Biffa

Last updated
Biffa Limited
Biffa
Company type Private
LSE: BIFF (2016–2023)
ISIN GB00BD8DR117
Industry Waste management
Founded1912;112 years ago (1912) in Wembley, London, England
FounderRichard Henry Biffa
Headquarters High Wycombe,
England
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
  • Michael Topham (CEO)
RevenueDecrease2.svg £1,042.0 million (2021) [1]
Decrease2.svg £44.2 million (2021) [1]
Decrease2.svg £(40.5) million (2021) [1]
Owner Energy Capital Partners (2023–present)
Number of employees
8,238 (2021) [1]
Website biffa.co.uk

Biffa Limited is a waste management company headquartered in High Wycombe, England. It provides collection, landfill, recycling and special waste services to local authorities and industrial and commercial clients in the United Kingdom. As of 2017, it was the UK's second-largest waste-management company. [2]

Contents

It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by the private-equity firm, Energy Capital Partners, in January 2023. [3]

History

The company, which was originally engaged in the removal and sale of ashes and clinker from London power stations, was founded in Wembley by Richard Henry Biffa as Richard Biffa Limited, in 1912. [4]

In 1958 Richard Henry Biffa's grandson, Richard Charles Biffa, joined the business and, after becoming general manager in 1963, grew the business organically and by acquisition. [4] The business was acquired by British Electric Traction in 1971 and by Severn Trent for £212 million in 1991. [4] It acquired the American-owned UK Waste for £380 million in 2000. [5]

Severn Trent demerged the company to a consortium formed by Global Infrastructure Partners, Montagu Private Equity and Uberior Co-Investment in 2008. [4] It acquired recycling firm Greenstar UK for £135 million in 2010. [6]

The company was re-listed on the London Stock Exchange on 17 October 2016. [7]

In June 2022, Biffa received a buyout proposal from private-equity firm, Energy Capital Partners, at £4.45 a share, a 37% premium to the share price, valuing the company at £1.36 billion. [8] [9] The proposal was approved by the court, allowing it to proceed, on 25 January 2023. [10]

Operations

A Biffa Dennis Eagle rubbish truck in Plymouth in March 2010 Biffa VE59FVU.jpg
A Biffa Dennis Eagle rubbish truck in Plymouth in March 2010

Biffa cover 95% of the UK. The company runs two Material Recycling Facilities (MRF). [11]

Prosecutions for illegal activities

Biffa has been prosecuted for the following breaches of environmental waste export laws:

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Annual Report 2021". Biffa. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  2. Flanagan, Martin (23 September 2017). "Business Interview: Biffa chief Ian Wakelin". The Scotsman . Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  3. "Energy Capital Partners (ECP) Completes Acquisition of Biffa". PR Newswire. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Biffa looking forward after 100 years". Let's Recycle. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. "Severn Trent to buy UK Waste". Citywire. 5 June 2000. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  6. "Biffa owners acquire Greenstar for £135m". Environment Analyst. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  7. Bury, Rhiannon (14 June 2017). "Biffa profits hit by costs of London float". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  8. Alabi, Leke Oso (7 June 2022). "UK waste manager Biffa receives takeover bid". Financial Times . Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  9. Karimi, Amna (7 June 2022). "Waste-management specialist Biffa soars on $1.7 billion buyout proposal". Reuters . Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  10. "Biffa says GBP1.3 billion takeover crosses final hurdle". Morning Star. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  11. "How a fifth of all recycling sent to one north London plant is just burnt, fuelling the capital's dirty air crisis". Hackney Gazette. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  12. "Waste firm fined £1.5m for illegal exports of rubbish". ITV News . 30 July 2021.
  13. "UK waste firm Biffa loses appeal after exporting dirty waste to China". The Guardian . 3 July 2020.
  14. "UK waste firm fined £1.5m for exporting household waste". The Guardian. 30 July 2021.