Top 30 M&E contractors set for growth – ranking

Aaron Morby 3 years ago
Share

The country’s leading M&E contractors have weathered the pandemic suffering an average revenue fall of just 4% among the top 30 specialists.

Most are now looking forward to a return to revenue growth even in the face of unpredictable market conditions around labour and availability of air source heat pumps in particular but also sprinkler pumps and transformers.

The challenging trading environment did see a few casualties over the last 12 months with the collapse of MechFS and Kershaw Mechanical Services, which had been trading since 1954.

Newcomers to the top 30 include: Ark Mechanical & Electrical Services, Haydon M&E and J S Wright.

Major firms are looking toward growth in data centres, logistics hubs, infrastructure and multi-storey housing as well as an awakening of the office market revived by the return to work.

Ranking Building services scontractor Revenue £m
2021 2020 2021 2020
1 1 NG Bailey £507m £573m
2 2 Imtech £355m £425m
3 5 T Clarke £327m £232m
4 4 Enerveo £304m £306m
5 7 Briggs & Forrester £234m £223m
6 3 Crown House £218m £315m
7 14 Vital Energi £196m £137m
8 8 SPIE £193m £191m
9 6 Skanska Rashleigh Weatherfoil £180m £230m
10 12 SES £159m £146m
11 11 Phoenix £154m £209m
12 9 Gratte Brothers £152m £181m
13 10 Dodd Group £142m £160m
14 13 Michael J Lonsdale £133m £140m
15 NEW Ark Mechanical & Electrical £105m £74m
16 16 Dornan Engineering £99m £91m
17 18 Essex Services Group £86m £85m
18 26 Derry Building Services £77m £60m
19 17 Borough Engineering £72m £86m
20 28 CMB Enginering £71m £57m
21 21 King & Moffatt UK £65m £63.5m
22 29 LJJ £65m £54m
23 27 Cilantro £64m £58m
24 24 HE Simm £62m £62m
25 NEW JCA Engineering £61.5m £52m
26 25 Dowds Group £61m £61m
27 NEW Haydon ME £59m £56m
28 15 Designer Group £57m £104m
29 30 Swiftline Engineering £52m £51m
30 NEW J S Wright £52m £37m

Paul Connolly, Head of M&E Services & Technical Director at Mace Group predicts 2024 will be “the start of a buoyant market in London in particular for M&E contractors as we are currently see early stage works commencing on a number of major schemes and the M&E works will follow over the next 12- 24 months.”

Some of the present market uncertainty is being lessened by clients seeking to engage M&E firms earlier in the procurement process.

Connolly added: “Clients are now seeking early advice by RIBA Stage 2, which gives engineering contractor ample opportunity to influence designs as well as some visibility of long-term workload.”

Terry Hussey, Board Director at Phoenix ME, said: “We have a number of opportunities where we have been involved from Stage 2 as opposed to Stage 4 and this has enabled us to manage client expectations on costs and buildability, but also to help with securing major plant in the future – this is key as we are seeing some equipment on six month lead times as the manufacturers are struggling to make up for Covid lockdowns.”

(The Top 30 is compiled for Construction Enquirer by Gokhan Hassan, Managing Director at Chartered QS practice, GHCS)

Latest news

Ridge buys rival consultant Jubb

Acquisition will see 100 new staff join Ridge
1 hour ago

Enabling works to start £130m Huyton town centre regen

Phase one includes a new council HQ, hotel and 72 flats
2 hours ago

Grainger build to rent pipeline rises to £1.4bn

Rental specialist buys sites in Sheffield and Cardiff to build 600 rental homes
2 hours ago

Kier wins Cambridgeshire County council estate upkeep

Firm will provide building and M&E services to 106 buildings across the county
1 hour ago

Louvres and solar shading specialist files for administration

Hampshire based ALPS lodges court notice after 25 years in business
2 hours ago

Speedy Hire posts a loss in latest results

Hire giant confident of better performance in next six months
2 hours ago

Esh to lead next phase of Riverside Sunderland regeneration

Infrastructure work will allow further development of Sheepfolds area
1 hour ago

Green light for £1.3bn Edinburgh coastal town revamp

First phase of Granton Waterfront scheme will see Cruden Homes create a new community
19 hours ago

Vistry chief operating officer steps down

Earl Sibley exits as his COO role axed for more direct reporting to CEO
1 day ago

House builder Camstead goes into administration

Work stopped on three current sites
2 days ago

Death of piling legend Roger Bullivant

Industry innovator dies after long illness aged 85
1 day ago

ESS Modular went down owing suppliers £7m

Modular specialist owned by ISG owner Cathexis
1 day ago

Builders back farmers in inheritance tax protest

"A rethink is desperately needed" say National Federation of Builders
1 day ago

Willmott Dixon wins £36m leisure centre upgrade

Work to start on historic Westminster 1930s Grade II listed Seymour Centre
1 day ago

Graham wins £100m Cardiff Crossrail phase 1

Work on route to Cardiff Bay to start before end of next year
2 days ago

Laing O’Rourke appoints new European MD

Peter Lyons to take-up new role in February
3 days ago

Profits dip at Stepnell ahead of demerger

Turnover and secured workloads up ahead of restructure
3 days ago

HS2 green bridge deck takes shape

100m-wide wildlife bridge to carry hedgerows and country lane over HS2
2 days ago

1,000-home Wolverhampton city centre scheme in for planning

ECF and council advance City Centre West build to rent scheme
3 days ago

Sisk clinches £54m North London council HQ revamp

Haringey's iconic Grade II listed civic centre to be brought back into use
3 days ago

Ofgem approves £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1

Work to start next Spring on cable project from Scotland to the north of England
3 days ago

Anglian Water hunts for £1bn delivery partner

Programme delivery partner wil integrate with client team over 15-year plan
3 days ago

Hadden collapse costs supply chain £6.7m

"Highly unlikely" subcontractors will receive anything for their unpaid invoices
3 days ago

Management buyout at M&E specialist

£25m turnover Kimpton in second MBO in its 60-year history
3 days ago

BAM finalises £71m deal to replace first major RAAC school

Work to start on new St Leonards Catholic School in Durham
3 days ago

Scaffolder hit by two tonne weight at nuclear plant

Court hands out £633,000 in fines after Dungeness B decommissioning incident
3 days ago

Go-ahead for 860,000 sq ft East London medical campus

Whitechapel Road scheme of six new and repurposed buildings
3 days ago

Site labour rates hit record high as cost inflation returns

Industry's biggest payroll firm says rates rose nearly 5% last month in London
6 days ago

Morris & Spottiswood acquires part of ISG fit-out division

ISG Cathedral acquisition saves 111 jobs and expands presence across England
7 days ago

New work drives Q3 construction output uplift

Third quarter activity up 0.8% despite slowdown in September
6 days ago

Contractor services