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The private housing sector

The private housing sector has been the undoubted leading light of construction’s recovery in 2014. In its latest forecasts, the Construction Products Association estimates overall industry output will have grown 4.8% this year, with private housing – fuelled by Help to Buy - driving this forward. The CPA forecasts that starts will have grown by 18% in 2014 year on year, compensating for faltering signs of progress in other sectors.

Steve Morgan

The Redrow chair, left, who was named Personality of the Year at The ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø Awards in April, has had a milestone year. Forty years after he founded his firm with a £5,000 loan from his dad, and five years since he returned to rescue it from dire financial straits, he was able to report record results, with £133m profit on £864m revenue. This compared with a £141m loss on a turnover of £301m in 2009: an astounding turnaround in fortune.

Greg Fitzgerald

Galliford Try announced in September that chief executive Greg Fitzgerald (right) intends to retire from the firm by the end of 2015, after 33 years with the company. The fact that the announcement coincided with annual results that showed a 21% rise in revenue and 28%  jump in pre-tax profit to £95m is testament to the strength of Fitzgerald’s stewardship and - in particular - his success in steering the company through the recession.