Drain Doctor welcomes ex-Yell men to Chester, Wirral and North Wales

When transport company owners Mark Lloyd and Clive Tucker were looking to expand their business interests, recommendations from former colleagues at Yell led them to Drain Doctor Plumbing and Drainage Ltd. Impressed by what they saw the pair have taken on the franchise business for Chester, North Wales and the Wirral.

Mark and Clive currently manage a fleet of 20 wheelchair-adapted minibuses for special needs schools and social services. However, neither of them drives the buses so they have ample time to devote to another business.

Clive is a friend of Rob Simpson from his days with Yell. Rob, who runs the successful Anglia Drain Doctor franchise business, was encouraging when Clive contacted him for advice as the pair explored their options. Mark also knows Richard Scandrett, also from Yell, who runs the Wolverhampton franchise with his father Alan.

Mark Lloyd said: “I knew Richard at Yell and we have kept in touch through social networking and Facebook. I could see how well he was doing with his Drain Doctor business so I contacted him to find out more about it – which was positive. Clive and I then got in touch with company director Jan Mitman at Drain Doctor and rest is history.”

They have started with two vans and two technicians in Chester and North Wales and will also be working the new Wirral area with a view to buying it later.

Clive Tucker said: “We are developing a commercial company and we have aggressive growth plans. There is potential for ten vans in the area. Within three years we hope to have a staff of seven or eight qualified plumbers and drainage technicians on call in vans fully equipped to deal with most plumbing and drainage problems.

“Drain Doctor has a proven system that offers a largely recession-proof opportunity where we can still be independent operators running our own business but with all the back-up that comes with being part of a large national organisation.

“Mark and I looked at other business ideas but you don’t get the same support that you do with a Drain Doctor franchise. With some other franchises you are left on your own. Drain Doctor offers great contacts with insurance companies and has a national account network that will help me to develop and grow the business.”

Related articles

• Drain Doctor Signs New Plumber for East Cornwall (your-story.org)