What Long Rake Spar does

Long Rake Spar is a UK family-run specialist supplier of decorative aggregates, established in 1867 and incorporated as Long Rake Spar Co. Ltd in England. The company imports, processes, and distributes a portfolio of 82+ products organized into six categories: Premium Collection, Gravel & Chippings, Slate, Pebbles & Cobbles, Rockery & Boulders, and Ancillary (sands, topsoil, bark mulch, rock salt, grano dust). Its own materials position it as the largest importer of specialist aggregates in the UK and the supplier of the country's widest product range in the category, with trademarked lines such as Black Ice®, Ice Blue®, Polar Ice®, and Flamingo®.

The business operates a wholesale B2B go-to-market. Products flow from five strategically located dock and production sites - Youlgrave (Derbyshire HQ and production), Liverpool Garston Docks, Rye Harbour, Rosyth (Scotland), and Gunness Wharf (Scunthorpe) - through a national network of builders' merchants and stockists who redistribute to landscapers, contractors, and end consumers. The company supports the channel with a dedicated trade portal (LRS Hub) for product data, marketing assets, and PIM content, a public Gravel Calculator tool, and area sales managers. Pricing is quote-based, with annual price lists valid for 60 days and price-change notices issued with 30 days' notice; transactions are one-time wholesale purchases rather than subscription or recurring contracts.

The customer base is anchored in building materials distribution: enterprise merchant EH Smith is a 10+ year partner, mid-market merchant JW Grant is a strategic partner whose decorative aggregate sales grew 86% on the relationship, and case-study homeowner projects (e.g., Mrs Bucket) illustrate downstream pull. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company has no subsidiaries, no external funding, and no parent company, consistent with a privately held, family-controlled operating business at steady state.

Name

Long Rake Spar

Legal name

Long Rake Spar Co. Ltd

Website

https://longrakespar.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Long Rake Spar is a UK family-run specialist supplier of decorative aggregates established in 1867, importing and distributing 82+ products (gravel, slate, pebbles, cobbles, rockery, boulders, ancillaries) to builders' merchants and landscapers from five dock and production sites nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decorative Aggregates & Landscaping Supplies

NAICS

Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers (42332)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030)

akta.pro primary industry

Aggregates & Dimension Stone Trading (Sand & Gravel, Crushed Stone, Limestone, Granite, Marble) (IMAKAJAG)

Keywords

• Decorative aggregates
• Landscaping supplies
• Builders merchants
• Gravel and chippings
• Rockery stone

Headquarters

HQ city

Youlgreave

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Decorative Aggregates Sales: Long Rake Spar generates revenue through the sale of decorative aggregates and ancillary products to builders' merchants and national stockists. Products are sold in various formats including packed (bags, crates) and loose formats. The company operates on a wholesale B2B model with trade customers purchasing for redistribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Long Rake Spar supplies specialist decorative aggregates — gravel, slate, pebbles, cobbles, rockery stones, boulders and ancillary landscaping materials — to builders' merchants and national stockists across the UK. Products are sourced globally via four UK dock facilities, processed at UK production sites, and sold in multiple formats (bagged, bulk, loose). The portfolio spans more than 80 SKUs across six product categories for landscaping, driveways, pathways, water features, and structural/construction applications.

Product overview

Long Rake Spar is a UK supplier of specialist decorative aggregates with a history dating back to 1867. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into six main product categories: Premium Collection (high-end decorative stones), Gravel and Chippings (driveway and pathway materials), Slate (various slate products), Pebbles and Cobbles (rounded stones), Rockery and Boulders (large landscaping stones), and Ancillary products (sands, topsoil, and other supporting materials). The overall product portfolio includes 82+ individual products ranging from 0-2mm sands to 500-700mm boulders, featuring various rock types including granite, limestone, slate, sandstone, marble, basalt, flint, quartzite, and dolomite. Products are sold primarily through a network of national stockists and builders' merchants. The company operates from facilities in Derbyshire (head office and production), Liverpool (dock and production), Rye (dock and production), Scotland (Rosyth Docks), and Scunthorpe (Gunness Wharf).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LRS Hub: An exclusive resource hub for stockists providing access to product data sheets, guides, imagery, and marketing resources.

