Member Article

Stewart & Harris strengthens senior team

Birmingham consulting engineering firm, Stewart & Harris, has bolstered its senior team with the appointment of two new directors following the company’s acquisition by multi-disciplinary consulting engineers, Patrick Parsons.

As part of national firm Patrick Parsons, Stewart & Harris – which has specialised in civil and structural engineering for more than 30 years – will be able to offer clients additional services such as geoenvironmental, mechanical and electrical, and building consultancy.

Experienced engineers Peter Wilkins and Gavin Vickers have been welcomed on board, and will play crucial roles in leading this expansion.

Peter Wilkins returns to the firm as director of structures, having first worked at Stewart & Harris as a senior engineer and then associate over 20 years ago. He then moved on to a number of well-known national and international engineering companies, based primarily in the West Midlands but also working on international projects in Eastern Europe, Dubai, Qatar and Iran.

He will head up a structures team of 13, and has plans to increase its size in the near future.

Peter said: “I really enjoyed working at Stewart & Harris first time around and, having now built up my experience in different companies and internationally, I jumped at the chance to come back – especially as the firm will now be able to offer a much wider service.

“I always liked the company’s ethos and its people so I’ve quickly settled back in. I’m now looking forward to expanding the team and further cementing our reputation in the industry.”

Also joining Stewart & Harris is Gavin Vickers, who has been appointed as associate director and will lead the firm’s civil engineering team.

Gavin brings nearly 20 years’ experience to his new role, having worked on a variety of construction, engineering and land development projects, including high-profile schemes such as the Manor Kingsway Redevelopment in Derby and Goodyear Redevelopment in Wolverhampton, as well as time with Tubelines and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now HS1) – the biggest construction scheme in Europe at the time.

Gavin commented: “This is a new challenge for me and I’m delighted to be taking on the role. I have been involved in residential projects over the last few years, so Stewart & Harris, with its pedigree in the affordable housing sector, is a natural fit for me.

“My immediate priorities will be delivering excellent service to existing clients and identifying new sectors and opportunities, as I’m eager to play a part in the firm’s continued growth. I’m also keen to mentor members of my team while learning from them at the same time.”

Commenting on the new appointments, director John Dyson said: “With their impressive combined experience and skills, Peter and Gavin are both welcome additions to our team.

“It’s an exciting time for the business – now we are part of Patrick Parsons, we have ambitious plans to grow our team and branch out into new markets, and the appointments of Peter and Gavin will undoubtedly help us to do that. I wish them all the best in their new roles and look forward to working closely with both of them.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Patrick Parsons .