Wates

Tier one contractor Wates is setting up a new fit-out business headed by the former managing director of ISG Fit Out. Lee Phillips, ex-managing director of ISG Fit Out, will build and lead a team focusing on the London commercial fit-out and refurbishment market, Wates announced yesterday (30 October). The…

Wates has been given a £28.4m contract to carry out housing repairs in Hammersmith after the London borough terminated its deal with Morgan Sindall. Wates Property Services will “support the delivery of good-quality repairs, voids and maintenance services” for council housing stock in the central and north parts of Hammersmith…

Tributes have been paid following the death of Sir Christopher Wates, the former chief executive of his family’s construction firm. The company announced in a statement yesterday (24 September) that Sir Christopher died on 22 September at the age of 85. It said: "It is with profound sadness that we…

Wates and Hill Holdings are among 22 firms that have taken spots on a four-year housing framework focusing on modern methods of construction (MMC). The Integrated Traditional Build & MMC framework will cover 37 different regions of England and Wales for a range of projects, including low and medium rise…

Wates has appointed former Lendlease veteran Brian Long as its new group health, safety and wellbeing director.  Long will join the family-owned contractor in September and sit on the group’s executive committee, reporting to chief executive Eoghan O’Lionaird.  Long previously worked at Lendlease for more than 17 years, latterly as…

Construction deserves a bigger focus in government and is too often viewed as an “afterthought”, the outgoing boss of Wates Construction Group has said. “For too long, for an industry that employs so many people and that adds so much to the economy, construction is seen as an afterthought by…

CN100 contractors Equans, Morgan Sindall, Seddon and Wates have joined a swathe of smaller firms to land places on a £2bn public sector housing framework. A total of 66 contractors were appointed to the four-year Communities & Housing Investment Consortium (CHIC) framework, which is designed to help local authorities and…

The chief executive of Wates has said the company is now politically “agnostic” and will not make any donations in the run-up to the general election. Wates gave £450,000 to the Conservative Party between 2001 and 2017, according to The Guardian – which also reported in 2018 that then chairman…

Wates has joined the handful of UK contractors that turn over more than £2bn, after reporting a 17.6 per cent increase in revenue to £2.1bn. The Surrey-headquartered company also posted a 43 per cent increase in pre-tax profit, from £33.7m to £44.9m, for the year to 31 December 2023. Its…

Wates has formally appointed a new managing director of its construction business. Steffan Battle has held the role in an interim capacity since October 2023, taking over from Mark Tant, who left the business after nine years in the post. Now Battle has been appointed to the job on a…