Costain

Costain chief executive Alex Vaughan has little time for doom-laden narratives about the state of UK construction. Sitting down with Construction News shortly before Christmas at the firm’s offices in the distinctive ‘Can of Ham’ building in the City of London, he acknowledges the challenges facing the sector but remains…

Alex Vaughan has navigated significant transformations since becoming Costain’s CEO five years ago When Alex Vaughan first walked through Costain’s doors 34 years ago as a trainee quantity surveyor, he had no idea he would eventually be leading the organisation. “It’s been a series of adventures,” he recalls while visiting…

Which companies are likely to have the biggest impact on the industry in the year ahead? ISG In November, ISG felt moved to issue a statement denying “unsubstantiated, wholly inaccurate and false claims” about its financial health”. However, it did not elaborate on the nature of these claims. Last year…

The Leeds leg of HS2 may have been pulled but, in west London, construction is powering ahead. Paul Thompson reports on the techniques employed at the megaproject to aid delivery of two major schemes in one

Construction News asked figures from throughout the industry what construction should prepare for in the New Year. Here’s what they had to say.

As part of our inaugural Decarbonising Construction virtual event, an expert panel from across the industry shared the secrets to going green, and discussed how firms would be able to speed up the process

Costain chief executive Alex Vaughan has told Construction News exactly how he plans to avoid the type of costly disputes that caused the business to record a £90.4m loss in its half-year results. Having made changes in personnel, the types of contract Costain bids on and the culture of risk…

‘I know my people better than ever’ Vaughan says the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the contractor's working patterns has actually boosted his personal productivity and enabled him to learn more about his workforce. “I now know my people better than I've ever known them before. That's because when…

The Budget pledged £27bn to improve and extend England’s road network, but critics have suggested this is at odds with climate change. What can the construction sector do to make our roads greener?

In a market where some of the biggest tier ones are struggling and undertaking painful turnaround programmes, specialist contractors are thriving. That was the message of CN's 2018 specialists index, the most comprehensive annual look at the demolition, ground engineering, concrete, structural steel, M&E, building envelope and scaffolding markets. In a…