A 112-year-old family-run business in Worcester has secured its future for generations to come thanks to a six-figure loan from Unity Trust Bank.
J Prosser & Son, which is based in Malvern and employs 26 people, specialises in bulk haulage, plant hire and earth removal services and recycles the aggregate and soil it gathers by crushing and screening it for re-sale.
The £280,000 funding from Unity has enabled the firm to purchase the five-acre site it was previously renting so that it can expand and create more employment opportunities and apprenticeships, especially for women, as it already employs six female HGV drivers.
Operations manager Dominic Prosser, whose great, great grandfather John Prosser set up the company in 1909, said: “We have been on this site for 42 years and have bespoke permits from Worcester City Council and the Environment Agency to operate.
“If we hadn’t purchased the land then it could have been sold at any time which would have stopped us operating in the way that we do.
“Now we can invest in the business and this will help us to prosper and grow. We’re also keen to expand our recycling services and help sell more cost-effective and sustainable materials.
“Unity have helped a small, family business, which has been around for more than 100 years, to secure its future and safeguard and create jobs.
“Haulage has historically been a male-dominated environment but we’re proud of the fact that two thirds of our drivers are female and we will continue to actively recruit more women to the business.
“We chose Unity because they had the most favourable terms and showed a genuine interest in our company. They spent time getting to know us and that is just as important.”
Paul Nugent, Relationship Manager at Unity Trust Bank, said: “We’re proud to support J Prosser & Son as they develop the recycling arm of their business and create more training and employment opportunities which will boost the local economy. It is also commendable that they are challenging stereotypes and encouraging women to join the industry.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About Unity Trust Bank
Unity is a specialist business bank with a difference. With offices in Birmingham, Manchester and London, it offers an ethical alternative for businesses with a social conscience.
For more than 37 years the bank has worked with organisations and SMEs that share its values and philosophy, offering a full range of banking services including current accounts, savings accounts and loans.
Independent since December 2015, its purpose is to help create a better society, not just maximise profit. Unity’s focus on its customers, employees, and the communities it serves is what sets it apart and allows it to deliver on the bank’s ‘Double Bottom Line’ strategy through volunteering, education and fundraising.
Unity is a Real Living Wage employer, a Fair Tax Mark business, a Women In Finance Charter signatory, member of the Banking Standards Board and currently holds the Investors in People Gold standard.
