Back
Get in Touch Menu
Business Profile

Marchants

Marchants Coaches logo
Marchants Coaches
Sector: Hospitality & leisure

It is hard to miss the fleet of smart, bright red coaches of Marchants around town, but, like many businesses, mechanic Roy Marchant founded the Cheltenham family business from small beginnings, with just one bus in 1948.

He started by providing transport for workers, did the school bus run and took sports clubs and groups on local trips (doing all of the driving himself!). A year earlier, another sole trader, solicitor Alec Willans hung up his brass plate in Cheltenham, and shortly after, he acted for Roy Marchant in a case in front of the Western Traffic Commissioners.

Today, Roy Marchant’s sons, Roger and Richard, run this established Gloucestershire company which employs around 75 people spread across two depots and a sales office, and has a fleet of about 38 buses and coaches.

Marchants is Gloucestershire’s leading coach operator of private hires, day excursions, UK and continental holidays. The company still provides school transport and educational trips, and runs regular bus services in and around Cheltenham and the North Cotswolds.

Willans has been there for the journey alongside Marchants advising this iconic transport and leisure business on everything from shareholder advice to employment law, handling disputes, managing leases and purchasing land and property.

We have a long history with the firm and a good rapport with their lawyers. They provide us with sound advice and we know and trust them."
Roger Marchant, director

Related case studies

  • Commercial Group
    Sector:Technology

    Commercial Group

    Bucking industry trends since its inception, Commercial is now the largest independently owned office services group in the UK.
    Commercial
    Read more
  • Sanderson PLC
    Sector:Professional practices

    Sanderson PLC

    Sanderson is a thriving £0.5 billion experienced and well-established recruitment partner to multi-nationals, household names and SMEs.
    Read more
  • Joedan
    Sector:Manufacturing & engineering

    Joedan Group

    Joedan is a nationally renowned company and is one of the UK’s top 5 suppliers of aluminium-related products.
    Read more
  • CEMAR
    Sector:Technology

    CEMAR

    CEMAR is a secure, intuitive, web-based system which brings compliance, consistency, governance and business intelligence to the management of £75bn of works and services. From small projects to strategic infrastructure programmes, CEMAR provides leading business intelligence, governance, analytics and security, is quick to deploy and simple to use.
    Read more
  • Construction
    Sector:Renewable energy

    Técnicas Reunidas UK Ltd

    Técnicas Reunidas group is a leading international engineering and construction company for oil and gas production, refining and petrochemicals and power generation projects. It ranks among the top three oil and gas engineering and construction companies in Europe and among the top 10 in the world.
    Tecnicas Reunidas logo
    Read more
  • Bamboo office
    Sector:Technology

    Bamboo Technology Group

    Bamboo Technology Group Ltd is a leading business to business connectivity, technology and managed service provider. IOT, software development, data and cyber security feature heavily as they specialise in the provision of core connectivity, IT infrastructure and associated solutions.
    Bamboo logo
    Read more
  • Regency Clinic
    Sector:Professional practices

    Regency Clinic

    The Regency Clinic is a leading healthcare centre in the region providing chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage, podiatry and other complementary therapies to around 500 people every week.
    Regency Clinic & The Medical logo
    Read more
  • The Sober Parrot
    Sector:Charities & not-for-profit organisations

    The Nelson Trust

    The Nelson Trust is a UK charity that brings belief, hope and long-term recovery to people whose lives have been torn apart by addiction. It supports more than 1,200 people each year from all over Britain and beyond, as well as helping local communities across Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Avon and Somerset.
    The Nelson Trust
    Read more
  • Holiday Architects
    Sector:Hospitality & leisure

    Holiday Architects

    Holiday Architects is an award-winning, high-growth, successful tour operator offering UK holiday makers tailor-made travel holiday adventures across the globe.
    Holiday Architects
    Read more
  • Development
    Sector:Property & construction

    Lansdowne Rodway Estates, Crown House Developments & Stock N Lock Self Storage

    Property developers and managers of numerous multi-million pound business parks and smaller sites comprising different sized commercial and industrial premises and offices to suit a wide range of businesses from start ups to large SMEs.
    Logos
    Read more
  • Randall & Payne team
    Sector:Professional practices

    Randall & Payne

    Randall & Payne is an award-winning firm of chartered accountants, business advisers and tax specialists working with clients across Gloucestershire, throughout the UK and internationally.
    Randall & Payne logo
    Read more
  • Seminar
    Sector:Charities & not-for-profit organisations

    The Chartered Governance Institute

    The Chartered Governance Institute is a division of the global professional body for governance, which operates under the same name. Previously known as the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), the Institute provides qualifications, training and guidance to members and governance professionals all over the world.
    Read more
  • Webnetism
    Sector:Technology

    Continental

    Continental is an established family-run business offering IT and web solutions to clients across the globe. The group has an impressive portfolio of clients, from Ultra Electronics to Ringway Jacobs, Hazlewoods, the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Navy and the NHS.
    Continental logo
    Read more
  • Jazz concert
    Sector:Hospitality & leisure

    Cheltenham Festivals

    Cheltenham Festivals is a charity which produces innovative, world-class content across science and the arts. Its programmes reach out year-round and culminate at the internationally-acclaimed Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals, with the aim of engaging everyone in science and the arts.
    Cheltenham Festivals logo
    Read more
  • Aerial view of Sparsholt College
    Sector:Charities & not-for-profit organisations

    Sparsholt College Hampshire

    The Sparsholt College Group is the South's leading educational institution in the land, environment and animal sectors offering an extensive range of courses, apprenticeships, degrees and part-time courses for adults.
    Sparsholt College logo
    Read more
  • Miles Mann shopfront
    Sector:Retail

    Cotswold Fine Jewellery Group

    The award-winning group sell antique, vintage and modern jewellery and silverware and offer repairs, bespoke design and remodelling.
    Abbey Fine Jewellery logo
    Read more
  • KIBOUsushi interior
    Sector:Hospitality & leisure

    KIBOUsushi

    A trendy, independent sushi bar in the heart of Cheltenham takes on the theme of Japan’s finest canteen-style dining and has captured the attention of many a food blogger & award giver both nationally, and locally.
    KIBOUsushi logo
    Read more
  • Felt So Good products
    Sector:Retail

    Felt So Good

    Felt So Good specialises in ethically produced, high end seasonal decorations sold through Selfridges, Fat Face, National Trust and John Lewis.
    Felt So Good logo
    Read more
Contact us