M. & J. DRILLING SERVICES LIMITED

What M. & J. DRILLING SERVICES LIMITED does

M. & J. Drilling Services Limited is a privately held UK specialist geotechnical contractor founded in 1982 and headquartered in Tipton, West Midlands. The company focuses on the investigation and stabilisation of shallow mineworkings, serving property developers, civil engineering contractors, and government bodies across the UK. Its service portfolio comprises three core capabilities: stabilisation of shallow mineworkings and mine entries, bulk infill of mineworkings and voids, and soil nailing and rock anchors, supported by geotechnical site investigation, grid drilling, pressure grouting, mineshaft location and treatment, and geotechnical instrumentation installation.

The technical platform is centred on a fleet of 19+ drilling rigs from leading manufacturers (Klemm, Casagrande, TEI, Marini), three horizontal silos for material handling, computer-controlled grout batching plants, and a radio-operated sealed grouting system. The fleet is maintained by an in-house plant-fitting team, and field operatives are qualified to NVQ Level 2 in Land Drilling. The company holds ISO 9001:2015, CHAS, Constructionline, CSCS Platinum (100% workforce registration), Achilles Building Confidence, and British Drilling Association accreditations, which serve as mandatory pre-qualifications for UK public-sector and major-contractor tendering.

M&J generates revenue through project-based fixed-price contracts for drilling and grouting operations, ranging from ~£30,000 single-borehole investigations to multi-million-pound civil engineering schemes (including a £32 million Northwich Salt Mine stabilisation — the largest mine infill project in the UK). The company operates as a specialist subcontractor, typically engaged by main contractors such as Wrekin Construction, government bodies such as the Coal Authority, and developers requiring ground stabilisation on former mining sites. Sales are driven by direct tender response and business development through the Managing Director and Construction Director, with marketing reliant on industry accreditations, the company website, and professional network referrals rather than active digital demand generation.

Name

M. & J. DRILLING SERVICES LIMITED

Legal name

M & J Drilling Services Limited

Website

https://mandjdrilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

M&J Drilling Services is a UK specialist geotechnical contractor providing mineworkings stabilisation, bulk infill grouting, and soil nailing to property developers, civil engineering contractors, and government bodies nationwide from its West Midlands base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Support Activities for Mining (2131), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Operations Contracting (Open-Pit & Underground Development, Production, Load/Haul) (IMAKAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB), Mine Site Support Services (Camp/Catering, Security, Fuel & Lubricants, Water, Waste, Roads) (IMAKAKAE)

Keywords

• Geotechnical drilling services
• Mineworkings stabilisation
• Soil nailing contractors
• Ground engineering services
• Grouting and drilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Tipton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Drilling and Grouting Services: Project-based contracting for drilling and grouting operations, including site investigation, mineworkings stabilisation, bulk infill, and soil nailing services. Revenue is generated through fixed-price contracts for civil engineering projects ranging from £30,000 to multi-million pound schemes.
2. Equipment Rental with Operator: Provision of drilling services with company-owned equipment and trained operatives for client projects

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

M&J Drilling is a specialist geotechnical contractor providing investigation and stabilisation of shallow mineworkings and mineshafts. Core services include site investigation by rotary/core drilling, stabilisation of shallow mineworkings and mine entries, bulk infill of mineworkings and voids, and soil nailing and rock anchors. The company operates across the UK from its West Midlands base, serving developers, civil engineering firms, and government bodies with projects ranging from single boreholes to multi-million pound contracts.

