Member Article

North East indie construction firm secure £8.5 million in work

Cramlington-based independent construction firm Howard Russell has secured £8.5 million of work in the first quarter of 2014.

Four new contracts for new and existing clients will help to create what the firm anticipate to be the most successful year since they were established in 1997.

The work has created five new jobs including two quantity surveyors, a project manager, a site manager and an apprentice.

The firm anticipate two more roles will become available later in the year.

Contracts include the reconfiguaration of a 135,000 sq ft manufacturing and distribution facility for Lonestar Group in Wolverhampton; the redevelopment of a production plant for Gestamp Tallent in Newton Aycliffe, the conversion of the former Pickford’s warehouse on Team Valley on behalf of UK Land Estates, which is going to be a new manufacturing facility for Flowserve, and the conversion of a former doctors surgery in Benwell, Newcastle into a Sure Start Centre on behalf of Healthworks.

Barry Wilkinson, contracts manager at Howard Russell commented: “Last summer we reported a general increase in inquiries and instructions as the market started to pick up.

“We anticipated increasing staffing levels by 40% and we are delighted to have exceeded this and to have taken on our first apprentice in five years.

“As the construction market continues to improve we are now returning to pre-recession turnover and staffing levels in what is proving to be a very exciting year for the business.”

Craig Muldoon, pre construction manager commented: “We have secured three out of these four new projects through negotiations directly with clients rather than going through the tender process.

“We also have a number of negotiated projects in the pipeline and believe this is a positive reflection on our client’s faith in our professionalism and ability to deliver a quality project at a competitive price.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .