FirstGroup acquires Gloucestershire-based KB Coaches as UK coach portfolio grows

The Stonehouse-based business employs 34 people and has a particular focus on high-quality, home-to-school transport, alongside private hire and team travel for football clubs.

The acquisition expands First Bus’s coach operations into a new part of the UK, and adds further expertise in the home-to-school market as the Group continues to develop its diversified coach portfolio.

Transport Manager Tom Weaver and Operations Manager Dean Francis will remain with the business, providing continuity for customers and colleagues, while owner Andy Francis will retire following the acquisition.

KB Coaches will continue to serve its existing customers, with current services, contracts and bookings continuing as normal.

The acquisition is the latest step in the expansion of FirstGroup’s UK coach portfolio, which now comprises approaching 600 vehicles and employs more than 700 people across the UK and Ireland.

The portfolio has grown in recent years through the acquisition of established operators including Anderson Travel, Eagle Coaches, Hills Coaches, J&B Travel, Lakeside Group, Tetley’s Coaches, Wilfreda Beehive, Matthews and York Pullman.

Gareth Davies, Managing Director (Coaching) for First Bus, said: “KB Coaches has developed a really strong business in Gloucestershire, with a reputation for high-quality service and particular expertise in home-to-school transport.

“It brings something new to our coach portfolio, both in terms of geography and the markets it serves, and gives us a strong platform from which to develop our presence in the region.

“A key part of our approach is preserving the local knowledge and relationships that make businesses like KB Coaches successful, while giving them access to the scale, expertise and investment of the wider First Bus business.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dean, Tom and the wider KB Coaches team to First Bus and look forward to supporting the next stage of the business’s development.”

Dean Francis, Operations Manager at KB Coaches, said: “KB Coaches has built its reputation by providing a high-quality, personal service to families, schools and customers, and that will remain at the heart of what we do.

“Joining First Bus gives us the opportunity to build on those strong foundations, with the support and resources of a much larger organisation behind us. For our customers it will very much be business as usual, while for the team it opens up new opportunities to develop the business for the future.

“We’re looking forward to this next chapter for KB Coaches and to working with colleagues across the wider First Bus coach business.”