Product overview

M&J Drilling is a specialist geotechnical contractor offering a unified suite of drilling and grouting services for ground stabilisation. The core portfolio comprises three interconnected service lines: (1) Stabilisation of Shallow Mineworkings and Mine Entries, which uses modern drill rigs to stabilise various mine types for developments; (2) Bulk Infill of Mineworkings and Other Voids, employing fleet drill rigs and computer-controlled grout batching plants; and (3) Soil Nailing and Rock Anchors, providing design and build services using rotary drilling equipment. Supporting these are geotechnical drilling services including site investigation, grid drilling, pressure grouting, mineshaft treatment, earthing electrode installation, and geotechnical instrumentation. The company operates nationally from its West Midlands base.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest mine infill project in UK - Northwich Salt Mine stabilisation of 4 abandoned salt mines with injection of over 800,000 cubic metres of grout
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wrekin ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking partnership on major mine infill projects. M&J Drilling provided drilling and technical services while Wrekin Construction served as main contractor on projects including the £32 million Northwich Salt Mine stabilisation (largest mine infill project in UK to date) and Pentland Retail Park Edinburgh projects.
• British Drilling AssociationcoreOthersCorporate membership of the British Drilling Association, the industry body for drilling contractors in the UK.
• Achilles (Building Confidence)coreOthersProfessional accreditation through Achilles Building Confidence programme, which replaced Investors in People accreditation in 2015.
• LRQA (Lloyds Register)coreOthersLRQA monitors the company's quality assurance, specifically for ISO 9001:2015 certification for the Provision of Contractor Construction Drilling Services.
• ConstructionlinecoreOthersPre-qualified construction services supplier registered with Constructionline, a UK register of pre-qualified construction services.
• CHAScoreOthersAccredited under the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme, the UK Government health and safety assessment scheme.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cementation Skanska: UK piling and ground engineering business of Skanska, the global construction group. Comparable because it delivers specialist foundation, piling, and ground engineering services to major UK civil engineering projects, overlapping with M&J's project profile though as part of a much larger parent.
• Keller Group plc: FTSE-listed global geotechnical contractor with deep UK operations in ground engineering, piling, and ground improvement. Comparable because it offers overlapping ground stabilisation and grouting services to similar infrastructure and property developer clients, albeit as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Bachy Soletanche: UK arm of Soletanche Bachy, one of the largest piling and ground engineering contractors globally. Comparable because it provides grouting, ground improvement, and geotechnical solutions to similar major UK civil engineering clients, though with a broader international footprint.

Direct peers

• BAM Ritchies: UK specialist ground engineering business within Royal BAM Group, providing grouting, ground treatment, drilling, and geotechnical services. Most directly comparable peer because it routinely competes for mine stabilisation, ground improvement, and drilling contracts for major UK developers and infrastructure clients.
• Van Elle Holdings plc: UK-listed specialist ground engineering contractor offering piling, ground improvement, and geotechnical services. Directly comparable as a Midlands-rooted specialist contractor serving UK developers and civil engineers with overlapping drilling and ground stabilisation capabilities.
• Aarsleff Ground Engineering: UK subsidiary of Danish geotechnical group Per Aarsleff, providing piling, ground improvement, and geotechnical solutions. Comparable as a UK-focused specialist contractor serving similar infrastructure and developer clients with overlapping ground stabilisation capabilities.
• Central Piling Ltd: UK specialist piling and ground engineering contractor serving developers, civil engineers, and infrastructure clients. Comparable as a UK specialist contractor delivering ground engineering subcontract packages on similar property development and civil engineering projects.
• WJ Group: UK specialist contractor providing groundwater control, geotechnical, and structural waterproofing solutions. Comparable as a UK specialist subcontractor with national coverage serving construction and infrastructure clients, with overlapping site-based ground engineering delivery.
• Roger Bullivant Ltd: UK specialist foundation and ground engineering contractor offering piling, ground improvement, and associated services. Comparable as a UK specialist subcontractor delivering ground engineering solutions to housebuilders and commercial developers, overlapping with M&J's site preparation scope.

Emerging players

• Rockfall (UK) Ltd: UK specialist contractor focused on rockfall protection, slope stabilisation, and ground engineering in mining and infrastructure contexts. Comparable because it operates in a similar niche of mining-related ground stabilisation and slope remediation, though with a narrower primary focus on rockfall mitigation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 M. & J. DRILLING SERVICES LIMITED