We’re excited to share that CMAC Group has completed the acquisition of the remaining share of Coach Hire Comparison (CHC), bringing the business fully into the Group.

The move marks the next stage in a partnership that began in 2023, when CMAC acquired a majority stake in CHC.

Since then, the two businesses have worked closely together, combining CHC’s specialist coach hire technology and expertise with CMAC’s wider experience, scale and capabilities across the travel and transport sector.

 

Building on 16 years of Coach Hire Comparison

Coach Hire Comparison was founded by James and Laura Stokes in 2010, with a vision to make finding and booking coach and minibus transport simpler for customers.

Over the past 16 years, they have built CHC into a successful business, connecting customers with a trusted network of coach and minibus operators across the UK.

The business has continued to grow since CMAC’s initial investment in 2023, with the CHC team playing an important role in developing the platform, strengthening customer and operator relationships and building on the strong foundations established by James and Laura.

Full ownership by CMAC represents a significant milestone in that journey and provides an exciting opportunity to build on what has already been achieved.

 

What does this mean for CHC?

As part of the CMAC Group, Coach Hire Comparison will continue to operate as a specialist coach and minibus booking platform, while benefiting from the wider Group’s expertise, investment and reach.

The move strengthens CMAC’s overall large vehicle proposition, bringing together CHC’s technology and customer proposition with CMAC’s established capabilities across areas including rail replacement, disruption management, events, corporate mobility, group travel and leisure transport.

Together, this creates opportunities to continue investing in technology, develop the customer experience and support an even broader range of transport requirements.

 

What does this mean for our customers?

For CHC customers, it’s business as usual.

The CHC team will continue to support customers with their coach and minibus requirements, with no immediate changes to the way customers use the platform or arrange their transport.

Behind the scenes, full ownership by CMAC gives us the opportunity to continue investing in the business and develop our proposition further, with the backing and expertise of the wider CMAC Group.

Our focus remains on making coach hire as simple and straightforward as possible, while continuing to connect customers with a strong network of trusted operators.

 

What does this mean for our operator partners?

Our operator network remains at the heart of what we do.

There are no immediate changes to existing relationships or day-to-day arrangements for our coach and minibus partners. The CHC team will continue to work closely with operators across the UK, supported by the wider CMAC Group.

Full ownership also provides an opportunity to build on the strength and scale of the network, creating further opportunities to connect operators with customers and support the continued growth of the large vehicle market.

 

Looking ahead

This is an exciting next chapter for Coach Hire Comparison.

We’re proud of what has been built over the past 16 years and grateful to the customers, operators and partners who have played such an important role in that journey.

With CHC now fully part of the CMAC Group, we have a strong platform from which to continue growing, investing and developing the business.