Halden Group (sample) owns six companies with about 2,800 people. The parent company is small: twenty-nine people who look after money, risk and the long view.
The group began as a haulage yard in 1972 (sample). When the Haldens bought their first bakery customer in 1998, they kept its name, its managers and its recipes, and that became the rule for every company since.
The founding family still owns the largest share of the parent company through a trust. Institutions, employees and private shareholders own the rest.
Two levels, with clear jobs. The parent company owns; the companies run their businesses.
Owns the shares of each company, raises and lends the group’s money, sets the budget once a year, appoints the managing directors and checks the risks.
Run their own sales, people, prices and plans. Each has its own board, chaired by a group director, and keeps its own name with customers.
Insurance, treasury, internal audit, health and safety reviews and the property portfolio sit at group level, because they are cheaper and safer done once.
The parent company is owned by the Halden family trust, institutions, an employee share plan and private shareholders (sample).
1972
Edith and George Halden start a road freight business with four lorries (sample).
1998
Northbank Foods joins: the first business the Haldens buy rather than build.
2003
A parent company is set up to own the businesses; the sites move into Halden Property.
2011
The group buys 80% of Carrow Materials; the founding family keeps the rest.
2019
A majority stake in Vale Energy Services, a wind and solar maintenance firm.
2025
A 35% stake in Larch Software, which plans routes for our trucks and many others.
Six directors: the chair, two executives and three independent directors. The board meets eight times a year (sample).
Chair (sample)
Chief executive (sample)
Finance director (sample)
Senior independent director (sample)
Independent director, chairs the audit committee (sample)
Independent director, chairs the remuneration committee (sample)
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