LDC Top 50 2026
Jake Waudby
Founder
Safer Roadworks Group
After coming out of care, aged 18, Jake Waudby got a job in traffic management because “you didn’t need any qualifications or experience.” After rising through the ranks over a decade, he founded Safer Roadworks Group in 2021 with Karl Ritchards.
Their Selby-based business, which has 400 staff and 200 vans on the road, turned over £21 million last year. Traffic management staff work long, antisocial hours and Jake invests heavily in mental health and social value initiatives. He also provides work opportunities for care leavers, ex-offenders and ex-Armed Forces personnel. “My ambition speaks for itself. It’s taken a lot of discipline to get here.”
We work with Job Centres, care leavers, ex-offenders, everyone who needs an opportunity. Sometimes you just need a chance.”
Q&A
How do you make your industry safer?
In traffic management, there’s a lot of lone working and night shifts, putting cones out on the road. It can be very challenging if you’re struggling with your mental health. All our supervisors are mental health first aiders and we offer a lot of support. We also invest in innovation to create a safer environment on the road. We have a very low accident frequency rate and high customer retention.
What is your proudest achievement?
I’ve built a business from nothing, and along the way we’ve created hundreds of jobs and helped people develop the skills they need for long-term careers. We’ve put a lot back into the local economy and supported charities along the way. We work with Job Centres, care leavers, ex-offenders, everyone who needs an opportunity. Sometimes you just need a chance.
What has shaped you as an entrepreneur?
My mother was an alcoholic and she married a man who ended up killing her when I was 13. I had no guidance and didn’t go to school. I worked away in traffic management because I had nowhere to live and they would pay for accommodation. I’m 30 now and I’m still scared of having nothing again. That’s what drives me. I’ve grown this business from nothing. I used to clean the offices. I was the office manager, HR, and managing director. I have invested every penny back into this business, going without. My ambition is to see it get to £100 million.
