Cumbrian expansion helps Wates Construction to £19.5m milestone

Contractor Wates Construction has reached a major milestone in its planned expansion into the Cumbria construction market, achieving a turnover of more than £19m in its first year in the region.

The success comes 12 months after the company announced its intention to target new sectors in Cumbria, including advanced manufacturing, defence and pharmaceuticals as well as increasing its presence on regional procurement frameworks.

Alongside a turnover of £19.5m and a forward order book of £51m, Wates’ highlights for the year include the completion of the new Resolution Building at Barrow’s shipyard. This was closely followed by the contractor’s appointment to build BAE Systems Submarines’ new Central Training Facility.

2016 also saw Wates named as the contractor for the £30m Campus Whitehaven on behalf of Cumbria County Council, The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd, Copeland Borough Council and Copeland Community Fund.

Securing new projects across Cumbria has enabled Wates to grow its team in the region, which currently stands at 18, while investing in local community initiatives. In 2016 this included the launch of a new collaboration with Carlisle FC Community Sports Trust.

Tony Shenton, business unit director, Wates Construction North West, said: “The past year has seen us succeed in our plans to expand our North West operations further north into Cumbria, building momentum in the region and ensuring that our business growth is sustainable.

“In doing so, we have been able to use our work to benefit the Cumbria economy, community and job market.

“Understanding the local industry has been of paramount importance to our business expansion in Cumbria and building this knowledge has been bolstered through our new supply chain partners in the region.

“We very much look forward to delivering the fantastic projects that we have secured throughout 2016, building our project portfolio in the region and continuing our work with new and current clients as our growth continues.”

Wates’ expansion in Cumbria followed the company’s acquisition of a number of contracts and strategic framework positions from Shepherd Construction in October 2015. These included a principal position on BAE’s Systems Framework.