How GMS Group keeps cash flow moving as it grows

The client

GMS Group is a UK-wide security services business, established in 1997. Over time, it has built a reputation for being agile and quick to respond to customer needs, while maintaining high standards across operations.

For CEO Neil Male, that consistency comes down to people and processes. GMS has retained a long‑standing leadership team, invested heavily in training, and built a culture that keeps teams engaged across sites nationwide.

Following changes in ownership, the Male family took sole ownership in 2015. Throughout each transition, GMS needed a funding partner with the experience and flexibility to support major company events while day‑to‑day operations continued. Close Brothers Invoice Finance was able to support these transactions and help kick-start Neil’s ambitions to scale sustainably in a competitive market, strengthen margins, enhance operational processes and build resilience through economic cycles.

Why cash flow matters in the services sector

In service-led sectors like security, growth can quickly strain cash flow. Customer payment terms may be 60–90 days, but wages and other operating costs still have to be met on time.

With teams located across multiple sites, GMS needed reliable working capital to cover immediate costs and act quickly on new opportunities, without adding unnecessary admin for the finance team.

Invoice discounting with Close Brothers Invoice Finance

GMS Group has used invoice discounting with Close Brothers for the last 20 years, unlocking cash tied up in unpaid invoices. The facility releases a large proportion of invoice value upfront, with the remaining balance paid once customers settle (minus fees).

Crucially, as GMS has grown, the facility has grown with them. As invoice values and volumes increase, the capital available can increase too, giving them a flexible source of working capital that keeps pace with the firm, rather than a fixed limit that could feel more restrictive.

For GMS, that steady access to finance helps cover essential costs on time, while supporting the service levels customers expect.

Neil describes it as fundamental to operating smoothly:

“If we didn’t have this facility, I’d effectively be funding the business personally through director loans.”

Trust built over time, strengthened by smarter processes

Just as important as the funding is how the relationship works day to day. Over two decades, GMS has valued the continuity of working with a team that knows the organisation and can respond quickly when priorities shift.

Close Brothers has helped GMS operate more efficiently as the firm has grown. GMS adopted Close Brothers’ IDeal™ technology early on, piloting the platform as one of its first users. For Neil, the right technology should take work away from the finance team, not add to it, particularly as invoice volumes and reporting requirements increase.

“IDeal™ helped streamline processes by reducing month-end reconciliations and unnecessary inputs. It’s a better product at the end of the day.”

Growth supported by stability and transparency

As GMS has expanded into a substantial UK-wide organisation, invoice discounting has helped cash flow keep pace with operations, supporting long payment terms, improving planning, and helping the company stay resilient when trading conditions tighten.

Neil also highlights a shared approach built on transparency and proactive communication:

“We’re very transparent with Close Brothers about our vision, the structure, the sales forecasts and the budget. They know the direction we’re going in and what support we’ll need.”

Looking ahead

GMS has clear ambitions over the next few years, driven primarily by organic growth and diversification into additional sectors, with bolt‑on acquisition opportunities considered where they strengthen the business.

With long-term planning firmly in place, Neil remains focused on building an organisation that is well-structured and ready for its next phase, supported by a funding partner that can continue to evolve alongside it.

“If I say I’m going to do something, I’ll do it, and to do that, I need the right people around me, and the right banking partner.”