Contractors Focus
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FeaturesSurprise and relief: why the Lendlease sale to private equity is seen as a vote of confidence in UK contractors
Uncertainty about historic firm鈥檚 future is finally at an end 鈥� and the news has been welcomed by clients and rivals alike, writes Dave Rogers
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FeaturesTop 150 Contractors & Housebuilders 2024: Improving prospects or more of the same? Contractors keep eyes peeled for signs of optimism
Contractors hope to see more work get off the ground, but familiar problems provide a nervous backdrop
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FeaturesDownfall of ISG: how and why it collapsed
Report by administrator EY says firm was set to post after tax losses of 拢133m while would-be buyer eventually offered 拢1 for business
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FeaturesBest foot forward: the former Army brigadier plotting Sir Robert McAlpine鈥檚 return to defence work
Mike Hickson spent 30 years in the military. He hopes his experience will help the contractor get a bridgehead in the sector, he tells Dave Rogers
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Features鈥楾his industry is absolutely fine鈥︹�� Andrew Davies on the naysayers, rescuing Kier and what the firm plans to do next
The contractor鈥檚 chief executive goes in to bat for construction. It鈥檚 a good time to be in the business, he tells Dave Rogers聽
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Features鈥業t was always the plan ...鈥� Keltbray鈥檚 Brendan Kerr on selling infrastructure and what he鈥檚 going to do next
The specialist contractor鈥檚 owner talks to Dave Rogers about going back to building, succession planning and why he never intends to quit
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Features鈥業t鈥檚 madness what the industry goes to work for鈥欌�� Sisk鈥檚 Paul Brown on margins, making the right decisions and working on Man City鈥檚 stadium
鈥楾he last two or three years in the UK have been the toughest I鈥檝e experienced,鈥� the Irish contractor鈥檚 Liverpool-born chief executive tells Dave Rogers
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Features鈥楾he contracting model needs to change鈥� 鈥� Permasteelisa鈥檚 boss on why the industry can鈥檛 go on like this
Liam Cummins joined the cladding specialist in 2023 after years working for main contractors. He talks to Dave Rogers about unsustainable margins, working for some formidable CEOs and why London is still the place to do business
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FeaturesKey takeaways from the 精东影视 the Future Conference and Housing Today Live
Church House in Westminster yesterday played host to two back-to-back conferences on construction and housing attended by hundreds of professionals from the built environment. Here is a round-up of the key talking points from the event, run by 精东影视 and Housing Today.
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Features鈥楤id for everything, always haggle鈥�: The life and times of John F Hunt鈥檚 John Hall
The founder of the specialist contractor turned 75 over the summer. He tells Dave Rogers about nearly going under, having the gift of the gab and why he did well out of the Cardiff Millennium Stadium
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Features鈥業鈥檓 at a loss about what to make of it all鈥� 鈥� Will Lendlease disappear from UK construction, and what would that say about the state of the sector?
A sale has to happen quickly or staff will leave and jobs will disappear, say rivals. Dave Rogers looks at the implications of the decision to sell up聽鈥� or shut down
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Features鈥極n some levels, it鈥檚 a straightforward industry but it has significant challenges鈥� 鈥� Wates鈥� new(ish) CEO on what he鈥檚 learnt so far
Wates boss Eoghan O鈥橪ionaird has been in post for just over a year. He tells Dave Rogers about the challenges facing the industry, its razor thin margins, his belief in purpose over profit 鈥� and why he gave up golf
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FeaturesPre-election briefing: What can we expect for investment in the NHS estate?
The first of Boris Johnson鈥檚 promised 40 hospitals will open this month. But huge delays to the 拢22bn programme mean that, months before an election, procurement for most of the work hasn鈥檛 even begun and there is no certainty that Labour will push ahead. Joey Gardiner asks what it all ...
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Features鈥楶erfect, see you Monday鈥� 鈥� McLaren鈥檚 Paul Heather on tier ones and being headhunted on holiday
From a teenager wondering what a QS does to running a 拢1bn business, the firm鈥檚 construction boss talks to Dave Rogers about industry ups and downs聽鈥� and being offered a job by Kevin Taylor
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Features鈥楾hey needed this鈥� 鈥� McAlpine鈥檚 new boss wins plaudits as industry prepares for firm to reset
Neil Martin is expected to ring the changes and take the blue-blooded contractor back to centre-stage. Dave Rogers reports
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Features鈥楬e liked a whisky and a cigar late at night, chewing the cud鈥欌�� The life and times of Sir Martin Laing
The death of the businessman just after Christmas recalls a bygone age in contracting
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FeaturesTop 150 Contractors and Housebuilders 2023: Optimism is there if you look for it but familiar worries dog year ahead
High-profile collapses and astonishing losses at Laing O鈥橰ourke mean firms are cautious about what鈥檚 coming in 2024
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FeaturesAs Buckingham teeters, rivals wonder what has gone wrong
A firm with a turnover of 拢700m is on the brink of collapse. How? Dave Rogers reports
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Features鈥楾he day I convince myself I know everything is the day I go鈥�: an interview with Bam鈥檚 John Wilkinson
The firm鈥檚 well-travelled COO on margins, a changing industry and the Iron (Scunthorpe United to you and me)
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FeaturesMarginal gains: Why contractors need help to make a bigger profit
For years, margins have barely shifted much beyond 3% and, to some, talk of 5% and above seems fanciful. But others believe that mandating a figure like that would turn the industry on its head