Financial

United Infrastructure has acquired control systems and switchgear specialist Simkiss Group as it continues to expand its presence in the UK energy and utilities markets. The buyer, which provides services across critical national infrastructure, said the deal broadened its technical capability in power, energy and utilities work. Simkiss Group was…

The number of construction companies in ‘critical’ financial distress rose almost a half in the final quarter of last year, an insolvency specialist has said. According to the latest data from Begbies Traynor, there were 9,981 construction businesses in the ‘critical’ category during the last three months of 2025. This…

Booming international business has helped infrastructure contractor Blu-3 to double its turnover and post a sixfold increase in pre-tax profit. However, it said it cannot “reliably quantify” the future potential financial impact of an ongoing Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation. The latest accounts for the Kent-based firm show that it…

Profit dipped at civils contractor Galldris Services in its final set of accounts before it implemented a change of ownership structure, its latest accounts show. Directors described a “challenging period with pressure on margins due to continued supply-side costs and the effects of inflation”. But the Enfield-based firm’s overall underlying…

Paul Deverill is head of PFI and PPP strategic advice at consultancy Ridge Deserved or not, public-private partnerships (PPP) often get a bad rap, particularly when they are assumed to be private finance initiatives (PFI) under a new name.  “This is the first time in almost a decade that there…

Project delays and “pricing pressures” have squeezed a leading specialist’s profit by more than 60 per cent. Aarsleff Ground Engineering battled “sustained pricing pressures from both customers and suppliers”, which led to a decrease in its profit and margin, managing director Kevin Hague said in the firm’s latest accounts for…

A major building envelope specialist and two of its subsidiaries have filed notices of intention to appoint administrators. Court records show that notices were lodged for holding company FK Group Ltd plus FK Construction Ltd and FK Facades Ltd on Monday (19 January). Construction News understands that Cheshire-based FK Group…

A steel fabrication specialist set up last year before buying a £12m-turnover namesake contractor out of administration has itself appointed administrators. Thomas Storey Fabrication Limited on Monday (19 January) appointed administrators from KBL Advisory, according to a notice on The Gazette. Companies House filings show that the firm was created…

Monthly construction insolvencies fell below the 300 mark in November 2025 – down on the previous month and on a year-by-year basis. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, released today (20th January), shows that 297 firms in the construction sector went under during the penultimate month of last year. The…

The government has scrapped reforms intended to tighten audit processes for large firms. On Monday (19 January), small businesses minister Blair McDougall announced the government had “reached the difficult decision” not to proceed with the reforms, which were first proposed after high-profile business collapses such as major contractor Carillion. The…