How Move Group is building strength through acquisition - without losing local identity.
In an industry where consolidation often means the loss of local identity, Move Group is proving there’s another way.
Founded by James Tutton, a former British Army soldier turned removals professional, the Group has built a distinctive model for growth - acquiring independent operators, retaining their local brands, and giving them the resources and stability of a centrally administered organisation.
What began with one van and a single removals company has evolved into a multi-brand group spanning Essex, East London, Suffolk, and beyond. The companies within Move Group deliver thousands of moves each year - residential and commercial alike - combining trusted local reputations with the systems, compliance and financial muscle of a unified business.
“We’re not a private equity firm or a faceless corporation,” says Tutton, the Managing Director of Move Group. “We’re industry people. I’ve worked on the vans, packed boxes, driven the trucks - and run my own removals business. I understand how hard it is to build a company from nothing. That’s why our whole strategy is about preserving what makes each business great, while giving it the support to grow.”
Respect and partnership
Move Group’s approach to acquisition is a deliberate contrast to the “short-term-ism” often seen when investment money enters the removals sector.
Rather than buying to break up, Move Group buys to build - offering long-term stewardship, stable ownership and practical help with the daily challenges of running a business.
“We’re actively acquiring companies that align with our values - quality, integrity, and local strength,” Tutton explains. “When we buy a company, we keep the name, the staff, and the local reputation intact. We’re not here to strip businesses for a quick profit. We’re here to support them and help them thrive.”
For many independent operators, the pressures of compliance, staffing, and technology can weigh heavily. By joining Move Group, owners and managers can offload much of the administrative burden while keeping their local business identity and autonomy. “We take away a lot of the headaches - HR, systems, finance, regulation - so the local teams can focus on what they do best: serving their customers,” says Tutton.
From a single van
Tutton’s own story embodies the grit and discipline that underpin the Group’s philosophy ...
Click here to read the full story in The Mover magazine.
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