Posted:20-February-2025
GreenThumb grows its branches across Yorkshire with new franchises in Leeds and Harrogate
GreenThumb, the UK’s largest lawn care franchise, has expanded across Yorkshire with the opening of two new lawn care branches in Leeds and Harrogate. Already well established in Preston and Ilkley, ambitious entrepreneurs Steve Graham and Philip Alston are now the owners of four franchise locations providing a bespoke localised high-quality lawn care service and hard surface treatment to over 5,300 homes and businesses across Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Co-owners Steve and Philip have bought the Leeds and Harrogate franchises and will continue to deliver over 2,100 lawn treatments to customers. Philip will oversee the day-to-day operations of GreenThumb, focusing on business growth and ensuring efficient management. Meanwhile, Steve will leverage his 25 years of experience in sales and business development to expand the customer base, supported by his in-depth technical expertise in lawn treatments.
Operating the fleet of nine GreenThumb branded vans from their Head Office in Preston, Steve and Philip are supported by a team of nine lawn operatives and three administrative staff, whose main focus is to provide excellent customer service and exceptional lawn care treatments to every customer across their four territories.
"With Yorkshire being one of the UK's largest counties, it felt like a natural progression for us to expand by acquiring Leeds and Harrogate,” said Steve Graham. “After successfully growing our Preston branch, acquired in 2019, and Ilkley in 2022, we sought a new challenge that would enable us to scale the business quickly. Leeds and Harrogate offered an established customer base, a dedicated team and essential equipment. We’re thrilled to now operate across three locations in Yorkshire, which has been made possible with the support from GreenThumb’s Head Office."
The business partners bring a combined 50 years of industry expertise to their growing franchise, paving their own path to success. Steve’s career has encompassed nearly four decades in the horticulture sector, including roles at Rigby Taylor Ltd and A.P. Broome Landscapes, where he developed strong skills in retail sales, account acquisition, operations management and leadership. Philip’s professional background lies in commercial fire security, where he worked as an account manager with a diverse range of clients and leveraged his expertise in client relationship management. With a shared ambition to step away from the corporate ladder and take charge of their future, the pair made the bold decision to establish their own business and shape their own destiny.
“We are both really passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and providing value for money,” added Philip. “Every week, we receive calls from customers praising our lawn operatives and expressing their satisfaction with the service they receive. We also recognise the challenges posed by the UK’s changing climate and seasons and as a result have embraced an ‘adapt and adopt’ strategy, ensuring we continue to meet our clients’ needs effectively. Our agile and responsive management approach has allowed us to grow our locations consistently year after year since their acquisition, and we intend to do the same in Leeds and Harrogate.
“We have ambitious plans for the business, and our goal is to increase turnover by 40% annually over the next few years and double our growth, all while expanding our customer base significantly. As we scale, we are committed to bringing in new local talent to maintain the high standards of customer service that our clients have come to expect."
GreenThumb covers numerous towns and villages across Ilkley, Leeds and Harrogate. It is part of a national network of over 220 territories, many of which are franchised, providing more than 2.5 million treatments carried out each year by professional and caring lawn care teams.
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