Author Archives: Ben Vogel

The UK subsidiary of Chinese state-owned contractor Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEGI) reduced its pre-tax loss last year, although revenue fell by 28 per cent. In its audited accounts for the 12 months to 31 December 2024, Manchester-based BCEGI Construction (UK) said it had to take “responsive measures” amid a…

The wait is over – our analysis of the CN100 2025 index of top UK contractors is now live for Construction News registered users and Premium subscribers. This year, we reveal a sector in cultivated growth mode, with the top 100 firms collectively reporting a 3.7 per cent rise in…

Prudent management rather than swashbuckling adventurism lies behind improvement in key metrics among the top 100 construction firms

Van Elle Holdings is set to miss its trading and profitability targets for the current financial year, blaming project delays linked to the Building Safety Act (BSA) that continue to cause disruption. In a trading update ahead of its annual general meeting on 25 September, the ground engineering contractor said…

Chris McDonald has been appointed as the new construction minister, succeeding Sarah Jones. The government’s website says that McDonald, who was elected as Labour MP for Stockton North in July last year, officially took up the construction brief last Thursday (11 September). But his responsibilities in the Department for Business…

The UK construction sector has been forecast to grow modestly in 2025 despite high interest rates and weak private sector demand, according to PwC’s latest Construction and Housebuilding Outlook. The consultancy firm predicted that real output will rise by around 1 per cent next year, before accelerating to 3.1 per…

More than 1,500 construction workers at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria have gone on strike over a dispute concerning site-specific pay premiums. The action, led by trade union Unite, began on 15 September and will run until 19 September. It added that the walkout affects “multiple trades including electricians,…

Vacancies in the construction sector have fallen by a quarter over the past year as demand for new recruits cools, the latest official statistics have revealed. Data released this morning by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that unfilled construction posts dropped from 40,000 in July-August 2024 to 30,000…

Kier Group has reported higher-than-expected profit and a record order book after a third consecutive year of revenue growth. For the year ended 30 June 2025, turnover rose 4 per cent to £4.08bn, compared with £3.91bn in 2024, £3.38bn in 2023 and £3.14bn in 2022. Pre-tax profit climbed 15 per…

London-based fit-out specialist Oktra’s turnover and pre-tax profit has held steady, its latest accounts show. Revenue decreased slightly compared with the year before, but the firm’s pre-tax profit and margin slightly improved. Oktra’s latest accounts show a profit of £8.8m from turnover of £112.5m in the year to 31 May…