Hartshorne Van Services (HVS) has completed its management buy out from parent company Hartshorne Motor Services for an undisclosed sum.

HVS has three Volkswagen van centres in Birmingham, Bilston and Shrewsbury, which will all be renamed The Walkmill Group.

Brian Bachelor, group operations director of newly named Walkmill Group, was previously a shareholder of Hartshorne Motor Services but chose to relinquish his stake in 2006 to invest it in the van business. The investment from Bachelor now makes him the majority shareholder.

Gilly Granger, previously general manager of HVS, now becomes group managing director of Walkmill Group. The senior management team is completed by Gary Manton who has moved from his post as financial controller to become finance director for Walkmill.

Granger said: "With the ownership issues now concluded we have secured control of our own destiny. This removes uncertainty for our employees and it allows us all to focus on delivering the very best service to our customers."