From lawnmowers to South Africa's largest cleaning company
NuServe’s story starts in 1969 in Durban, South Africa, where our founder Vince Lockwood began with a lawn mowing business. When lawnmowers proved more expensive to maintain than anticipated, he quickly pivoted into cleaning – kitting out his first team in bright orange overalls to catch the eye. Vince was practical, creative and willing to do things differently. This mindset soon paid off. Before long, he’d built one of the largest cleaning companies, employing over 10,000 people.
Building NuServe from the ground up
After selling the business, Vince moved to the UK in 1996 and started again – this time laying the foundations for NuServe. His son Richard joined him, followed by cousin Simon Duke, who became MD in 2005. The business grew rapidly thanks to strong client relationships, smart reinvestment and a relentless focus on service quality. By 2011, we rebranded to NuServe to reflect a broader, more joined-up service built around quality, innovation and genuine care.
Growing NuServe without losing what matters
Today we support hundreds of sites across the UK with a team of over 600 people and a turnover in the tens of millions. But despite our growth, we’ve stayed true to our roots. We’re still family-owned, our leadership team is still hands-on and we still believe the best way to grow is by doing right by the people and buildings we look after.
How our story shapes your service
Our story shapes how we work today. We’re responsive, accountable and easy to deal with. We have the capability to deliver at scale and without losing the personal touch. It’s this combination of family values and professional capability that keeps our clients with us. They expect more than just a tick-box cleaning service – and we’re built to deliver it.
Let’s be part of your story
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Get in touch
Speak to one of our friendly staff and tell us about your building, your priorities and how we can support you.
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Get a tailored proposal
We’ll take time to understand your building and scope out a service that works for you within the right budget.
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Feel the difference
Cleaner spaces, fewer complaints, a sense of care and a team you’ll never need to chase.
