Galvmac  – Three years of Galvmac: From single vehicle to national UK road repair specialist

When Galvmac started in 2022, it had a single mastic repair vehicle and its first industrial contract. Three years later, it runs 11 crews across the UK, employs around 40 people and has delivered more than 500 projects for councils and contractors.

Three years can be a relatively short period of time in the highways industry.

For Galvmac Ltd, however, the last three years have represented a remarkable journey – from a newly established business with a single specialist repair vehicle to a growing road repair specialist now operating from Moray in the north of Scotland to Hampshire in the south, with teams working across much of the UK.

The company was founded by industry professionals Malcolm Johnstone and Mark Galvin in response to a challenge they knew the highways sector needed to address: how to deliver road and surface repairs that are faster, longer-lasting and more sustainable, while reducing disruption to road users and those carrying out the work.

From the outset, Galvmac was built around the belief that there was an opportunity to do things differently.

Building on industry experience

Although Galvmac itself is just three years old, the experience behind the business is considerably greater.

Malcolm and Mark brought extensive experience across traffic management, civil engineering and highway maintenance, while Finance Director Barry Gill brought more than two decades of experience in accounting and corporate finance, helping provide the financial and strategic foundations needed to support the company’s growth.

Phill Lewis joined the business around two years ago, having first seen the repair process being used in Durham.

With more than 20 years’ experience working with surface treatments and delivering solutions to term maintenance contractors and local authorities, seeing the process in action provided an opportunity to compare it directly with other approaches he had encountered throughout his career.

That experience became the starting point for a period of development and testing.

Galvmac began working with trusted clients to demonstrate the technology in real-world conditions.

Those trials helped build confidence in the approach and, importantly, allowed the business to develop relationships that have since grown into framework agreements, subcontract arrangements and direct procurement with local authorities and traffic management companies.

From one vehicle to a growing operation

Galvmac began operations with a single specialist mastic repair vehicle and secured its first major contract with PD Ports. Working in a demanding industrial environment provided an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of Elastomac, a rapid-curing mastic asphalt repair solution designed to provide durable repairs while reducing disruption.

Since then, the operation has grown significantly.

The company has expanded its specialist vehicle fleet, developed dedicated repair teams and built relationships with local authorities, major contractors and organisations across a range of sectors.

Galvmac now works alongside organisations including Durham County Council, Hampshire County Council, Northumberland County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Balfour Beatty, M Group, OUTCO, PD Ports, Port of Tyne and others.

The growth has meant developing the people, systems and infrastructure required to deliver consistently across a much wider geographical area, as well as adding vehicles and contracts.

Growth with purpose

Today, Galvmac describes itself as a sustainable road repair specialist, with its work centred around high-quality, long-lasting repairs designed to minimise disruption and maximise value.

The company’s approach is based around rapid-cure repairs, with its specialist teams able to complete repairs and return roads to traffic quickly. The business also places a strong emphasis on reducing material movement, waste and the wider carbon impact associated with traditional repair methods.

That sustainability focus is becoming increasingly important as highway authorities and contractors consider not simply how much a repair costs to deliver, but the wider environmental and operational impact of maintaining the network.

Three years on

Perhaps the clearest indication of how far the business has come is where Galvmac finds itself today.

The company has 11 crews working across the network, with new vehicles and refurbished units strengthening the fleet. Around 40 people are now employed by the business.

For a company that began three years ago with a single specialist repair vehicle, it represents a significant change in scale. The business is continuing to build its presence across the UK, develop its workforce and invest in the equipment and operational capability needed to support its customers.

The company is a nationwide service provider, with more than 500 projects delivered and a growing portfolio of framework agreements. Those numbers provide an indication of growth, but the underlying story is perhaps more important.

Galvmac has spent its first three years proving an idea in the real world – working with clients, testing its approach, learning from those projects and building the relationships and infrastructure required to grow.

Looking ahead

The next stage of the Galvmac story is therefore about building on those foundations.

The company’s mission is straightforward: to deliver safe, sustainable and long-lasting road repair solutions that minimise disruption and maximise value.

Its vision is equally ambitious – to become one of the UK’s most trusted and innovative road repair specialists.

There is still plenty of work to do to achieve that vision, but the foundations are now firmly in place.

Three years ago, Galvmac was a new business with an idea, a specialist repair vehicle and a belief that highway maintenance could be approached differently.

Today, it has a growing national operation, a team of around 40 people, 11 crews working across the network and an expanding customer base.