黑洞社区

Bam Construct has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for Derwent鈥檚 拢150m redevelopment of the Saatchi & Saatchi office building in London after securing a pre-construction role on the project.

Speaking exclusively to 黑洞社区 following the publication of the firm鈥檚 results last week, Bam Construct chief executive Graham Cash said the firm had been appointed to provide pre-construction advice on Derwent鈥檚 拢150m redevelopment of the Saatchi & Saatchi office building in Fitzrovia, London.

Cash said Bam was providing pre-construction advice to the client and the consultant group, as well as developing a 黑洞社区 Information Modelling (BIM) system of the at 80 Charlotte Street & 65 Whitfield Street, which will comprise 323,000 sq ft of offices and 14,000 sq ft of private residential units.

He said he hoped the pre-construction role would give Bam an edge in the race for the main contractor鈥檚 role on the Make-designed scheme, with Mace, Brookfield and Bam all vying for the job.

鈥淲e are developing the project with the client, but ultimately the client has the opportunity and probably will tender to those three bidders,鈥� he said.

Cash (pictured) said the firm had enjoyed a 鈥渟uperb start鈥� to the year, winning a range of work, including the high profile 拢300m Google HQ job in London - a contract win that Cash is unable to discuss - and, schools work through the government鈥檚 Priority School 黑洞社区 Programme. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a strong first quarter - well up on last year鈥檚 - even if you don鈥檛 include the project that we鈥檙e not allowed to talk about,鈥� he said.

Cash said that because the firm was already 鈥渨ell structured鈥� it had not had to focus on internal restructuring in response to the downturn, like many of its rivals, and instead had concentrated on researching its clients鈥� needs as well as developing innovation and technology.

Last year Royal Bam Group signed a 鈧�3.5m (拢2.8m) contract with software firm Autodesk to provide BIM technology across its global operations, including all Bam projects in the UK, and launched a new project aimed at using BIM to improve the facilities management of a building once it is complete.

Cash said the firm鈥檚 focus on BIM had helped give it a market edge, including on the Google HQ job.

He added that the firm鈥檚 focus on innovation and technology had helped it to 鈥渂eat the market鈥�, with its revenue and profit holding steady amid the ongoing downturn. 鈥淲ith the market dropping the amount it has, even though we are level [with last year], we are actually beating the market because the market is falling,鈥� he said,

In its results for the year to 31 December 2012, Bam Construct鈥檚 revenue fell 3%, from 拢945.9m to 拢917.2m in 2012, while profit rose from 拢11.5m in 2011 to 拢13.9m. This firm鈥檚 pre-tax profit margin was 1.5%, up from 1.2% the previous year.

Cash said the firm鈥檚 turnover, which peaked at around 拢1.1bn at the height of the boom, had now levelled out, and he expected it to be 鈥渋n the 900 millions鈥� again this year. He said this year the firm hoped to boost profit, with margins to 鈥渟how a similar improvement鈥� as this year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting the right quality of work with the right risk profile. If you can do that and deliver a good product then the margin will follow,鈥� he said.

Meanwhile, Bam Nuttall, the engineering business, reported revenue of 拢730m, down from 拢809m in 2011, with pre-tax profit up 18% to 拢18.1m - giving the firm a pre-tax margin of 2.5%.

Bam Nuttall鈥檚 chief executive Steve Fox said the firm鈥檚 margin 鈥渆xceeds most competitors and places us among the top performing businesses in the civil engineering market鈥�. 鈥淥ur order book remains strong, vindicating our selective approach to work winning,鈥� he added.