Invasive plant firm Environet celebrates its 30th birthday this month after starting life as an attic-based one-man band in 1996, when few people had heard of the infamous plant Japanese knotweed.
Having graduated from the University of London with a degree in Environmental Sciences, founder Nic Seal originally cast the net wide looking for a niche where he could build a successful business in the environmental sector. He started to come across Japanese knotweed cropping up on development sites and had his first big win when, after doing his own research into how to tackle the plant, he saved a national developer over £500,000 eliminating it from a site in Wales.
The challenge presented by knotweed, a highly invasive and damaging non-native plant, was poorly understood at that time, yet Nic could clearly see the risks it posed to property and couldn’t understand why nobody was doing anything about it. For several years he “banged on” about knotweed to anyone who’d listen, but everyone dismissed it and many of Nic’s friends were sceptical about whether he could build a business out of killing weeds.
In 2004, when Google Ads were just starting to gather pace, Nic paid a few pounds for a Google Ad promoting his services in herbicide treatment for knotweed and his phone rang off the hook for days. He had no team and had to quickly hire people and get up and running.
Since then, Environet has spent three decades building a reputation as one of the UK’s most trusted invasive plant specialists, helping homeowners and businesses tackle Japanese knotweed, bamboo, horsetail, Giant Hogweed and many other problematic invasive plants. Today, fully owned by its 22 staff via an Employee Ownership Trust and with a turnover of over £2.5 million, Environet is one of the largest dedicated invasive plant companies serving England and Wales.
Founder Nic Seal, who retired in 2024, said: “We’ve come a long way since the 1990s when hardly anyone had heard of Japanese knotweed and finding chemicals that would kill the plant was a matter of trial and error. It’s been incredible to see Environet lead the growth in the industry over the past 30 years, helping homeowners and businesses across the country tackle all kinds of invasive plants with calm professionalism and genuine expertise.”
Director of Operations, Emily Grant, said: “It’s been quite a journey from a kitchen table start up into a national company serving customers in every corner of the UK, whilst staying true to our Surrey roots. We can’t wait to see what the next 30 years brings!”
