, said:

“We’re really pleased to extend our ongoing partnership with Ward with the new facility at Barking. This is a great example of how we work with our customers to achieve safe, sustainable and innovative rail logistics solutions linking their supply chains to domestic and European markets through our network, service and people excellence.”

Multi-award winning Ward is an independently owned fourth-generation family business. Investment in the new Barking site complements Ward’s existing metal processing and recycling facilities across the Midlands, Teeside and Lincolnshire, enabling the metals specialist to transport various grades of ferrous metal for onward recycling.

For more information on Ward’s metal buying, selling and export services, visit here.

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Organised by the Society for the Environment ‘Pledge to Net Zero’, is the first industry commitment in the UK requiring science-based targets from its signatories to tackle greenhouse gas emissions within their organisations. 

The pledge recognises the need for organisations from the environmental services sector to take a leadership role in the transition to a Net Zero carbon economy.

Pledge signatories include the Chartered Institution of Waste Management (CIWM), Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA), environmental service organisations and a range of engineering consultancies across the UK. Each one has committed to submitting key pieces of science-based evidence at various points over the next three years, marking their progress against targets set for greenhouse gas emissions in line with either, an encouraged, 1.5°C or well below 2°C climate change scenario – covering buildings and travel as a minimum. 

Ward is achieving the 1.5°C target by making reductions in energy use and implementing its sustainability road map to 2030, The Ward Way. Real, evidence-based greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced across the business, rather than purchasing carbon offsets. 

In addition, a partnership between Pledge to Net Zero and the United Nations Framework on Climate Change’s (UNFCC) Race To Zero campaign was officially announced ahead of COP26. Ward has also become a part of this, as its own targets are in line with the required 1.5°C targets for emissions. 

Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors and universities for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. All members are committed to the same overarching goal: achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest.

Ashley Oates, Head of Sustainability at Ward said:

“We’re proud that our organisation is stepping forward with others in the environmental sector to be a leader and drive the changes required to meet the UK’s Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions 2050 target.

Many of our customers are also now looking for science-based evidence of our commitment to reducing emissions and contributing to tackling climate change. Through our sustainability roadmap to 2030, the Ward Way, we can provide this evidence, commit to the Pledge to UN’s Race to Zero and are eligible to join the UN’s Race to Net Zero too.”

Organisations must submit evidence including annual reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and progress against the target, as well as publishing one piece of research/thought-leadership each year on practical steps to delivering an economy in line with climate science and in support of net zero carbon. The next milestone for Ward is to report back on its progress to date, by 31st Jan 2022.

View all the other signatories here: https://www.pledgetonetzero.org/signatories.

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