Russell Richardson and Sons operations cease following acquisition

The closure marks the end of Russell Richardson and Sons’ activities as an independent business after more than two decades of operation in the confidential shredding, document archiving and recycling sectors.

In a social media post published this week, Russell Richardson director Lyndsay Stewart confirmed the company’s site had closed, stating that “the gates have closed for one final time” after her 21 years with the business.

The announcement follows a period of transition after Russell Richardson was acquired by Restore Datashred, part of Restore plc, in early 2026.

Following the acquisition, the company began integrating Russell Richardson’s operations, employees and customer base into its national shredding network.

The closure means Russell Richardson no longer appears to be operating as an independent recycling and shredding business, with customers understood to have transitioned to Restore Datashred’s services.

Acquisition of Russell Richardson and Sons

Restore Datashred announced the acquisition of Russell Richardson & Sons in March, describing the Sheffield company as a “respected provider of document shredding, archiving and recycling services”.

The company said Russell Richardson had built a strong reputation and loyal customer base across northern England and that the deal would strengthen Restore’s nationwide service offering.

Natalie Matthews, Managing Director of Restore Datashred, said at the time: “We’re delighted with the acquisition of Russell Richardson, and we look forward to integrating the business into Restore over the coming months.”

Russell Richardson also confirmed the transaction to customers and suppliers, describing the acquisition as “the next chapter in our journey” and thanking customers for their support over many years.

The acquisition formed part of a wider expansion strategy within Restore’s Datashred division.

In a trading update published in May, Restore plc said it had completed three bolt-on acquisitions within the division during the year, including Russell Richardson & Sons, Paper Shredding Services and the trade and assets of RDS Confidential Shredding.