Finley Structures has secured a contract to build the steel framework for a multiple unit development on the outskirts of London.
The Aycliffe fabricator won the 616-tonne project at Navigation Park in Enfield from West Midlands-civil engineering contractors A&H Construction, on behalf of multi-national Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) SEGRO.
The development is made up of three units totalling 173,000 sq ft including industrial units and office accommodation and Finley Structures has almost finished the steel frame.
Operations manager Jim Graham says “This debut contract with A&H Construction shows how the family-run business is growing into new areas. “This is the first time we’ve worked with both A&H Construction and SEGRO”.
It shows that we’re not just a regional business and we have the capability of working nationally, competing with other steel fabricators of all sizes.
Mr Graham added: “It’s another new client for us – we now have new targets and new areas to focus on. We are actively seeking new opportunities, and being more selective about our client base and project selection.”
Finley Structures is also currently working on a 432-tonne building at Workington Academy in Cumbria, for Sir Robert McAlpine.
Mr Graham said: “We have a long-established relationship with McAlpine, but we still secured that contract under stiff competition. “Working further afield in different areas of the country does bring new challenges, such as transportation, supervision and management.
But we’re continually looking for efficiency gains in our processes to be competitive. It’s paying off in the contracts we’re winning on a regular basis.
Our average weekly tonnage is continually growing as we explore new markets and secure major projects.”
Finley Structures turnover climbed from £3.1m to £16.4m after a string of major contracts, while the firm also took on eight new employees – boosting staff numbers to 68.
Finley is still currently working on a major project in Leeds – a deal worth close to £4m. The family firm has also won a number of other new contracts, including a 600-tonne contract for McLaughlin & Harvey at Heathrow and a 600-tonne contract for BAM Construction at Lincoln University and a 270-tonne project for Interserve at York University’s Biomed Building.
