Progressive people culture

Our approach to running a good construction business that can perform consistently and predictably revolves around retaining and developing our people and attracting new people, who share our purpose, values, objectives and approach to business. We create a working environment where people are motivated to give their best, we empower them with the tools and resources required to carry out their work, and we reward them competitively. This is reflected in our consistently high, and above average, employee advocacy score of 87%, and low churn rate of 11.4%.

Robust market opportunity

There is robust and consistent long-term demand across our sectors driven by climate change, population growth and ageing social and economic infrastructure, which needs to be replaced, repaired or upgraded. This demand is underpinning growth in our chosen markets, where we benefit from established positions. We are also growing in our adjacent markets where the work is complementary to our existing capabilities, where there is strong demand, where the risk profile is within our appetite, and the margins are higher. Our geographical footprint, excellent client and supplier relationships and the barriers to entry at the scale at which we operate in these markets also give us an advantage.

Rigorous risk management

The vast majority of the work in our order book is won on a differentiated quality basis over price, giving us a well bid, non-cyclical, high-quality pipeline of work. Some 91% of our clients are in the public and regulated sectors; we know these clients well and work collaboratively with them under long-term agreements. This manages risk and offers excellent future visibility of a quality future workload that means we can remain selective about the work we take on.

Strong financial position

Our robust balance sheet is attractive to clients, as they seek to work with contractors who can deliver for them in the long term. It is also valued by our supply chain who want prompt payment and forward visibility of work, and employees for whom job security is key. Balance sheet strength means we can invest in our business, people and technology and gives us the agility and ability to react quickly to strategic opportunities when they arise. Once again, it reinforces our strategy to remain selective about the work we take on.