Silcock has left the firm after 14 years and has been replaced by Andrew Gatenby who first joined Simpson in 1998 as an assistant contracts manager.

His experience within Simpson spans construction, heritage and fit-out and he was instrumental in establishing the group’s development operation in 2020.

The senior leadership team has also been restructured, with Russ Allerton becoming contracts director, Mark Cregan assumes the role of construction director and Steve Pratt takes over as commercial director.

Silcock joined Simpson in 2007 becoming MD in 2017

A company statement said: “Neil had steered the company successfully in recent years, through some quite challenging times, now was the right time for him to move on and explore new opportunities.

“He left with our blessing and we thank Neil for the hard work and commitment he has given over the last 14 years.

“His departure gave us the opportunity to rethink how best to use the talents of the team to fulfill our expansion plans.  Otherwise, the team members remain the same – it’s just that we have re-distributed responsibilities to better reflect the shape and focus of the business as we plan for growth.”

Simpson – which has been trading since 1922 – turned over circa £60m in 2021.  With a strong order book across a diverse portfolio of projects, Simpson is currently targeting turnover of £70m this year.

Gatenby said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Simpson and I am honoured to be appointed as MD, as we seek to broaden our portfolio and expand the business.

“I am leading a company which has an excellent reputation and is renowned for winning repeat business from blue chip companies across diverse market sectors.

“I feel privileged to be surrounded and supported by a strong team who consistently deliver high quality projects and I have every confidence we will build further on our success.”