Long term framework deals and increased in-house expertise are paying off for civils contractor Barhale.

Latest results for the year to 30 June 2025 show turnover up to £236m from £176m last time while pre-tax profit jumped to £13.5m from £8.4m.

Chief executive Martin Brown said developing deep client relationships and increasing in-house capabilities, through the acquisition of designer ESL and investment in additional MEICA expertise set the foundations for growth.

He said: “Our close collaboration with existing clients has allowed us to build a strong track record and winning their confidence in our ability to deliver. This trust has fuelled repeat business and growth, and we are now focused on earning the same level of trust and confidence with our newer clients.

“We are four years into our five-year rolling plan. We have worked closely with clients and listened to them very carefully throughout to ensure that we right-size and right-shape the business to meet their requirements.

“While in previous years we have prioritised the building blocks of cost control, risk management and progressive assurance during the construction stage, over the last year we have seen the benefits of our investment in expertise and in developing genuine end-to-end capability.

“For example, the acquisition of ESL has allowed our engineering and construction teams to be truly integrated at  the earliest stages of the design process. It’s resulted in more cost certainty, significant risk reduction on complex works and innovative, lower cost  solutions which benefit both our business and our clients.

“Health, Safety, Environment and Quality is still very much at the top of our agenda. To support our recent growth, we have made a significant investment to bolster our HSEQ teams through the appointment of regional heads of safety and quality coaches.

“This very much complements the investments we have made in recent years in people plant interface technology including Human Form Recognition and cloud-based monitoring software installed on our civils machinery.”

Barhale has recently announced the launch of a Low Carbon Solutions specialism with a particular focus on heat network solutions in both the UK and North America.

Brown said: “We see a real opportunity to make the most of the synergies between our principal operations and the emerging low-carbon marketplace which will enable us to utilise our designers, engineers and specialist machinery within both industries.

“Looking ahead, we are focused on positioning the business to make the most of the opportunities arising from increased investment in the water industry through AMP8. We are confident this will enable us to maintain growth in line with our plans.

“The leadership team is now developing the business plan for the next five years where we will reflect and learn how we can further improve commercial performance and key business drivers like HSEQ to meet our clients’ requirements.

“Building and maintaining our long-term relationships with our client base has been at the heart of our successfully securing AMP8 framework contracts UK-wide. These contract awards have translated into a very strong current order book of £1.85bn.”