JJP Holdings is owned by our founder and Chairman, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, whose passion for buses and trains was fuelled by his father’s enthusiasm for vintage transport.
In 1972, his father bought an old bus but sold it in 1989, much to Jonathan’s dismay. Through hard work and determination, Jonathan was able to buy the bus back at the age of 16, with the aim of restoring it. Using his bedroom as an office and an old barn for the project, Jonathan’s career in heritage vehicle restoration began.
Jonathan went on to complete a transport manager qualification at the age of 17 and was, at the time, the youngest person to achieve an international Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). He went on to work for an independent bus operation before setting up a consultancy business and so JJP Holdings was born.
In 2015, JJP acquired and built the Southern National and Crosville Motor Services bus brands, operating bus services in and around Weston-super-Mare, as well as seafront land trains.
In 2016, JJP collaborated with First Group to form what is now Specialist Transport Solutions (SPS), a joint venture to deliver the passenger transport needs of the largest construction site in Europe – Hinkley Point C (as a tier one contractor). What started as a five-bus operation rapidly expanded to a 200-coach organisation which First Group purchased outright in 2021.
More recently, JJP Holdings has been involved in helping organisations get back into business following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the various lockdowns; this work included a comprehensive three-year post-Covid strategy for Bristol Airport.
The networks and relationships that Jonathan has developed, together with the experience and lessons learned from more than two decades of operations, have put JJP Holdings’ portfolio of companies in a unique position to provide support and services to the bus and rail sector, and to help drive transportation forward to meet the needs of a new era.
Our Role in Meeting Transport Needs of the Future
The current climate demands that businesses strive to be greener and cleaner, being particularly mindful of their own carbon footprint, and of the transport they use.
As a responsible, forward-thinking group, JJP Holdings is actively involved in progressing the net zero agenda, supporting the development of fuels for future transport, particularly the EV and hydrogen sectors.
JJP Holdings continues to expand and broaden its portfolio, working collaboratively with businesses in the UK and abroad to provide the services they need to operate effectively and prosper, whether that’s at a strategic level at the top table, carrying out an audit and providing practical solutions, supplying drivers or servicing your fleet.
Investing in Future Generations
While JJP Holdings is embracing the new era, it is equally committed to preserving transportation’s history and heritage, recognising how we got to where we are now and what lessons can be learned from that journey which can better equip us to succeed in the future.
JJP Holdings has built what is recognised as one of the best and highest quality collections of steam and bus vehicles in the South West of England and is committed to continuing to build on that legacy.
One of our aspirations is to build a centre of excellence and a hub for apprenticeships, in the hope that we will pass on the same skills, passion and love for bus and rail to the next generation of young mechanics and engineers, that led to JJP Holdings’ own journey.
It’s only when you have a true understanding of where you have come from that you can make a meaningful contribution to the development of new technologies and the innovations of the future.