McConnell looks for further growth

Established in 1928, Hugh LS McConnell was taken under new ownership in 2018 has since expanded from its Scottish roots to the southeast of England.

In the year of the takeover, HLS McConnel turned over £14m. The growth began in 2021. In the year to 30^th April 2022 it turned over £25m. By 2022 it was turning over £25m. The following year it was £35m.

For the financial year completing this month, turnover is set to be £55m.

This year’s revenue growth was 10% higher than forecasted, driven by a strong performance in Scotland and significant cladding remediation and defence housing projects in England.

A new regional office was opened in St Albans in September 2023, to augment existing regional offices in Glasgow and Dartford. An office in the north of England is now planned.

McConnell was taken over in 2018 by Rob McGregor and Eamonn McGarvey. McGregor was previously the chief executive of Apollo Property Services Group, a £400m business that merged with Keepmoat in 2012 and is now part of Equans UK. McGarvey was regional managing director for Apollo/Keepmoat in Scotland.

McConnell has subsequently established itself as a principal contractor for building refurbishment works, while retaining its in-house specialist services of roofing, cladding, and specialist coatings.

Chairman Rob McGregor said: “FY24 has been a significant year for McConnell. Our growth has been a direct result of the continued strengthening of our management team. We have a Tier 1 senior leadership team that underpins growth, generates customer confidence, and allow us to attract the best people in the sector. We’ve also invested in the growth of our operational and support services teams and in early April 2024 we took on our 200th employee, of which more than 80 are skilled operatives. They form the backbone of our service delivery and are augmented by carefully selected supply chain partners.”

Managing director Eamonn McGarvey added “We’re moving into FY25 in May, with more than £60m of secured work for the year and are well positioned on a number of national frameworks in England and Scotland. We’re forecasting further strong growth opportunity for FY25, therefore plan to open a regional office in the north of England to increase our geographic reach and capability.”