After one of the most challenging periods the construction industry has seen, particularly in housebuilding, Brandwells Construction is reporting signs of an upturn, with five new contracts with leading housebuilders secured in recent weeks. Although the contracts have been secured at very competitive prices, they nevertheless represent an encouraging sign that the sector may slowly be returning to growth.
The company has announced a restructuring at board level to strengthen the company against continuing uncertainties. Six senior staff members – Tony Blake, Matt Browne, Bob Buck, Chris Dowden, Tom Hurford and Clive Wood – have bought shares in the company and have been appointed to the board. They join Managing Director Andy Dowden and fellow director John Stafford, who has increased his holding in the company.
After being forced to declare large-scale redundancies in 2008-9, we have now taken on a number of new operatives to enable us to handle the new contracts.
Says MD Andy Dowden: “Like everyone else in the industry we have been through an extremely difficult period. We are delighted to have gained these new contracts in a very tight market. We are hoping that we are seeing the beginning of a return to slow but steady growth which is manageable and can be sustained.”
Two of the new contracts are for Leadbitter Homes – one at Kingswood, Bristol, for a development of a 40-bed care home, the other a development of new homes on the site of a former school at Crumlin, near Blackwood, Gwent. Redrow Homes has awarded Brandwells the contract for roads, sewers and groundworks for Phase 3A on their major development site at Tallsticks, Filton, Bristol.
At Latimer Road, Bristol, we’ll be providing the roads, sewers and first phase groundworks for a development of 119 homes by Bovis on the site of a World War 2 prefab estate. Finally, Barratt Homes in Swindon has contracted Brandwells to carry out the construction of reinforced concrete foundations, columns and a podium slab for a block of 41 ultra-modern flats on the D2 development in the town centre.