Family-owned gritter maker Econ Engineering sold to US group Alamo for £120m
Key facts
- Buyer
- Alamo Group (listed on the New York Stock Exchange)
- Target
- Ripon-based manufacturer of gritters, snow ploughs and road maintenance vehicles, founded in 1969 and family-owned since
- Exit route
- Trade sale
- Region
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- Deal date
- 29 October 2026
Econ Engineering, the Ripon-based manufacturer behind a large share of Britain’s gritting fleet, has been sold to US-listed Alamo Group for £120m.
Founded in 1969 by Bill Lupton, Econ has remained in the Lupton family for more than half a century, designing and building winter maintenance and road repair vehicles for councils and contractors across the UK. It employs around 250 people.
According to Alamo’s filing with US regulators, Econ generated net sales of around $88m and adjusted EBITDA of $38.5m in the year to March 2026, suggesting the price was a little over four times adjusted earnings, before any post-completion adjustments. The deal completed on 27 October and was funded from Alamo’s existing credit facility.
The sale adds to a run of founder and family-owned UK businesses bought by overseas trade buyers this year.
Originally reported by Highways Magazine