Customer Stories

KCM Waste Management

Allica Bank supported Rotherham-based KCM with a flexible growth finance facility to fund their expansion plans.

Introduction

South Yorkshire’s KCM Waste Management has grown quickly in their 30 years, now employing over 120 people.

The family-owned business was looking to refinance its existing lending to drive its further expansion, but their existing bank wasn’t interested. Allica Bank stepped in with a flexible growth finance facility tailored to support its ambitions.

At a glance

Industry: Waste management
Location: Rotherham
Date: September 2023
How we helped: Growth finance

"We chose Allica because we weren’t getting the support from our bank. When we looked around, Allica were very enthusiastic to help us grow."

Gareth Hickling
Managing Director, KCM Waste Management

Who are KCM Waste Management?

KCM is a family-run, waste management specialist based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. It employs over 120 people and offers a one-stop-shop for all waste disposal needs. Owned and operated by the Hickling family for over 30 years, it serves customers in Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and the surrounding areas.

“Our customers choose KCM because we’re big enough to do everything, but small enough to care,” said Managing Director Gareth Hickling.

KCM have become an important part of the local community. They have been a key partner of Rotherham United Football Club since 2012, including as a sponsor of the North Stand at the team’s AESSEAL New York Stadium and back-of-shirt sponsors, and support a range of local charities and youth sport clubs.

Waste management firm with more than 120 employees

Owned and run by the Hickling family for over 30 years

Serves customers across South Yorkshire

The story

KCM has grown significantly since it was founded by the Hickling family three generations ago.

“Over the years we’ve just gotten bigger and bigger,” explained Gareth. “We now cover the whole of south Yorkshire on our own wheels. Our turnover has doubled in the past five years.”

Changing waste management needs and regulations for KCM’s customers has enabled the business to broaden the services it offers as part of its growth plans, alongside expanding geographically. “We’re especially focused on recycling,” Gareth said. “A lot of other waste management companies bring their waste to us to recycle.”

To help finance this growth, KCM had traditional facilities with a high-street bank. However, in order to continue its expansion, it was hoping to refinance this debt. KCM’s Finance Director Emma Hickling explained that, “we have a number of opportunities in front of us and we need to figure out how best to structure the business to make the most of them.”

"We’ll never be a one-size-fits-all company. That’s why working with Allica works for us. Because we adapt our services to meet our customers’ needs."

Emma Hickling
Finance Director, KCM Waste Management

How Allica Bank helped

Sadly, KCM’s existing bank was uneasy about continuing to lend to the sector. Their accountant therefore introduced them to business finance adviser Adam Simpson at Silkstone Consultants, who pointed them in the direction of Allica Bank.

Explaining his recommendation, Adam said, “Allica Bank were the right lender for KCM because they put together a growth finance facility that enabled the business to plan for the future, at the same time as looking at their strategic opportunities to allow them to plan for that as well.”

Gareth added, “We chose Allica because we weren’t getting the support from our bank. When we looked around, Allica were very enthusiastic to help us grow.”

Allica was able to offer a growth finance facility for KCM Waste Management that both allowed the business to continue its day-to-day operations alongside preparing them for future growth and acquisitions.

“Flexibility is what was key here,” Allica Bank’s Head of Growth Finance Ian Flaxman said. “We took the time to understand the business and its aspirations and could structure something that lived up to those.”

“Allica Bank put together a growth finance facility that enabled KCM to plan for the future, alongside looking at their strategic opportunities to allow them to plan for that as well.”

Adam Simpson
Owner, Silkstone Consultants

What’s next for KCM Waste Management?

With the finance now secured, the Hickling family can focus fully on continuing KCM’s fast growth journey.

“We’ve got lots to come,” Emma said. “But as we grow, we’ll never lose sight of the things that have been so important to the quality of our service so far. We’ll never be a one-size-fits-all company. That’s why working with Allica works for us. Because we adapt our services to meet our customers’ needs, and we appreciate working with a company that mirrors that for us.”

Ian is looking forward to Allica’s ongoing relationship with KCM: “It’s very much a relationship-based approach, so that as things evolve over the months and years to come, we’re here alongside KCM to support them as best we can.”

While Gareth said, “the funding that Allica has provided has made it very exciting for us. We have lots of things that we’d like to do to expand the business, such as moving waste streams onto other sites, and acquiring new sites.”

“We’d especially like to keep growing – doubling our turnover again in the next five years.”

“We took the time to understand the business and its aspirations and could structure something that lived up to those.”

Ian Flaxman
Head of Growth Finance, Allica Bank

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