Products and services

• Premium Collection Curated premium decorative aggregates with distinctive colours and finishes for high-end landscaping projects, sold to trade customers through national stockists.
• Gravel and Chippings Wide range of gravel and chipping aggregates in various sizes, colours and rock types for driveways, pathways, borders and rockeries, distributed through builders' merchants.
• Slate Decorative slate products including chippings, paddlestones and rockery in various colours such as green, blue, plum, and charcoal, sold through the stockist network.
• Pebbles and Cobbles Naturally rounded pebbles and cobbles in various sizes and colours for borders, pathways, rockeries and water features, distributed to trade and end consumers.
• Rockery and Boulders Large rockery stones and boulders in various rock types including granite, limestone, sandstone and slate for landscaping features, sold through builders' merchants.
• Ancillary Landscaping Products Supporting landscaping products including sands, grits, topsoil, bark mulch, rock salt, grano dust and self-binding gravel for general construction and ground-cover applications.
• Flamingo Chippings 14-20mm striking marble chippings with pink, cream and grey tones, washed and recycled, featured in garden transformation case studies.
• Cotswold Gravel Light cream 10-20mm angular limestone chipping for pathways, driveways, rockeries and borders.
• Dapple Grey 20mm premium angular granite in silver tones with black flecks; fish-friendly and suitable for driveways.
• Kiln Dried Sand Fine light pink silica sand for jointing block paving, compliant with BS7533.
• Pink Rock Salt 0-6mm premium de-icing salt in brown/pink colour, 100% pure, conforms to BS3247:2011.
• Top Soil Peat-free horticultural topsoil certified to BS3882:2015, pH 6.5-8.0.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% growth in decorative aggregate sales for JW Grant partnership

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EH SmithcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strategic partnership spanning 10+ years. EH Smith is a builders' merchant offering Long Rake Spar products through their branches. Case study demonstrates consistent quality and service delivery over the partnership.
• JW GrantcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic partnership with building materials supplier JW Grant resulting in 86% growth in decorative aggregate sales. Success attributed to product range and service collaboration.
• BMF (Builders' Merchant Federation)minorOthersIndustry association membership showing commitment to building materials trade standards and industry collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders' merchant group. Comparable because it is a key customer channel for Long Rake Spar, and its own private-label and branded aggregate ranges compete at the standard-gravel end of the market.
• Aggregate Industries: One of the UK's largest aggregate producers (LafargeHolcim group) supplying construction and decorative stone at national scale. Competes in the same end markets but from a commodity, vertically integrated quarrying base.
• Jewson: National UK builders' merchant chain. Comparable as a major distribution partner for decorative aggregates and as a competitor via its own-brand landscaping stone ranges.
• Marshalls: Leading UK manufacturer of landscaping and building products, including decorative stone and aggregates. Competes in the same end-use landscaping applications but with a much wider hardscape portfolio.
• Hanson UK: Major UK producer of aggregates, concrete, and cement with a national network. Overlaps with Long Rake Spar in bulk aggregates but is a broad incumbent rather than a decorative-aggregates specialist.

Direct peers

• Naturally Stone: UK specialist in natural stone and decorative aggregates for landscaping. Directly comparable niche supplier focused on premium decorative stone for driveways, paths, and gardens.
• CED Stone Group: UK-based specialist supplier of decorative aggregates, natural stone, and landscaping products. Closely comparable to Long Rake Spar in product range, B2B merchant-channel go-to-market, and focus on imported and processed decorative stone.
• Stone Warehouse: UK supplier of decorative aggregates, paving, and landscaping stone. Directly comparable to Long Rake Spar as a multi-SKU decorative aggregates specialist selling into builders' merchants and the landscaping trade.
• Mainland Aggregates: UK decorative and construction aggregates distributor serving trade and consumer customers. Comparable in product mix (gravel, slate, cobbles, boulders) and merchant-led distribution model.

Emerging players

• Brett Landscaping: UK manufacturer and supplier of landscaping and aggregate products including decorative stone. Overlaps with Long Rake Spar on decorative aggregates but is broader in paving and concrete products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/longrakespar
• Facebookfacebook.com/longrakespar1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/long-rake-spar-co-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Long Rake Spar