North West franchise duo adds third Martin & Co office
Peter Mahoney and Craig Wicking have acquired Martin & Co Widnes, their third office in less than two years.
A pair of Martin & Co franchise owners have continued their rapid North West expansion, it has been revealed.
Peter Mahoney (pictured right) and Craig Wicking (pictured left) have acquired Martin & Co Widnes, their third office in less than two years.
They first entered the network in October 2023, with the resale acquisition of Martin & Co Rochdale. It was followed by the launch of Martin & Co Leigh in July 2025.
Multi-office operation
The addition of Widnes gives the pair a growing multi-office lettings operation spanning a strategic corridor across the region.
Wicking says the new location made immediate sense, explaining: “It’s a similar type of market to Rochdale and Leigh, with strong rental demand and a solid base of landlords.
“Having all three gives us a better spread across the North West, which makes it easier to keep things consistent operationally.”
Scalable growth
The pair credit their Rochdale experience with laying the groundwork for scalable growth.
But they add that the real turning point was getting their management structure right ahead of taking on a second office.
“Once that was working, it made the decision to expand again a lot more straightforward,” adds Mahoney.
“At that point, it becomes about adding to a structure rather than building from scratch each time.”
Their immediate focus in Widnes is on continuity – ensuring landlords and tenants see no disruption – before integrating the office into their wider operational framework.
We’re open to further growth, provided it’s the right fit.”
Looking ahead, both say further expansion remains on the table, but only on their own terms.
“We’re open to further growth, provided it’s the right fit,” says Wicking. “Only where we can see it working long term and where we’re confident we can maintain the same standards.”
Martin & Co Managing Director Toby Phillips described the duo as having shown “a clear and disciplined approach to growth,” adding that their focus on operational structure had enabled them to scale successfully across multiple territories.
