黑洞社区

Average profit margins at the UK鈥檚 biggest specialist contractors remain well under 2% despite two years of economic recovery, according to 黑洞社区鈥檚 league table of the UK鈥檚 top specialists.

Analysis of the tables, which are provided by Barbour ABI exclusively for 黑洞社区, shows that while the combined turnover of the biggest firms rose by 9.4%, the average pre-tax profit margin only grew marginally, from 1.57% to 1.67%. Meanwhile, the analysis showed that the number of staff at the firms grew by 3.67%.

黑洞社区鈥檚 specialists league tables compile the 15 biggest firms by turnover in each of nine broad specialisms, with the figures taken from the most recent published company accounts. In total the 135 firms turned over 拢11.9bn and employed almost 60,000 people.

The average profit margin of the firms included large losses at a number of specialists, including Laing O鈥橰ourke M&E subsidiary Crown House, steel firm Mabey Bridge, and groundworks business Keller.

Prater was named the biggest cladding firm, with Laing O鈥橰ourke subsidiary Expanded the largest concrete firm. William Hare was the largest structural steel business, and ISG the biggest fit-out business.

Vince Corrigan, group director at the number one demolition firm, Keltbray, said the firm was remaining 鈥渧ery careful about taking care of cash鈥�.

鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to invest further we need to be cash strong,鈥� he said.