Econ Engineering, the Ripon firm behind most of Britain's council gritters, has been bought by US-listed Alamo Group for £120m. What happens to its 250 staff.

Econ Engineering, the Ripon company that builds most of the gritters on Britain’s roads, has been sold to the American manufacturer Alamo Group for £120 million.

Alamo announced the deal on Tuesday 27 October in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The price is about $158.7 million, subject to the usual closing adjustments. Alamo, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, paid for it from its revolving credit facility.

Econ’s own announcement says all employees are unaffected by the sale.

What the company is

Econ was founded in 1969 by Bill Lupton and is still headquartered in Ripon, where it has its main factory. It says it:

  • employs around 250 staff
  • supplies 85% of the UK’s gritters and snow ploughs to councils and private contractors
  • also builds road patching and repair equipment and multi-purpose vehicle bodies
  • runs a rental fleet of about 1,300 vehicles
  • has engineering hubs in Alloa, Sowerby near Thirsk, Halesworth in Suffolk, and Cardiff

Alamo’s filing puts Econ’s sales at about $88 million in the year to 31 March 2026, with adjusted earnings before interest, tax and depreciation of $38.5 million. Its main customers are UK councils, government agencies and their contractors.

Who stays

Managing director Jonathan Lupton will stay on “for an agreed period to ensure a smooth transition”, Econ says, and the current board remains in place. He joined the business in 1985 and ran it with his brother Andrew, who died in 2022.

“Selling a business that has been at the heart of our family’s life for more than half a century has been an incredibly difficult and emotional decision,” he said. He said the family’s priority had been a buyer “committed to investing in the future of our business, facilities and workforce”.

Alamo’s chief executive, Robert Hureau, said Econ gave the group “a stronger platform in the UK”. He said Alamo saw “significant room to grow the business both within and beyond its core market”.

Econ becomes part of Alamo’s Industrial Equipment Division. Alamo, based in Seguin, Texas, makes street sweepers, vacuum trucks, snow removal equipment and mowing machinery, and employs about 3,800 people.

What it means for you

  • If you work at Econ, the company says all employees are unaffected by the sale. Neither announcement makes any longer-term commitment on jobs.
  • For Ripon, Econ describes itself as headquartered in Ripon with its main manufacturing base there. Alamo calls Econ “a stronger platform in the UK” and says it sees room to grow it.
  • For the roads this winter, Econ says services for customers and suppliers are unaffected, which covers councils hiring or servicing its gritters.

More local business news is in our Harrogate news section.