Family-run civil engineering, road surfacing and plant hire specialist John McGeady Ltd is aiming to grow to a 100-strong team after purchasing its Glasgow headquarters with £1.5 million of funding from Bank of Scotland.
The company has acquired its base at 1071 South Street in Glasgow, where it had been a tenant for the past two years.
Since 2018, when Managing Director Thomas Crumlish took over the business from the McGeady family, annual turnover has climbed from around £900,000 to more than £20 million in its most recent accounts, with revenues forecast to reach approximately £30 million this year.
Investment in people and capability has broadened the services on offer and enabled the firm to bid for larger jobs. While typical projects three to five years ago were worth about £150,000, the business can now deliver individual contracts of up to £4 million.
Headcount has increased from 35 employees to around 60, with several new recruits in the pipeline. The firm is targeting roughly 100 staff over the next three to five years and intends to expand its apprenticeship programme.
Owning the South Street site will provide greater long-term security and flexibility as the company builds capacity. Further investment under consideration includes expanding office space and creating a recycling facility and training centre.
The proposed training centre would develop skills within the existing workforce and also offer training to people outside the business, creating an additional route into the industry.
The location complements the firm's base in Blantyre, supporting projects across Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and further afield. The 4.3-acre yard will also centralise a growing fleet of around 56 pieces of plant and equipment for its operations.
Founded by John McGeady in 1982, the company has traded for 44 years. McGeady brought family members into the business as it grew and remained a director until 2010.
The business changed hands in 2018, when it was acquired by the Crumlish family, retaining the John McGeady name. Both families continue to work together to preserve its ethos. The firm has expanded across civil engineering, road planning, surfacing and plant hire, enabling clients to access a wider range of services through a single contractor.
Recent awards include a £30 million Roads-Related Maintenance Works Framework for Renfrewshire Council and a £2 million Patching Framework for Glasgow City Council.
Tom Crumlish, Managing Director at John McGeady Ltd, said: "We've grown significantly over the past few years, but the ambition has always been to build the business without losing the family values and close-knit culture that have helped us get this far. "Buying the South Street site gives us the confidence to think longer term. It gives us more control over how we develop the business and creates the space to invest in our people and future opportunities."
Stephen Owens, Senior Relationship Director at Bank of Scotland, said: "John McGeady Ltd has built impressive momentum in recent years, growing its workforce and capabilities while moving into increasingly significant projects. "Securing ownership of its Glasgow headquarters gives the business a strong platform from which to continue that growth. We're pleased to support Thomas and the team as they invest in the next stage of the company's development."
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