Building services firm faces future with confidence

Apr 3 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

A BUILDING services firm is positioning itself to take advantage of any improvement in the market after a difficult period which saw 50 staff made redundant and annual turnover fall.

The John N Dunn Group says that like most companies in the construction sector 2008 was an extremely challenging one, with the severe fall in new house building.

As a result the Newcastle-based firm cut its workforce to 400 and the company’s turnover to the end of March this year is expected to be down on the previous year’s figure of £50m.

However the family-run business has appointed Andrew Craig as the new managing director at its Newcastle division as well as creating a new commercial division headed by Ken Symonds as it positions itself for an upturn.

Chief executive Stephen Bilclough said: “Our performance for the last year is no reflection on the company it’s a reflection on the state of the market.

“It’s a very challenging market place at the moment with the key to success being to keep costs down.

“Having said that we have seen some signs of improvement in recent weeks with work starting on some housing schemes which had previously been mothballed and housebuilders seem to have had a better start to the year than previously expected.”

John N Dunn, which provides plumbing, heating, electrical and renewable energy services to the construction sector, was established in 1892.

It was bought by Stephen’s grandfather George in the 1950s and as well as its Newcastle headquarters it now has branches in Leeds, Scotland and Teesside.