Martin & Co franchise acquired by new family owners

A father and his two sons have joined forces to become the new owners of Martin & Co’s St Albans branch.

Kevin Dudley and his sons Lewis and Tom completed a resale process for the Hertfordshire office earlier this month, taking over the sales and lettings business from Richard and Merril Cleal, who have retired after more than a decade with Martin & Co.

Kevin and eldest son Tom were already working together in the family plumbing, heating, and refurbishment business, while Lewis was previously an accountant in the estate agency sector.

Lewis said: “Because I had done client accounting for estate agents for around five years, I was aware of Martin & Co and the other Property Franchise Group (TPFG) high street brands.

“My dad and brother were running their business, but we’d always thought it would be nice to work together if we could make it happen.

“It started as a bit of a crazy idea, but I noticed the St Albans branch was up for sale so sent off an enquiry.

“We didn’t expect too much to come of it as it’s a great branch and we just assumed someone else would take it.

“But we kept going through the process with TPFG and very quickly it became a great move for us.”

All staff have been retained as part of the deal, alongside Martin & Co’s office on London Road in the town.

Lewis added: “We knew that property values in St Albans were high, and we saw that as a good opportunity.

“We quickly realised what a busy town it is, with a lot going on, so once we’d visited a few times, we knew the opportunity was right us.”

Eric Walker, managing director of Martin & Co, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kevin, Lewis, and Tom to the Martin & Co family.

“They’re an ideal fit for the franchise and have made a real impact in St Albans already – carrying on and building upon the amazing work done by Richard and Merril, who are now enjoying a well-earned retirement.

“I know Kevin, Lewis, and Tom have big plans for the business and I look forward to seeing them flourish in their new roles.”