Member Article

Diversification leads to £3m contract haul for IB Construction

Combining the latest building techniques with expert project management has seen a Black Country construction specialist win £3m of new work in the last month.

IB Construction, which employs 100 people on its projects at any one time, has secured contracts to complete new builds and refurbishments for clients involved in the pub trade, education and leisure.

The news comes a few weeks after the Willenhall-based firm completed its largest ever industrial and commercial project for Kocher+Beck.

“We have been around since 1959 and in that time we have completed over 1700 different jobs,” explained Tim Lewis, Contracts Manager at IB Construction.

“In recent years, we have found ourselves gaining a reputation as being a specialist contractor for the pub trade, covering new builds, refurbishments and bringing heritage buildings back to life.”

He continued: “This is still a core area for our business, but there are plenty of other sectors we are active in. That’s why we’re delighted that the latest £3m contract haul involves schools, restaurants, even a casino.”

IB Construction’s recent project with Kocher+Beck signals a concerted move into the industrial and commercial market.

The company worked with the printing and labelling technology specialist to build a new 9000 sq ft chemical etching facility next to its existing premises in Coalville, taking just 19 weeks to complete the contract in time for the ‘Grand Opening’.

This involved working with the client’s direct suppliers and the complicated challenge of using a raised GRP floor to allow the chemicals used in the process to be taken away safely.

Boosted by the success of this project, IB Construction were selected to complete the £500,000 office refurbishment, including construction of a mezzanine floor, VELUX roof lights, remote controlled blinds, a specialist glazed partition and a dedicated kitchen and canteen.

Tim continued: “The Kocher+Beck contract is a great example of how we can work to strict deadlines and deliver the level of quality and functionality required by the client…even with a lot of challenging elements thrown in.

“Industrial and commercial is a big opportunity for our business and, so far this year, it’s one of our fastest growing sectors.”

Kocher+Beck’s Managing Director Steve Horne concluded: “Business is brisk and we needed to invest in the extension to ensure we have the right platform to make the most of new opportunities.

“This involved boosting production capabilities by installing state-of-the-art chemical rooms with environmental considerations built in and then we wanted to create a great working environment for our sales team.

“We liked IB’s approach during the tender stage and the fact the company was family-owned mirrored our own way of doing business. The Phase 1 extension went really well so it seemed a logical decision to give Tim and the team Phase 2…it was the right decision.”

IB Construction, which holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality accreditations, has recently relaunched its website (www.ibconstruction.co.uk) to support a new marketing drive.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .