A highways drainage contractor has doubled revenue and created 20 new jobs in a ‘transformative year’ with the help of a £3.9m equity investment.
Crown Plus secured funding from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II through Mercia Ventures in April 2025. Since then, the Telford-based company has won a host of new contracts, expanded its team and invested over £2m in plant and equipment to enable it to take on larger projects.
It has also appointed a new Managing Director, Jenny Moten, who has held senior roles at National Highways, Amey, Cadent and Core Highways. Jenny joined the company in September 2025 as Executive Director and was promoted to her current position in recognition of her success in driving its growth.
Crown Plus is a pioneer of sustainability, having developed a range of lower-carbon maintenance techniques and its own specialist equipment. It is known in particular for its filter drain recycling. Instead of replacing stone in highway filter drains, the weeds are removed and the gravel is cleaned and recycled on site, reducing waste sent to landfill, traffic disruption and project costs.
The company, which works with National Highways and major contractors, has recently completed a major project on the M50 in the Midlands where it made extensive use of filter drain recycling and no-dig solutions such as patching and lining. It is currently working on a major scheme on the A46 in the Midlands.
Founded in 2015 by Paul Conner and Gary Price, Crown Plus now employs 72 staff. It expects to increase turnover by a further 25% and create 25 new jobs by 2030.
Jenny Moten, Managing Director, 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.”
Rafael Joseph of Mercia Ventures adds: “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.”
David Tindall, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: “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.”
The £400m Midlands Engine Investment Fund II covers the entire Midlands region and provides equity investment up to £5m and debt finance from £25k to £2m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The purpose of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the Midlands. The Midlands Engine Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in the Midlands, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.