Rivervale buys Castle Minibus

Pictured above from left is Rivervale’s director of minibus services, John Peterson, who will lead both minibus operations, along with Caroline Ilsley, Leanne Self, Sharon Gilpin and Nick Patel.

RIVERVALE has acquired leading minibus leasing broker Castle Minibus for an undisclosed sum.

It is the first acquisition following the Rivervale Group MBO in April 2022.

Rivervale has been building its expertise in minibus leasing over the last four years, and says the integration of Bicester-based Castle Minibus within the group will strengthen its position in the minibus market.

Sadly Chris Maynard, partner in the business for 26 years, predeceased the acquisition.

We are all really pleased that Castle Minibus will continue to grow with the Rivervale Group. Chris was a passionate champion of minibus safety, and I am confident that Castle Minibus will go from strength to strength.

Caroline Maynard, partner, Castle Minibus Tweet

Neil Chapman, chairman of Rivervale added that the group was thrilled to welcome Castle Minibus into the Rivervale family.

He said: “The pairing of these like-minded businesses allows us to better serve our customers by offering a comprehensive range of minibus services. We look forward to the opportunities and growth that this partnership will bring.”

Castle Minibuses will continue trading under its existing name and all staff are retained, although both minibus teams will now be led by Rivervale’s John Peterson.

Although Castle Minibuses will not be rebranded, Neil added that Rivervale itself was currently undertaking a rebranding process as part of the MBO’s commitment to further evolving the business.