Thriving building firm lays foundations for the future

Castle's technical director, Simon Groom, managing director, Andrew Dawson and CEO, Tony Lister, with members of the senior management team.

A South Tyneside-based building firm has laid firm foundations for next year – and named a new management team.

Castle is looking at a record forward order book of £110m for 2024 and this coincides with the completion of a scheduled management buyout and confirmation of the firm’s board of directors.

Co-founder of the Hebburn-based firm, Tony Lister, is chief executive, managing director is Andrew Dawson and technical director is Simon Groom.

All three are existing board members and have been responsible for the strategic direction of Castle for many years.

Castle's technical director, Simon Groom, managing director, Andrew Dawson and CEO, Tony Lister.

The restructure sees the retirement of director Allan Carr, who launched the business with Mr Lister in 2002, and David Harland. who had been with the company for 15 years.

The firm employs 180 people in Hebburn, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Teesside, having taken on 32 new staff this year.

It is one of the UK’s leading providers of building services, offering a wide range of high-quality engineering, and contracting services covering all aspects of

construction, mechanical, public health, renewable and electrical engineering.

Mr Lister said: “The company wishes to extend its gratitude to Allan Carr and David Harland for their significant contributions over the past two decades.”

Mr Dawson said: “We’ve had a very strong year and have also put in place a clear, forward strategy, that we are very confident will deliver exceptional, sustainable, growth.

"We are set to increase our turnover in the next 24 months. Our board of directors and senior management team have been in place for many years, ensuring stability, consistency, and certainty.

“Essentially, its business as usual.”

The firm has been appointed to a range of principal contractor roles, including the state-of-the-art Pragmatic Park electronics facility in Durham and the refurbishment of the St George’s House and Maingate buildings on Gateshead’s Team Valley Trading Estate.

Last year also saw the firm renamed – from Castle Building Services to Castle – and it was named SME of the Year at the Constructing Excellence North East Awards.

Mr Groom, said: “The winning of the SME award was a real confidence boost for the business. It was official confirmation that the strategy the firm is delivering is viewed by the industry as being well managed and sustainable.”