Why it matters: The deal marks a significant shift for a family business that has served Suffolk for nearly a century, bringing one of the town's most recognisable industrial names under national ownership.
The details: Sackers, based in Gipping Road, Great Blakenham and owned by brothers Adrian, David and Ewan Dodds, has sold its trade waste arm to Biffa. The acquisition does not include Sackers' scrap metal business, which remains under the control of the Dodds family.
Biffa has confirmed that all Sackers staff involved in the trade waste business have transferred to the company, though it has not disclosed exact numbers. The business will be rebranded as Biffa. The company has not clarified whether existing customers will retain their contracts and pricing.
Biffa says the site will reduce emissions and improve routing, though details are limited. The deal includes a transfer station in Ipswich, giving the company a new base in the region. The transfer station will increase Biffa's network to support local collections and is expected to reduce waste collection mileage and emissions, according to the company.
What they're saying: Biffa framed the deal as a strategic expansion.
Paul Coulton, managing director of Biffa's industrial and commercial division, said: "Sackers has built a strong reputation for service and reliability. The addition of their transfer station gives us more flexibility and capacity to grow in the region. We're proud to welcome their team into Biffa."
The team joining Biffa will bring "a level of local knowledge and expertise that will further boost Biffa's waste management services across East Anglia," the company added.
A Biffa spokesperson added: "Our priority is to make this a seamless transition for the Sackers team and their customers, and to continue to provide a high-quality service.
"As such, all of Sackers' staff involved in the acquisition have now transferred to Biffa, and the acquired part of the business will be re-branded as Biffa.
"Throughout, our focus will be on maintaining the highest levels of health and safety, operational efficiency and environmental compliance."
For context: Sackers operates two large waste sites, a fleet of vehicles and skips covering much of East Anglia. It processes numerous types of waste, including general waste, mixed construction waste, wood waste, dry mixed recycling and hazardous waste.
In 2023, Sackers received a King's Award for international trade. The company, which had a turnover of £61m in the year to April 2023 and employed around 100 people, was trading across the world with countries including India, Pakistan, China and Japan.
The bottom line: Sackers, a long-standing local business founded in around 1929, has passed part of its operations to a national player, while the Dodds family retains control of the scrap metal side of the company.
