CONTRACTOR PROFILE // CITY BUILDING COMPANY: City Building BASED: Glasgow FOUNDED: 2006 MAJOR PROJECTS: Glasgow Housing Association, Commonwealth Games STAFF NUMBERS: 2,200 TURNOVER: £200 million
City vision As the former maintenance arm of Glasgow City Council, City Building has flourished since branching out on its own nine years ago
Graham Paterson
By Nick Martindale
G
lasgow-based City Building is less than a decade old, but in that time has established itself as one of the UK’s leading construction companies. Originally the direct labour organisation responsible for repairs and maintenance for Glasgow City Council’s housing stock, the entity became a business in its own right in 2006 and has since expanded its portfolio to include major construction projects, newbuild housing and refurbishment programmes. “At that time repairs and maintenance for the council were in general decline but there was a lot of work available from the industry outside and we had a big workforce and apprenticeship programme to maintain,” says Graham Paterson, executive director. “Becoming a limited liability partnership allowed us to expand into other market areas and work in both the private and public sectors.” The business is still wholly owned by the council, and this work still accounts for a considerable amount of its £200 million turnover. It recently won a long-term repairs and maintenance contract with the Glasgow Housing Association, worth around £35 million a year, which provides direct employment for around 800 people. “We have to clearly demonstrate best value for work with the council; we’re not just given that automatically,” says Graham. The Glasgow Housing Association contract was one
10
of the biggest repairs and maintenance contracts in Europe at the time and we won that in competition with 17 other companies, securing employment and jobs and training for a long time.” The business also services 56 other housing associations, in and around the Glasgow area. Alongside this, however, City Building has built up the construction side of the business, from £30 million four years ago to around £80 million today. It has recently completed the construction of 27 schools in the city and is embarking on a new five-year programme worth £250 million, which will eventually see every primary school in the city upgraded or rebuilt. “There’s been a massive shift in terms of the construction side, and looking ahead at our order book that’s not going to change,” says Graham. “I don’t see it dropping below that £80 million level over the next few years.” Other areas of focus include care homes and newbuild homes.
‘The Glasgow Housing Association contract was one of the biggest repairs and maintenance contracts in Europe, and we were in competition with 17 other companies’
Connections
10-11_contractorprofile.FINAL.indd 10
19/12/2014 11:35
