Bristol builders are bucking the trend in the wider UK construction sector – stepping up recruitment to keep pace with a rapidly expanding workload.
Helm Construction Chief Executive Gary Sheppard said latest figures from the Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index showed a fall to 52.0 from 54.2 in March.
“Although the figure remains above the key 50 mark that indicates expansion rather than contraction it does suggest a definite slowdown.
“But we are definitely not seeing that here. Levels of work in and around Bristol are continuing to rise, whether it is building new homes and apartments, conversion schemes or commercial work.”
Helm Construction doubled its workforce through 2015 and is already recruiting extra staff to keep pace with a lively order book.
Latest recruits are quantity Surveyor Kate O’Dare, site managers Julian Withey and Chris Hendy and groundworks Foreman Luke Merrick.
“The latest appointments include senior professionals as well as industry newcomers and will help the company progress more than a dozen regeneration and new build schemes in and around Bristol, Bath and Cheltenham.
“Our expansion programme is aimed at improving our internal skill sets but has to be flexible enough to deal with wide fluctuations in the workforce.
“It is the nature of the industry that as soon as the work is out there building firms see a percentage of employees branch off into projects on a self-employed basis. That’s the way it’s always been and all building companies have to deal with it.
“But our experience here in the South West is clearly running contrary to the latest downbeat forecast for the wider industry.”
