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Leathes Prior is pleased to have acted for the shareholders of the Greensleeves Group, David and Laura Truby, on the sale of the Group to Neighbourly Brands Limited (“Neighbourly UK”).

The transaction was led by Alex Saunders, Partner in the Corporate & Commercial Team and assisted by Sam Poulter, a Solicitor in the Corporate & Commercial Team.   Lucy Whipps, Partner in the Commercial Property Team and James Conley, Solicitor in the Employment Team, acted on property and employment matters respectively.

Headquartered in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, the Greensleeves Group operates a professional lawn care business, with 108 franchisees across the UK.  The business is one of the UK’s most establishwd lawn treatment providers and is known for its dedication to customer service and excellence. 

Neighbourly UK is part of the wider Neighborly Group, the world’s largest home services company, which has more than 30 home service brands across multiple sectors.  With the acquisition, Neighbourly UK welcomes its sixth UK brand into the group, alongside the likes of Pimlico Plumbing and Drain Doctor.

David Truby, having joined Greensleeves in 2004 and become its Managing Director in 2008, commented:  “It’s an exciting day for Greensleeves and all of our franchise owners. I have been proud to be part of the journey that has grown our locations from 2 to 108. But it is now time for Greensleeves and Neighbourly to write the Company’s next exciting chapters collaboratively and benefit from all of the support and tools Neighbourly offers. Neighbourly was founded on the principle of entrepreneurship and customer service, just like Greensleeves. Neighbourly’s depth of experience in the home services industry and background of growing and supporting brands highlights that this is the right next step in our evolution.” 

David and his team will continue in their roles, operating the business and supporting the network of franchise locations across the UK. 

Philip Carr, Managing Director of Neighbourly UK commented:  “Greensleeves is a brand that Neighbourly has admired for several years. Their dedication to customer service and excellence complements our other brands in the UK. Being one of the UK’s most long established lawn treatment businesses is a fantastic accolade. We are excited to build on these strong foundations and welcome an additional 108 locations to Neighbourly UK and the wider Neighborly global family.” 

David commented on the services provided by Leathes Prior:  “I am delighted with the service provided by the team at Leathes Prior led by Alex.  The legal advice was delivered at a practical level, helping me understand fully the process and implications at each step of the way. Really big thank you to Alex, Sam and the team in helping me through the acquisition process ”.

Alex Saunders, Partner in the Corporate & Commercial Team at Leathes Prior said:  “Following successful completion of the management buyout in 2018,  we were pleased to again act for David and Laura Truby on the transaction.  We have worked closely with Greensleeves, David and his team for many years, having seen significant periods of growth in that time, including the addition of around 30 franchisees since 2018.  As such, we were delighted to assist David and Laura on the next stage of their journey and negotiate a successful exit from the business.”

We wish David, Laura and the Greensleeves team all the best for the future.