Supply Chain

Demand for electric-vehicle charging, renewable energy connections, grid upgrades and electric heating schemes are all providing a healthy pipeline of work for mechanical and electrical (M&E) specialists. Aggregate revenue among the largest 10 firms in the sector has risen by 13 per cent, from £2.68bn to £3.04bn, in this year’s…

The 10 biggest ground engineering (GE) firms recorded the second-lowest combined turnover of any specialism in this year’s index, although there were still sizeable increases in turnover and pre-tax profit since the previous year. Total revenue has shot up by 29 per cent compared with the previous year’s table, while…

A new company sits atop the envelope contractor table for the first time since 2018. London-based Stanmore’s sharp revenue growth, from £96.1m to £142.9m, sees it overtake Permasteelisa, which itself achieved a 12 per cent turnover rise. Stanmore’s accounts attribute its rapid growth to a relaxation of Covid restrictions, the…

The UK’s 10 largest demolition firms bounced back from the impact of the pandemic. Following a 5 per cent drop in turnover in the 2021 Specialists Index and a flat performance last year, the sector’s big names posted a combined 11 per cent hike this year. National Federation of Demolition…

By Keith Cooper The leading concrete specialists improved their aggregate financial performance, although inflation hit profits and margins. Three of the top 10 firms posted losses, in contrast with the previous year, which saw only one firm in the red. Third-placed PJ Carey’s £48.1m deficit was the biggest by far,…

Industry body Constructing Excellence and King’s College London have launched an independent voluntary verification scheme for construction-procurement quality. The Constructing the Gold Standard verification scheme will check claims made by framework providers and clients who procure their own frameworks and alliances, with an emphasis on better value and net zero.…

An ongoing drop in sales of mineral products underlines the scale of the challenges facing construction, a sector body has warned, adding that weak demand is likely to persist in 2024. In the third quarter (Q3) of 2023, there were “notable declines” in demand for ready-mixed concrete (15 per cent)…

The prices of most construction products are “softening” amid falling activity, according to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). In a statement, the co-chairs of the CLC’s product availability working group said there was “good availability across all products and regions, similar to pre-pandemic levels”. But John Newcomb and Peter Caplehorn,…

Two demolition contractors fined £22m in the sector’s cover-bidding scandal are set for an April tribunal showdown with competition regulators. In March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fined Keltbray, Squibb Group and eight other firms, after finding they had colluded on prices through illegal cartel agreements when submitting bids in…

A facade specialist has been fined £240,000 after leaving combustible cladding that it was removing from a building on residents’ balconies. According to a statement from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the incident took place at the eight-storey The Circle apartment block in central Liverpool, where Green Facades was…