Drainage contractor clears path to growth

A Telford-based highways drainage contractor has doubled revenue and created 20 jobs following a multi-million-pound investment.

Crown Plus secured £3.9 million from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF II), through fund manager Mercia Ventures, in April 2025.

Since then, the company has won new contracts, expanded its workforce and invested more than £2 million in plant and equipment to support larger projects.

Crown Plus has also appointed Jenny Moten as managing director, following senior roles with National Highways, Amey, Cadent and Core Highways. 

She joined Crown Plus in September 2025 as executive director before being promoted after helping drive the company’s growth.

Jenny said: “The investment by MEIF II and Mercia Ventures was a major milestone for Crown Plus, creating a platform for further growth. 

“With increasing industry focus on carbon reduction and sustainable maintenance, Crown Plus is now well positioned to help lead the future of sustainable highway drainage remediation in the UK.”

Founded in 2015 by Paul Conner and Gary Price, Crown Plus specialises in lower-carbon highways maintenance techniques, including filter drain recycling, which cleans and reuses gravel from highway filter drains on site to reduce landfill waste, traffic disruption and project costs. 

The company, which works with National Highways and major contractors, recently completed a major project on the M50, is currently working on a scheme on the A46 and now employs 72 staff, with plans to increase turnover by a further 25 per cent and create 25 jobs by 2030.

Rafael Joseph, of Mercia Ventures, added: “The past 12 months have been transformative for Crown Plus. 

“The company had already tripled turnover in the three years before our investment but was being held back by limited resources. 

“The funding helped to unlock its potential and has enabled it to go from strength to strength.”

The £400 million MEIF II, operated by the British Business Bank, provides debt finance of £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million to help Midlands-based small and medium-sized businesses start, grow or innovate, aiming to boost sustainable economic growth, increase early-stage funding availability and improve access to finance for firms that might otherwise miss out.

David Tindall, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, added: “It is encouraging to see the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II being put to such effective use in driving growth and creating jobs.

“We’re delighted to have supported Crown Plus on its journey and look forward to seeing the team build on this progress and achieve its ambitious future plans.”

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