黑洞社区

Let鈥檚 just say that most portraits for 黑洞社区 aren鈥檛 taken in such historic, not to say precipitous, spots. But for Kevin Brush - managing director of Fairhurst Ward Abbotts, which holds the royal warrant for building and decorating services to Her Majesty the Queen, no less - the rooftop of the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square seems appropriately august. 鈥淛ust don鈥檛 ask me to take another step backwards,鈥� says Brush.

The photo shoot follows an entertaining and informative tour though the labyrinth of rooms, stairs and corridors that make up both front and back of house spaces in the National, where Fairhurst Ward Abbotts, founded in 1941, has been engaged for the last eight years to do building and refurbishment works. The gallery is just one of a clutch of national treasures on which Brush has worked, including the royal palaces, the Houses of Parliament and Chatsworth House. 鈥淚f you name a listed building, it would be unusual if we haven鈥檛 had a connection at some point,鈥� he says.

The list of famous clients and prestigious structures on which Fairhurst Ward Abbotts has worked is indeed pretty exhaustive. But what particular challenges has Brush found in running a construction firm that focuses on winning work on some of the UK鈥檚 finest historic buildings, and can he use that royal connection to the firm鈥檚 advantage?

Despite his elevated clients, Brush himself is rather down to earth. Born to working class parents, he left school at 16 to take up an apprenticeship as a fitter with British Gas. He completed the apprenticeship (鈥淚f you ever want your boiler serviced 鈥︹��) but almost immediately decided to train as a trainee building surveyor. After 10 years of evening classes he had his chartered status, plus an MBA, and embarked on a progressively successful career in surveying.

Then seven years ago, on the lookout for a fresh challenge and with money in the bank, Brush came across Fairhurst Ward Abbotts at a time when the firm was looking for a buyer. At that point the company, which had held its royal warrant since 1996, was turning over around 拢10m a year, and Brush thought that he saw an opportunity for growth. He acquired a majority stake, although he didn鈥檛 take up his current role until 2009.

鈥淚t had huge potential. It had the royal connection [鈥�] and the privileged access that gives us to such magnificent buildings. We can use that,鈥� he says, adding that the experience of working on royal buildings provided the company with highly transferable skills. 鈥淲e can use [them] in other areas from castles to guildhalls, but also in high-end residential in London and around as well - both new build and conservation.鈥�

Fairhurst Ward Abbotts now comprises six distinct businesses and turned over 拢27.5m in 2012/13, compared with 拢23.7m in 2011/12, and Brush estimates that the company will have a turnover of around 拢40m-45m this financial year, although he says that margins will remain pretty tight.

The unusual nature of Fairhurst Ward Abbotts鈥� work means that its personnel profile differs significantly from most contractors. In 2012/13 the company employed, on average, 159 people, of which 96 were direct labour, compared with 63 involved in management and administration. In an industry in which subcontracting is the norm, those figures are striking. The explanation is two-fold. First, with its work on historic buildings, Fairhurst Ward Abbotts requires specialisms that are extremely hard to come by. And second, the firm simply cannot risk subcontracting to an unknown or untested entity.

We鈥檙e always hopeful of more work from the royals 鈥� they鈥檙e a great client

鈥淚n environments like these, when you鈥檙e surrounded by such irreplaceable value, you have to trust your staff implicitly,鈥� says Brush, gesturing to the paintings hanging on the walls of the meeting room in the National Gallery. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just have anybody in. But then there鈥檚 the skill set as well. The skill set of our stone masons 鈥� well, you could buy it in, but [if they鈥檙e in-house] over the years the level of skill improves and improves.鈥�

Brush is also acutely aware that many of the specific skills he requires are in danger of dying out, hence the apprenticeship schemes Fairhurst Ward Abbotts runs in partnership with the National Trust and English Heritage.鈥漈hey come through and provide a bedrock of skills in the business,鈥� he says.

Each of the business鈥� divisions is headed by a director who has a close relationship with each project and client, something that Brush views as fundamental to Fairhurst Ward Abbotts鈥� ongoing success and reputation. 鈥淎rguably we鈥檙e limited in terms of growth because I don鈥檛 want the directors to be too far away from that core customer service,鈥� he says, adding that if a director took on too many projects and had to delegate relationship management, it would present a potential risk to the firm鈥檚 reputation. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen it too often in other businesses, and in environments like this you just can鈥檛 afford it - the reputational damage is too great.鈥�

This same need to be seen as a safe and reliable pair of hands in a sensitive environment also leads the company to go to enormous lengths to minimise risk on site.

鈥淚 think that the job I鈥檓 most proud of was when we were working above a ceiling in a stately home - a painted fresco ceiling of priceless value,鈥� says Brush. 鈥淎 flinch beam had gone and we had to use a steel beam to strap it.鈥� Needless to say the meeting of priceless fresco and heavy steel is one that has the potential to end unhappily. 鈥淭he consequences of getting it wrong were 鈥� you just don鈥檛 want to imagine. The team had to rehearse it week after week with a mock-up and used specialised equipment to make sure that it went okay.鈥�

So Fairhurst Ward Abbott takes its time in order to get things right - and most of its clients can probably afford to pay for it. But come on, how about a little gossip? Wills and Kate鈥檚 nuptials must have led to bit of renovation work - or how about the arrival of little George? For the first time in the conversation, Brush, ever mindful of that gold-plated reputation, starts to sound more like a politician than a builder. 鈥淲e get involved with some schemes that are really quite special,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e helped refurbish parts of Buckingham Palace. We鈥檙e always hopeful of more work from the royals 鈥� they鈥檙e a great client.鈥�

Is Brush treading on eggshells? 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 want me to betray a confidence, would you?鈥� Well yes, actually. Brush laughs, but uses the comment as a spur to make a serious point about his business. 鈥淲hether we鈥檙e working for a movie star or whoever, it鈥檚 betraying a trust, isn鈥檛 it? And the last thing that we want to do is betray a trust,鈥� he says.

And with responsibility for a company whose success rests on maintaining a reputation for quality and discretion there is only one response to Brush鈥檚 answer: fair enough.