ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Churchill Group has acquired Principle Cleaning, a London-based specialist commercial cleaning contractor, and will merge the business with its Portfolio division while retaining the Principle brand.

The move brings together two employee-owned businesses specialising in service provision across the English capital. Principle, which has operated for more than 37 years, will continue to trade under its existing name, while the Churchill Portfolio brand will be phased out over the coming months.

According to Churchill, the integration is intended to strengthen its specialist cleaning capability in the capital by bringing its London operations under a single brand.

The companies said the decision was underpinned by their shared approach to employee ownership, workforce engagement and long-term customer relationships. Churchill became employee-owned in 2022 through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), a factor that Principle said was important in its decision to join the group.

Churchill says the merger combines Principle's experience of servicing high-profile commercial properties across London with its own investment in innovation, specialist operating structures and social value programmes.

The combined business also aims to increase investment in technology, sustainable cleaning methods and community initiatives.

James Bradley, group CEO of Churchill Group, commented: "Principle has been a respected name in our sector for decades. What immediately stood out was the cultural alignment between our two businesses, our shared focus on people, on doing the right thing and on building meaningful client partnerships.

"Bringing Principle into our employee-owned group means we can create even greater opportunity for our teams and deliver an even stronger specialist service for our clients for the long-term. This is two of London's best cleaning providers coming together to become something even better."

Douglas Cooke, executive chairman of Principle Cleaning, said the company's future ownership model had been a key consideration. "Building Principle over the past 37 years has been an immense privilege. From the very beginning, we centred our work on people, the colleagues who brought their expertise and dedication, and the customers who trusted us to care for their environments.

"As we looked to the future, finding the right home for Principle mattered deeply. Churchill's commitment to people, quality and employee ownership aligns completely with the values on which Principle was built. Their specialist focus and their culture make this a natural and positive next step.

"Seeing two employee-owned businesses coming together is also really exciting for me and gives me real confidence in the path ahead."

Churchill said the integration reflects its strategy of strengthening specialist service delivery while maintaining established brands and customer relationships. The company expects clients to benefit from enhanced technical capability and access to wider innovation programmes, while employees will continue to work within an employee-owned organisation.