business

Biowise Sold To Urbaser Group

Urbaser Ltd, a Cheltenham based environmental services company and UK subsidiary of the Urbaser Group, ihas acquired Biowise Ltd (part of Wastewise Holdings Ltd), the resource management service provider in the North of England.

Urbaser Ltd provides municipal, waste treatment, and recovery services to residents throughout the UK, focusing its operations on conserving resources, carbon reduction, and delivering a circular economy. The acquisition supports Urbaser Ltd’s growth strategy to expand its portfolio of waste treatment and commercial services solutions within the region, building on the acquisition of five waste management contracts from Amey and J&B Recycling Ltd during 2021.

Founded by the Landau family, the Hull-based Biowise is a leading recycling and waste management firm with over 50-years’ experience within the industry. Delivering services across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire, Biowise operates three organic waste treatment facilities, (including two state-of-the-art in-vessel composting facilities) and offers a Total Waste Management service to a range of local authority and commercial customers, which together generated over £13 million during 2021 through the management of 260,000+ tonnes of waste.

Javier Peiro, Managing Director of Urbaser Ltd, said: “We are delighted to announce the integration of Biowise into the Urbaser Group as another important step along the path of growth and example of our continued ambition to expand the range of services we offer to our local authority and commercial customers across the country. We are committed to ensuring that Biowise continues to deliver the exemplary level of service established by the Biowise team over the many years of operation.

“The collection and treatment of organic waste is a critical element of the United Kingdom’s overall waste management strategy. Through the delivery of the organic waste treatment and Total Waste Management services, Urbaser Ltd is pleased to be able to provide additional support to maximise recycling within the UK.”

The senior management team at Wastewise will remain within the business, including Bob Wilkes as Managing Director, who joined the company in 2017.

Mr Wilkes added: “We are very excited to be joining Urbaser and supporting the Group in its ambitious growth strategy within the UK.

“Biowise is very fortunate to have found a company which possesses the same values in respect of the provision of innovative and environmentally responsible solutions across the waste management sector.”

Commenting on the sale of his company to Urbaser, James Landau added:
“It was extremely important to me to find the right organisation to take the business forward and I have every confidence that Urbaser will nurture and build upon Biowise’s existing relationships with its various local authority and commercial customers to take the company to the next level.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved, and I am thankful to the whole team for their loyalty and support. I wish them and Urbaser all the best for the future as they embark on the next chapter.”

The Urbaser Group has been delivering environmental services across the world since 1990. It plays a key role in the advancement of the circular economy, acting as a strategic partner in cities and industries all over the world, providing efficient and innovative environmental management solutions which it implements through its business areas.

Advisor support on the transaction
Urbaser Ltd were supported on the transaction by:
Michelmores LLP, Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group Europe LLP, Willis Towers Watson PLC, ByrneLooby Ltd, AXIS PED Ltd, Tolvik Consulting Ltd
Wastewise Holdings Ltd were supported on the transaction by: KPMG LLP, Ward Hadaway LLP, Smailes Goldie Group