From Boardrooms to Rock Salt
Not many people go from travelling the world as a Production Director to gritting car parks in the middle of a Yorkshire winter.
But that’s where our story begins.
Back in February 2024, James Bawn started Gritworks Ltd with a shovel and a bag of rock salt.
No fleet of gritters, no specialist equipment and no team of drivers.
Just James, getting stuck in.
It started with helping his neighbours on the estate, making sure their paths and driveways were safe during the icy weather.
Then came the local pub, which needed a hand keeping its car park safe for customers.
What started as helping a few people locally soon gave James the idea that there could be a business in it.
And that’s where the journey began.
From a shovel and a bag of rock salt to what has now become Bawcro Snow & Gritting Services.
We’ve come a long way since February 2024 and there’s plenty more to come!
Building Gritworks
What started with hand gritting soon began to grow.
More customers came on board, the sites got bigger and James began investing in vehicles, salt spreaders and specialist equipment.
Before long, Gritworks was looking after commercial sites across Yorkshire.
James was very much hands-on, heading out through the night to grit sites and make sure customers were ready for the following morning.
And as the business grew, so did the fleet, the equipment and the team behind it.
Today, we provide commercial gritting services across West Yorkshire, helping businesses prepare for frost, ice and snow.
The Winter That Tested Us
Winter 2024/25 was one we’ll not forget in a hurry.
There were some seriously long nights, plenty of snow to shift and times when James barely seemed to stop.
While most people were tucked up in bed, he was out clearing car parks, access roads and pathways to make sure businesses could open safely the following morning.
It was a demanding winter, but one that really showed how far Gritworks had come in such a short space of time.
As the business continued to grow, so did our investment in vehicles, specialist equipment and the team needed to keep everything running.
And looking back now, there’s plenty to be proud of.
From Gritworks to Bawcro Group
Gritting wasn’t the only business James was involved in.
Alongside his best mate and business partner, Andy Crowther, he was also building a pest control business.
Andy brought experience from the asbestos industry too.
By spring 2025, it made sense to bring the businesses together under one name and Bawcro Group was formed.
Today, Bawcro Group brings together three businesses:
Different services, but all with the same approach.
Do a proper job, look after your customers and do what you say you’re going to do.
You can also find out more about Bawcro Group and the services we provide.
From a Pallet on the Driveway to a Warehouse Full of Salt
Sometimes it’s only when you look back at old photographs that you realise how much things have changed.
In 2024, we had a pallet of rock salt sat on the driveway.
By 2025, we were looking at a warehouse full of it.
Quite a difference in twelve months!
What started with a shovel and a bag of salt has grown into a commercial gritting operation with a growing fleet of vehicles, specialist equipment and a team helping to keep everything running.
We’ve invested in the equipment, technology and systems needed to look after more sites and provide a reliable service throughout winter.
But we haven’t forgotten where we started.
A Fleet With a Bit of Personality
As Bawcro has grown, so has our fleet.
And if you’ve spotted some of our vehicles out and about, you might have noticed they’ve got names.
Rosaleen, Melvyn, Doyley and Trevor.
Each one is named after a family member, past or present, which makes them that little bit more special.
Trevor, our quad bike, helps us tackle areas that aren’t suitable for the larger vehicles, particularly pedestrian routes and tighter spaces.
We’ve invested in different types of gritting and snow clearance equipment because no two sites are the same.
Some need larger vehicles for commercial car park gritting and access roads. Others need smaller equipment or good old-fashioned hand gritting.
When heavier snowfall arrives, we’ve also got the equipment and people needed for commercial snow clearance.
And yes, there’s still a place for the shovel!
The People Behind Bawcro
There’s a lot more to running a commercial gritting business than most people probably realise.
When temperatures start dropping, our team is busy checking forecasts, monitoring road surface temperatures and planning which sites need treating.
Our drivers can be out late at night or through the early hours, making sure businesses are ready for the following morning.
Behind them is a team organising routes, communicating with customers and making sure everything runs as it should.
Winter can be unpredictable and plans can change quickly.
It’s not always easy and there are certainly some long shifts, but we’ve got a team of people who aren’t afraid to get stuck in.
We’re proud of the people who work alongside us and the part they play in helping Bawcro grow.
Technology Has Its Place
We’ve come a long way from those first jobs with a shovel and a bag of rock salt.
Today, we use weather monitoring, GPS tracking and treatment reporting to help manage our winter operations.
Road surface temperatures are particularly important because the temperature of a car park or access road can be very different from the air temperature showing on your phone.
Monitoring conditions helps us plan treatments for our contracted sites rather than waiting until ice has already formed.
Our reporting systems also help us provide customers with records of when their sites have been attended and what work has been completed.
It’s all part of our approach to planned winter gritting and keeping commercial sites prepared throughout the colder months.
But as useful as technology is, we still believe in good old-fashioned customer service.
You can pick up the phone and speak to someone who knows what’s going on.
Proud to Be Yorkshire
We’re based in Birkenshaw, West Yorkshire and provide commercial gritting and snow clearance services across West Yorkshire, including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax, Kirklees and surrounding areas.
We look after a wide range of commercial properties, including warehouses, factories, industrial estates, business parks, retail premises and organisations with multiple sites.
Every customer is different and every site has its own challenges.
We take the time to understand what’s needed rather than treating every site exactly the same.
As the business continues to grow, it’s important to us that we don’t lose the personal side of things.
We’re a Yorkshire business and we’re proud of that.
We believe in working hard, being straightforward with people and looking after the customers who trust us with their sites.
If something needs doing, we get stuck in.
And if something isn’t right, we want to know about it so we can put it right.
So, What Will Winter 2026/27 Bring?
When we look back at the last couple of years, it’s hard not to feel proud of what we’ve achieved.
From James starting Gritworks with a shovel and a bag of rock salt to building a growing commercial gritting business and bringing three companies together under Bawcro Group.
It’s taken a lot of work and plenty of long nights.
And we’re certainly not finished yet.
We’ve got more plans, more ideas and plenty of ambition for the future.
But however much Bawcro grows, we’ll always remember where it started.
With James, a shovel and a bag of rock salt.
Now, come on Yorkshire, let’s have a proper winter!
Getting Ready for Winter?
Bawcro Snow & Gritting Services provides commercial gritting, snow clearance and winter maintenance services across West Yorkshire.
Whether you’ve got one commercial property or multiple sites to look after, give us a ring and we’ll have a chat about what you need.
0113 403 5113
