Features

Uncertainty hangs over the future of the envelope sector, where the median average margin is 4.3 percentage points lower than it was in 2018. The top 10 firms in the specialism – under intense scrutiny since the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017 – posted a median margin of 1.6 per…

Concrete became the specialism with the lowest margins across the seven index categories, having boasted the second-highest in the 2021 edition. The median average margin for the top specialists tumbled from 3.7 per cent to just 1.15 per cent in this year’s index, in what has been a tough year…

Fortunes were mixed for demolition specialists in this year’s index, while an admission of historical bid rigging hit a number of the sector’s big names. Aggregate turnover was relatively flat year-on-year, although seven of the top 10 contractors reported a rise. Pre-tax profit grew slightly to a cumulative £19.8m. Keltbray…

After the devastating fire at Windsor Castle 30 years ago, the restoration became a prestigious and challenging construction job. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Luke Haynes speaks to those involved in the project. A plume of thick black-grey smoke billowed across the Berkshire sky on the morning of…

The industry’s highest earners have once again seen their pay rocket, after COVID lockdowns brought a year of restraint. James Wilmore examines how the rises sit within a context of rising worries over the cost of living for those further down the foodchain. Recent events in Westminster have demonstrated that…

The incoming government needs to urgently address the negative impact of the new post-Brexit standards regime on the building products market, finds Greg Pitcher The year was 1993. Inflation ran as low as 1.6 per cent, Manchester United won the inaugural Premier League and the CE mark was introduced in…

With inflation, skill shortages and energy prices contributing to a rise in administrations, Adam Branson considers the construction industry's prospects of weathering the winter months The economic headlines just keep getting worse. In August, the Bank of England forecast that inflation would hit 13.3 per cent in October, up from…

Paul Cossell says green enthusiasm among younger generations provides an opportunity for construction The new chair of Build UK admits to having many faults. Chief among them is a tendency towards impatience. Paul Cossell tells Construction News that his restlessness is motivated by a desire for movement and progress. “I was drawn…

SPONSORED CONTENT by Intercity The construction industry continues to face delays and unforeseen issues as a result of the pandemic, during which 80 per cent of businesses had to postpone or cancel projects. Now companies within the construction industry are working to tighter budgets, with little room for communication errors…

Ian Weinfass speaks to Altrad RMD Kwikform UK managing director Mark Pickard about the company’s stormy recent history and his plans for the future After the turbulence, stability and growth will follow. At least that’s what Mark Pickard hopes. Few businesses will have known as much upheaval in the past…