Industry News


From Office Cleaning To Complete Facilities Management: How Inter County Built An FM Service Group For Businesses


When Keith Nicholson started cleaning offices from his home in Sharnbrook in 1978, he could never have anticipated that nearly 50 years later, his business would be one of the East Midlands’ leading facilities management service providers.


What began as a small office cleaning business evolved as clients looked for trusted suppliers capable of delivering additional support services. Rather than asking facilities managers to coordinate multiple contractors, Inter County invested in developing


complementary together seamlessly.


Today, Inter County Service Group employs more than 400 people


from its base in Rushden, Northamptonshire and


delivers contract cleaning, waste management, washroom hygiene services and janitorial supplies, supporting clients ranging from schools and housing associations to major brands including Mercedes, Northampton Saints, Kier, Travis Perkins and several National Trust properties.


For customers, the benefits are


straightforward - fewer suppliers to manage, one point of contact, consistent service standards and the reassurance that every aspect of workplace hygiene and facilities support is delivered by the same team they know and trust.


Diversification With Purpose


For Inter County, diversifying has never been about adding services for the sake of it. Every new division has been introduced because it solves another challenge for customers and meets a demand.


For example, recognising the growing demand for online purchasing, the company launched a


janitorial supplies division, enabling


customers to order everything from cleaning chemicals and paper products to personal protective equipment (PPE) and washroom consumables through their website, with prompt local delivery and competitive pricing.


Inter County’s contract cleaning division has also expanded well beyond traditional office cleaning. Today, the company delivers daily office cleaning, industrial and warehouse cleaning, school cleaning, carpet cleaning, commercial window cleaning and specialist cleaning services, including crime scene clean ups and end of tenancy cleans.


06 fmuk service divisions that worked


More recently, washroom hygiene services were brought in-house after previously being outsourced, giving Inter County greater control over quality, responsiveness and customer experience. The division now supplies and services sanitary disposal units, air freshener systems, vending machines, urinal products and waste collections, helping businesses maintain compliant, hygienic washroom facilities with minimal disruption.


The company has also used this expertise to help organisations respond


to changing workplace priorities. Following the


introduction of Menopause Action Plans, Inter County began working with employers to review washroom facilities and recommend practical improvements that enhance employee wellbeing, hygiene and compliance.


Meanwhile, its waste management division


supports organisations with everything from office and site clearances to clinical waste collection, confidential waste disposal and litter picking,


allowing customers to


consolidate cleaning and waste services into one integrated facilities management solution.


Growth Through Acquisition


Another important milestone came in April, with the acquisition of Clean4Shaw Facilities Management. The deal added 147 employees and almost 200 clients to the group while strengthening its geographical reach across the UK. It also created new opportunities to introduce existing Inter County services to inherited customers, allowing organisations that


previously purchased only contract


cleaning to benefit from waste management, washroom hygiene and janitorial supplies through the same provider.


Keith’s son, Callum Nicholson, Finance Director at Inter County, said: “Facilities management has changed enormously over the past 50 years. Organisations increasingly want a trusted partner that can deliver multiple services to consistently high standards, rather than managing several contractors. That’s been the thinking behind our growth. Every service we’ve introduced has been driven by customer demand and our desire to make facilities management simpler, more efficient and more cost-effective.”


To find out more about Inter County, visit: https://intercountyltd.co.uk or call 01933 315872


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