About Us.
Surface Preparation – Nationwide
Part 1: A Farrow System Franchise
Greenleaf Contractors started in November 2000 as a Farrow System Franchise, then evolved into one of the four members of the Ashrose Group (we remain part owners of Ashrose Group Ltd)
Greenleaf Contractors Ltd was formed in 2000, initially as a ‘Farrow System’ franchise. Nigel Farrow’s short lived franchise organisation with members operating his Farrow System across the UK. We were his first franchisees, and were sold an ‘exclusive’ territory in Yorkshire.
Here are three of our first employee’s practicing with the machine in Mr Farrow’s yard down in Norfolk. We found ourselves with a ‘rig’ but no towing vehicle, as the ‘deal’ Nigel Farrow had done with the local Mitsubishi dealer had meant that our brand new L200 in company colours wasn’t available for some weeks after we had paid for it!
Part 2: The Ashrose Group
The franchise organisation failed in late 2001 / early 2002. there were a couple of reasons for this, firstly the exclusive territories weren’t very exclusive (as Nigel hadn’t actually invented the machines, there was nothing he could do to stop our next door neighbours buying and operating one from the actual inventors and builders of the machines). There were discussions about his selling us ‘a unique’ machine, rather than ‘the unique’ machine! Secondly the ‘Farrow Formula’ abrasive had actually been banned by the Health and Safety Executive for much of 2001 and Nigel hadn’t told us.
Four of the ex-franchiees (those who were on speaking terms with each other) formed the Ashrose Group. (while attempting to sell the machines back to, and get our money back from, Mr Farrow!)
This is that same machine, a few months later, re-signed looking a bit older!
Part 3: Greenleaf and Surfprep
Another year or so went by, and two of the group went their separate ways, our London man Steve, sailed round the world and ended up (presumably) back in New Zealand – we haven’t heard of him since. Our North East and North West man Richard bought a very large number of chickens, and started wholesale egg production. This left the remaining pair to continue, and we, as Greenleaf Contractors, set up our own website (this one – surfprep) – mainly because we couldn’t get anyone to contribute pictures, text or money to progress the Ashrose Website.
Our Current Specialities
In the original franchise, we were only allowed to provide a ‘farrow system service’, now we are our own masters, we now offer a more diverse and appropriate surface preparation and cleaning services, which include:
Sand Jet Cleaning (more or less the ‘Farrow Machine’)
Traditional Sand or Grit Blasting
Pressure Washing
Superheated Steam Cleaning
High Pressure (up to 500 bar) Water Jetting
Ultra High Pressure (to 3000 bar) Water Blasting (UHP)
Dry Ice Blasting
Chemical Cleaning
We also offer post blast cleaning services such as priming and painting including on-site Galvanising using Zinga and stone and brick sealing using Silane products.
Areas we Cover
If you are looking for a contractor then we can help! We cover a wide geographic area including the whole of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, regularly working in northern cities and towns such as Leeds, Bradford, Newcastle, Sheffield, Hull, York & Lincoln. In the past years we have also travelled as far as Essex, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London (lots!), Birmingham, Anglesey, Llandudno, and deepest Cornwall; This is the tracker log from on of our machines for a couple of months (I think) of autumn 2018 (and for some reason the tracker’ software labels anything older than “100 places ago” as “100” )
Louis
Louis doesn’t say much, but just gets on and does the work, and we both believe that we are mainly brought onto building sites to prove that however bad your job is, we do something more unpleasant for a living! Digging out cesspits is the only exception we can think of, although sometimes when hot water pressure washing pigeon poo out of inaccessible places – we can sink that low as well! Louis started working for Greenleaf Contractors as temporary cover to assist when the first employees took advantage of Mr Farrow’s very generous sickness terms, He became permanent in April 2002 – so has had a lot of experience of doing the work.
Tom
Tom (pictured above in his role as ‘creature from the pit’ – a lovely job in a cellar in Shropshire at Easter 2013) started his career as an Aerodynamicist at British Aerospace, initially as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer and progressing up the organisation to project manage ‘one of the most expensive 100 gallon fuel tanks in the world’ – he thought himself underpaid and undervalued until he started out on his own with a Farrow System Franchise!
He made the mistake of watching the BBC’s Tomorrow’s World program in February 2000 (actually to see an article on Ejection Seats) – saw Mr Farrow spouting about ‘his invention’ (standing next to a machine he had bought from a company down the road from him, in green, that he had painted blue and written ‘Farrow System’ on the side of) – and the rest is history.
Certificates / Qualifications
IPAF – Access Platform Boom and Scissor Lift
PASMA – Mobile Tower Scaffold Usage
Confined Spaces
Asbestos Awareness
CSCS
SSSTS
Our Internal and External Blast System Training
IOSH Certificate in Health and Safety Management
We are insured for £10 million Public Liability and Employer’s Liability.