BRENIG CONSTRUCTION (Colwyn Bay)

Origins

Brenig Construction was born out of a realisation of a need for a sub-contractor within the North Wales area who had the required skill set to offer a principal contractor mentality within a sub-contract role. Having worked for a number of larger organisations within the area, the directors identified a gap in the market which they believed Brenig Construction could fulfil in terms of Health and Safety, Environmental, Quality and Commercial. The directors - Howard and Mark - have been friends since they were children and having both decided to follow a career in civil engineering, they both ended up working for the same national contractor. Starting their own business was something that was often discussed and once the opportunity presented itself it was something that they both felt they couldn’t turn down. The motivation for starting the business was an opportunity to be in control of their own destiny within a sector that they are both very passionate about.

Our main challenges when starting the business

By far the most significant challenge has been cashflow. Having grown the company to a turnover of circa £5 million within the first three years has been challenging. Key to managing this has been selecting the right Clients and contract to ensure that prompt payments are being received within the terms of the contract. This allows accurate cashflow forecasting within the company. Being a new start-up, a key challenge has been continuity of works within the company to allow an accurate pipeline of work to be planned in order to manage resource levels. This has sometimes resulted in taking on a large number of smaller contracts or as the companies trading history has developed, a fewer number of larger contracts. Balancing this pipeline of works has proved to be extremely difficult at times.

Success Factor

The single biggest factor that has contributed to the rapid growth of Brenig Construction is repeat business. Doing exactly what they promise their clients has resulted in them wanting to work with Brenig Construction again and again. Testament to this is the fact that for one client, the firm has completed in excess of 20 projects. Brenig Construction adopts a collaborative and partnering approach to all works undertaken. As a company of young professionals, this is the ethos on which they have been brought up throughout their careers. Working in this manner allows a direct open book approach to any given situation thus focusing on the issues at hand and resulting in a swift resolution to the many challenges which they face on a daily basis. The directors also believe that value for money is an important part of securing repeat business and as a result contributing to rapid growth. Ensuring an open and honest approach with clients allows a level of trust to be built within the project team. This is key to the success of any company and also any contract.

The Future

For Brenig Construction, key to growing a business within the sector is ensuring that they never stand still and that the company is fluid and able to diversify within the realms of its profession. Whilst its main activity has been civil engineering projects to date, it has recently carried out a contract to deliver 28 units for a local housing authority to help meet the demand for the much needed affordable housing within North Wales. In addition to this, they have set up Brenig Homes (a private housing company) and SEEL Plant Hire (where £100,000 has been invested in new plant including 360 tracked excavators, dumpers, roller and fuel bowsers).