CMAC Group completes full purchase of Coach Hire Comparison
CMAC Group has taken full ownership of coach and minibus booking specialist Coach Hire Comparison in a move that builds on a 51% stake in the business it acquired in 2023.
Purchase of the remaining shares follows significant growth for Coach Hire Comparison during the intervening period. In 2025 it returned revenue of £4.15 million, up from £3.3 million in 2024. The number of passengers served has almost doubled over the last year, and an employee headcount of two in 2023 has risen to 10 today.
CMAC says that full ownership strengthens the parent’s position “as a leading provider of large vehicle transport solutions across disruption management, rail replacement, events, corporate mobility, group travel and leisure transport in the UK and beyond.”
Coach Hire Comparison already has an important role in the CMAC large vehicle offering, with the two businesses together connecting customers with more than 800 coach and minibus operators in the UK, the buyer notes.
Founders James (pictured, centre) and Laura Stokes (pictured, right) will remain with Coach Hire Comparison in “supportive and transitional roles” until the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition for customers, operator partners and employees, CMAC says.
Adds Mr Stokes: “I am incredibly proud of the growth that Coach Hire Comparison has achieved in recent years and the talented team and operator network that have made that success possible.
“CMAC’s support has played an important role throughout the journey, helping us to strengthen our proposition and scale the business. With the group’s continued backing and investment, Coach Hire Comparison is well positioned to build on its success, further develop its bespoke booking platform, and deliver even greater value for customers and operators.”
CMAC Group CEO Peter Slater (pictured, left) describes purchasing the remaining shares of Coach Hire Comparison as “the natural next step in a partnership that has gone from strength to strength since 2023.”
Mr Slater has thanked Mr and Mrs Stokes for building the booking specialist over 16 years and for the contribution they have made since joining forced with CMAC. “We have seen first-hand the power of the Coach Hire Comparison platform, the value it deliver to customers, and the opportunities created by bringing our expertise and capabilities closer together,” he continues.
“Our operator network and our teams remain central to that success, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue to build on our shared ambitions for growth.”