Mitie has won two large contracts with retailers Aldi and Matalan to help them keep their businesses moving this winter as temperatures start to drop.

The company will clear snow and grit roads, car parks and other areas close to the retailers’ stores across the UK to make sure that employees and customers can come and go safely even when the weather turns icy.

Mitie has agreed winter maintenance work at 164 sites for Aldi across south Wales and the west of England. For Matalan, 61 sites and two distribution centres across the UK will be protected from the elements.

Mitie uses the latest technology to help customers stay ahead of the weather. A specialised five-day rolling forecast based on timely data from the Met Office’s powerful computer weather prediction system gives Mitie an early indication of conditions ahead.

These retailers and Mitie’s other customers can take advantage of the Go-Grit app to manage their winter services from any mobile device 24/7. Go-Grit uses an interactive mapping system of customer sites, tracking the weather impact and high-risk areas in a real-time format.

The app allows customers to see a schedule of what sites are due to be gritted, allowing them to cancel or order a service at a moment’s notice.

Richard Hughes, General Manager, Mitie Winter Maintenance, said:

“The weather may be mild now, but retailers like Aldi and Matalan are wisely planning ahead for winter by making sure that people will be able to visit their stores in safety whatever the weather throws at us. Our class-leading forecasting technology and the convenience offered by our Go-Grit app means Mitie can help them stay one step ahead of the ice and snow.

“Bearing in mind last winter’s disruption, brought about by the ‘Beast from the East’, it is a critical decision to partner with a company with the scale and expertise to keep any retail operations moving. Last year, Mitie’s winter maintenance team carried out almost 300,000 gritting visits and used 15,000 tonnes of salt over the winter.”

Notes to editors

Notes to Editors

About Mitie

Founded in 1987, Mitie is the UK’s leading facilities management and professional services company. It offers a range of specialist services including Security, Engineering Services, Catering, Cleaning Landscaping, Energy and Property Consultancy, Property Maintenance, and Custody Support Services.  

Mitie employs 54,000 people across the country, looking after a large, diverse, blue-chip customer base, from banks and retailers, to hospitals, schools and government offices. It takes care of its customers’ people and buildings, by delivering the basics brilliantly and by deploying advanced technology. It is pioneering the Connected Workspace, using smart analytics to provide valuable insight and deliver efficiencies to create outstanding work environments for customers.