The Big Lemon has announced the appointment of Colin Morris as Managing Director of its Bristol, Bath and West of England division.
The former General Manager of the Brighton-headquartered business steps up amid positive recently announced financial results and further growth plans.
Mr Morris says: “Having started with The Big Lemon in March 2021, I have seen our Brighton depot go from strength to strength.
“We have set up our own engineering workshop and are now servicing not just our own fleet but other operators’ too. Our staff have also recently completed their IMI level 4 high-voltage training so they can service electric vehicles too.
“After almost four years in Brighton, it is with some sadness that I am leaving, but I am looking forward to my new challenge and working with our team in Bristol to develop our services there.
“2025 is going to be an exciting year for The Big Lemon as we see our Bristol depot grow and continue to improve the provision of service we can offer to our passengers.”
At its recent AGM, The Big Lemon noted 96% growth in revenue and a 3.6% rise in patronage on its Brighton and Hove services over the 2022-23 period.
The environmentally focused operator also reported 504 tonnes of total carbon savings in 2023, which was also an increase on the previous year.
The AGM unanimously approved that a dividend of 30% of last year’s surplus would be shared between shareholders.
Tom Druitt, Founder of The Big Lemon, says: “One of our main aims when we launched The Big Lemon in 2007 was to demonstrate that community business works, financially as well as socially.”
The Big Lemon has also increased its team from 74 to 97 over the course of 2024 and its fleet from 34 to 48.
Looking ahead to 2025, Mr Druitt adds: “As our organisation grows, we are investing in greater management resource in each depot, alongside a devolution of responsibility to enable more localised decision-making.”
To that end and following the appointment of Mr Morris, the operator is also recruiting for a Managing Director for the South East and a General Manager for Brighton and Hove.
