The Nurture Group has today (5th November 2024) announced its 50th and largest acquisition to date with the purchase of Tivoli Group Ltd, in a deal which was completed last week. Tivoli was the fourth largest player in grounds maintenance and landscaping sector with an annual turnover in excess of £70m. Together, this has created a market leading national business with a combined annual revenue of £245m (based on Nurture Group and Tivoli management accounts to March 2024) with the most comprehensive range of grounds maintenance, workplace solutions and green services in Great Britain.

The acquisition of this highly respected business follows on from several recent acquisitions completed in 2024, including arboriculture specialists Gristwood & Toms, and three grounds maintenance businesses – Roy Cowie, Spacecare and Hortech, which together have expanded both the range of services offered by Nurture Group, and enhanced national coverage and operational depth.

The Tivoli brand will be retained and will sit alongside the other four brands in the Nurture Group. Tivoli teams will continue to serve their clients, operating as Tivoli under the Nurture Group banner alongside Nurture Landscapes, Gavin Jones, Gristwood & Toms and Nurture Pest Control.

The move further strengthens the newly combined company’s position in the grounds maintenance and landscaping sector, particularly in the public sector where Tivoli bring an extensive amount of expertise as well as an impressive client portfolio. The acquisition enhances Nurture’s scale and operational density, enabling greater efficiencies and improved service delivery for clients across the board. Both businesses are built on shared values with an aligned culture of service excellence. Central to the way both businesses have operated is the focus on direct delivery through a combined workforce of over 4,400 colleagues. Nurture’s commitment as a Real Living Wage employer will also be extended to the 1,400 colleagues who have joined from Tivoli, with effect from April 2025.

The Nurture Group is led by executive chairman and founder of the Nurture Group, Peter Fane, and Gareth Kirkwood OBE, CEO and delivered impressive growth year on year since it was formed in 2008. This has been achieved through successful integrations of carefully targeted acquisitions combined with very strong organic growth. Today more than half of those employed by Nurture joined the organisation through acquisitions, including many in senior leadership positions. This demonstrates not only the ongoing contribution the acquisitions make to the business, but the Group’s culture and commitment to keeping people at the heart of the brand.

Tivoli Group was formed from a carve-out from the UK grounds maintenance division of ISS, one of the largest integrated facilities management businesses in the world, rebranding as Tivoli in 2018. The acquisition of Tivoli brings the story full circle for Peter Fane, who founded Waterers Landscapes in 1983, before successfully selling the business to ISS in 2003 to form their UK grounds maintenance division. Peter served on the board of ISS for four years, before founding Nurture in 2008.

Tivoli has built a strong presence with a wide range of government and public sector clients, including the UK’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) – who plan, build and maintain the estate infrastructure for the Ministry of Defence, and in addition provide services to housing associations, healthcare estates, local authorities and educational establishments.

Fane comments on how Tivoli’s long track record in complementary activities will underpin Nurture’s capabilities and national footprint:

“This is a superb marriage of differentiated businesses with much history and mutual respect. The combination of our skills, clients, reach and greater scale will put Nurture indisputably at the pinnacle of our sector. The enhanced scale and density across Great Britain, particularly in key segments, will drive greater operational efficiencies, delivery of an even better experience for clients, with improved value, range and service quality. At the same time, our shared commitment to direct service delivery through our employees will enhance the experience for our colleagues on the ground.”

Kirkwood added:

“Today marks a significant milestone for the Nurture Group as we celebrate a key acquisition for our business. This strategic move underscores our commitment to sustainable growth and diversification, while aligning perfectly with our mission, and values.

“Both the Nurture Group and Tivoli share a common purpose – enhancing the landscape, improving biodiversity and sustainability for our clients and delivering service excellence – which makes this partnership a natural fit. Together, we are well-positioned to serve our clients across the private and public sectors with truly national coverage service, and a broad range of directly delivered services including Landscape Design and Construction, Grounds Maintenance, Winter Gritting, Arboriculture, Interior and Exterior Plant Displays, Pest Control and Green Solutions. This will enable us to provide even greater service to our clients while further enhancing our ESG commitments.”

Since its inception in 2008, the Nurture Group has grown through a careful mix of organic growth and client acquisition and now has a national network that spans the whole of Great Britain. The successful integration of numerous businesses into the Nurture Group’s operations serves as a powerful testament to the company’s operational acumen and capabilities and reflects its ability to effectively manage complex transitions while maintaining a steadfast focus on quality and performance.

Tivoli’s outgoing chief executive, Nicola Keach, said:

“I am incredibly proud of what the Tivoli team has built and achieved with Sullivan Street’s support. It is testament to the hard work, passion and commitment of our teams over many years. Our values and culture are aligned with Nurture’s as well as a strong commitment for delivering best in class services for our customers, which is why I am delighted that the next stage of our journey will be together as a combined organisation with the Tivoli brand continuing to serve our valued clients. The blending of our complementary technical and operational skills and resources will add real value to clients and colleagues alike.”

The Nurture Group continues to strengthen its position as a national leader in the horticultural, landscaping and green services sector, ensuring that clients across the nation benefit from an ever-expanding range of high-quality services including biodiversity and sustainability solutions.

Further information about Nurture Group can be found at www.nurture-group.co.uk