M&A

Jonathan Parker is development director at national framework provider Pagabo This year has seen several big names in the construction industry hit financial difficulty, and prevailing wisdom suggests that the list is only going to grow longer. Indeed, data from the Insolvency Service shows a 19 per cent rise in…

It’s faced bankruptcy and sold its most profitable arm, but the firm is now growing again The first line of the introduction to Kier’s latest results reads: “Over the last two years, Kier has undergone a transformation.” At a glance, this claim could look wrong. The company’s share price has…

Despite continued economic turmoil, the release of pent-up demand got the industry back on track, with combined turnover and profit both surpassing pre-Covid levels Remember 2019? At the time it seemed chaotic, with the UK construction sector – along with the rest of the business community – facing a lack…

Andy Beard is global head of cost and commercial management at Mace. In the first of a two-part analysis, he looks at the ongoing impact of inflation and high interest rates on the construction sector With personal finances taking a beating, interest-rate rises and inflation are topics on the lips…

Gerard Toplass is group chief executive of The 55 Group, parent company of framework provider Pagabo  If the latest pay figures are anything to go by, private sector employers are responding to wage rises in a knee-jerk fashion and should act more prudently when looking after staff. Don’t get me…

Will imminent reforms boost or hinder take-up among construction firms of HMRC’s research and development tax credits scheme? David Prosser investigates Will construction companies miss out on valuable incentives designed to encourage innovation under a shake-up of the research and development (R&D) tax credits scheme? His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs…

Kwadwo Sarkodie is a partner and Tamsin Travers is counsel at Mayer Brown International LLP Confronted with spiralling costs and supply chain issues on a fixed price contract which is consequently becoming increasingly unprofitable, a contractor may face a painful choice: continue with the project at a loss or try…

The digital marketplace is hard to navigate, so how are construction firms ensuring they invest wisely in technology? Construction companies, faced with the need to adopt digital technologies to keep pace in a fast-changing world, will inevitably come up against a vast range of options. AI, drones, wearables… it’s a…

Are high upfront costs and a lack of clarity on work pipelines behind a recent spate of high-profile setbacks in the modular construction sector?  In the 1989 Hollywood movie Field of Dreams, a ghostly voice whispering “If you build it, they will come” inspired Kevin Costner’s character to turn his…

Did the government waste tens of millions of pounds extending the lives of construction firms that were beyond saving? Three years ago, as unprecedented social and economic restrictions were introduced to battle Covid, then chancellor Rishi Sunak set the tone for a huge package of emergency government support for business.…