Boost scale up support helps LCM Environment services with rebranding

LCM Environmental services has expanded its services and embarked on a major rebrand after receiving support from Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub.

Founded in 1987, LCM is a fuel, energy and infrastructure business headquartered in Padiham.

LCM has transformed by organic growth and multiple acquisitions to provide a range of high-quality, safe and efficient compliant solutions.

Serving businesses where fuel and energy is a critical asset, LCM is now one of the UK’s major suppliers of fuel and infrastructure services and systems.

 LCM’s rapid growth has been driven by the strategic acquisition of complementary companies spread across the fuel, energy and infrastructure sectors since 2019. LCM employs 85 people, including skilled engineers and specialists across the UK, and has offices in Padiham, Selby, Birmingham and Belfast.

 Paul Rava, former operations director of Clovemead, one of the initial businesses acquired by LCM, was appointed managing director at LCM in July 2022. His role is to consolidate its leadership and senior team and oversee the continued expansion of the business through acquisition.

Seeking further strategic guidance and advice to meet these growth aspirations, LCM contacted Boost in November 2023. After an initial consultation with Boost’s Business Advice Service, Paul joined Boost’s Scale to Thrive programme.

 Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub and is led by Lancashire County Council. It has received £2.6m from the UK Government for its current programme of business support through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund contributions of ten local authorities in Lancashire, in addition to funds from Lancashire County Council and the Department for Business and Trade.

 The Boost Scale to Thrive programme is available to ambitious leaders who want to scaleup and push ahead on innovation, investment and internationalisation.

Boost offers a range of funded business support services and a team of business advisers Lancashire businesses can talk to.

Paul said: “We initially contacted Boost to go over our ESG strategy, which is extremely important for our business. However, joining the programme has given me the opportunity to talk confidentially with peers working within other fast-growing businesses in Lancashire facing a wide range of similar challenges.

 “We all appear to have similar issues about recruitment and increasing brand awareness and finding the confidence to bring new senior leaders into our business.”

By joining the cohort of like-minded business leaders on the programme, Paul gained invaluable insights and solutions to challenges surrounding recruitment and operational structure.

He also had several one-to-one sessions with Boost Scale to Thrive business advisers including Joe Twigg, a specialist in marketing and business acquisitions. Joe focused on the structure of the LCM leadership team.

Paul added: “I knew I was doing too much in my role as managing director, and that I needed to unburden my operational responsibilities to concentrate on key strategic goals. Joe advised me that I needed to create a ‘head of growth’ role, particularly someone specifically to manage the fast growth through acquisition and stabilise the group of companies into one business.”

 This advice helped Paul to review the structure of the senior team and make several key appointments including Richard Campbell, a fuel infrastructure specialist. As LCM’s new dedicated head of growth, Richard’s role is to ensure continued and sustainable expansion.

 Since Richard’s appointment, LCM has acquired two further businesses. One specialises in solar and EV capability to enable LCM to expand into the renewable energy market, while another brings coating and lining services into the business portfolio.

 The group of companies also recently rebranded to create a single and cohesive identity, LCM, reflecting the business’s expanded capabilities and focus on cross-selling. In 2024 LCM increased revenue from £10m to £15m, with the aim to double turnover in the next three years.

 Paul’s strategy for team growth is now focused on a drive to build a 95-member workforce at the start of 2025, covering multiple roles across the business.

 Lancashire County councillor, Carole Haythornthwaite, lead member for economic growth and environment said: “Boost has experts who can support companies at all stages of their business journey and LCM’s story is a real testament to that.

 “It is wonderful to see that scaleup support through Boost is helping Paul focus on managing the growth and having the confidence to make further strategic decisions for the company. Boost’s support has directly impacted the company’s growth strategy and LCM’s planned recruitment drive will support its ongoing expansion while also growing the local economy by providing more jobs.”

 Councillor Lubna Khan, executive member for economy and growth, Burnley Council, said: “There are so many brilliant business success stories like LCM in Burnley and it is important that we provide expert support to help them reach their full potential.

 “This is the reason that we have contributed UKSPF funding to support Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub in Burnley. Boost is available to help growing Burnley businesses start, grow and thrive. Get in touch with the team to understand how they can support you.”

Businesses located in the ten Boost local authority partner areas are eligible for the Business Advice Service, Flying Start, Growth Catalyst, Scale to Thrive and Access to Finance.

The Boost business support services will be delivered by a number of specialist local and national business support organisations including Growth Lancashire, Selnet and the Growth Company, with Lancashire County Council delivering the Access to Finance service.

The Growth Hubs across England are designed to provide local businesses of any size or sector with access to advice and support via an impartial, funded, single point of contact.

They bring together national and local support from across the public and private sectors to help businesses find the right support for their needs, at the right time, at any stage of the business journey.