The recent news of our retirement not only prompted an outpour of well wishes from the local community but also sparked a lot of interest in investors wishing to see our legacy continue. Following a whirlwind of discussions and negotiations, we are delighted to announce that a take-over deal has been agreed with fellow industry operator, Reg’s Coaches, securing a strong future for Shaws Coaches with the backing of an established coach company.
Reg’s Coaches, based in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, was founded in 1962 and retains the supportive family feel that has been key to our own success. Joanna Bonnett, who has been in the travel trade for a number of years, took over Reg’s Coaches in 2023 and has since taken it from strength to strength with fleet upgrades, a new booking system and the acquisition of significant local contracts. Joanna commented “I am delighted that the move has been strongly backed by current staff who have agreed to join us on this exciting new journey. For us, this presents the perfect opportunity to branch out into the holiday and day trip market whilst expanding on our already strong coach hire offering, alongside a team that have a wealth of experience and well-established connections. Shaws’ has a wonderful reputation locally and this is something that we plan to build upon.”.
Shaws Coaches will continue under the ownership of Reg’s Coaches Limited and our retirement will be celebrated on the 2 May as planned, but until then we will be working closely with Joanna to achieve a smooth transition. Shaws will remain based in Maxey and continue to offer day trips and holidays departing from Peterborough, Bourne, Stamford, The Deepings and many villages between and beyond, and we will continue to support the local community with coach hire and school transport.
“Transferring our trading activities to an established and forward-thinking operator has achieved our primary objective of securing jobs for our loyal, hard-working team and continuity of service to our customers, many of whom have been travelling with us for several years. We believe that the new owners will be the same responsible and caring employers that we have always strived to be and that their approach to customer care will be just as much of a priority as it has always been to us." Jane Duffelen, current owner.
We are confident that customers will receive the same high standards of service for which we are so well renowned, and that staff will continue to enjoy a secure and rewarding working environment. We wish Joanna all the very best as she embarks on this exciting road ahead, taking Shaws to the next generation of travellers whilst keeping our current client base close at heart.
PS. We’re already working hard on an exciting line up of summer Great Days Out and Door2Door Holidays which will be released very soon, keep an eye on our website and join our eNews to make sure you’re the first to hear about them.
