Tipped for greatness … | News

Company name	What it does	Nominated by …	Reason for nomination	Key financial data	Future plans
Byrne Group	The group comprises concrete frame contractor Byrne Brothers; Ellmer Construction; fit-out firm Chorus Group; and joinery specialist Touchwood	Benny Kelly, director of Sir Robert McAlpine	This is an organisation that is improving significantly, and has a good balance of divisions, such as contracting and fit-out	£148m turnover; operating profit £4.7m (year to May 2005). Turnover was £90.7m in 2000	Director Michael Byrne is on record declaring the group’s aim to break the £200m turnover barrier by 2009. Much of this will be driven by Ellmer, which is aiming to grow from £36m to £60m
Clancy Docwra	Construction services firm Clancy Docwra has four business units: building, rail, utilities, and civil engineering. There are also plant hire, housing and car park arms	Stuart Doughty, former chief executive of Costain	The company realises the way things are going in facilities management in terms of agreeing to long-term contracts	Turnover in the 12 months to March 2005 was £133m and pre-tax profit was £2m. Last September its order book stood at £450m. There are about 1300 staff in nine offices. Dermot and Kevin Clancy are the joint managing directors	The future looks rosy, with major contracts with Network Rail and London Tube consortiums Tube Lines and Metronet. It also expanded into Scotland last year, demonstrating its ambitions for geographic growth
Dean & Dyball	The Hampshire-based contractor has building, civil engineering and rail businesses. It owns most of its offices and plant and is unusually asset-rich by contracting standards	Rick Willmott, chief executive of Willmott Dixon	Dean & Dyball is up-and-coming. It has shaped up in the last year or so. Its turnover is up and it is building the Chelsea training ground	The chief executive, 38-year-old Adrian Dyball, is the second generation of that company to run it. Turnover was £185m in the year to September 2005 and pre-tax profit was £3.1m	Turnover is likely to hit at least £240m this year, and the company plans to grow 10-15% a year over the next five years, taking it close to £400m by 2011
Galliford Try	The company has a construction division that operates in 11 sectors, including ground engineering, infrastructure and rail, and a housebuilding firm	Tony Pidgley, founder of Berkeley Homes	It was a very small contractor once, but it is getting bigger, has a nice housing side and a well-controlled construction business. It also has a very bright young managing director	Turnover stands at £718m; pre-tax profit at £26m (year to 30 June 2005)	Galliford Try’s £42m purchase of Morrison Construction in March looks set to propel it into the big league. Turnover should rise to more than £1bn and Morrison gives it a strong PFI investment portfolio
Gavin Group	The Gavin Group has two key divisions, drylining and fit-out firm MPG Contracts and MPG Facades. Its clients include Bovis Lend Lease, Balfour Beatty and Carillion	Martin Tidd managing director of Multiplex UK	For their innovative thinking in overcoming waste and inefficiency between trades, such as drylining and electrical	Turnover was £45m in 2005, up from just £14m in 2002. Some £32m of the turnover came from MPG Contracts. Pre-tax profit in 2005 was £2.24m	Chief executive Michael Gavin said the five-year plan is to get to £100m turnover. The group has just launched diesel-powered scaffolding company Universal Sky Platforms, which will help fulfil its ambition of doing most work in-house
John Doyle	The group has four businesses: Doyle Construction; interiors contractor Ibex; new-build and fit-out contractor Bell Projects; and plant hire business Blythewood	Sir Stuart Lipton, founder of Stanhope and Chelsfield Partners	I like Stef Stefanou’s chaps. John Doyle is very solid, very knowledgeable. They have a particular interest in the technical sides of a project and their attitude is great. It’s a smaller version of Laing O’Rourke	In 2005, turnover was £135m and pre-tax profit stood at £3.7m	Last month Stefanou sold 78% of the business to his senior management and staff, but remains chairman. Chief executive Rob Johnson says that turnover will be £160m this year, with the objective being organic growth of 5-10% a year thereafter
Morris Homes	Housing in northern England, north Wales, East Midlands and West Midlands and a Milton Keynes-based southern division	Paul Pedley, chairman of housebuilder Redrow	Mike Gaskell, the managing director, started out on his own with the backing of a venture capitalist which he has now bought out. The company is already building 1200 units and has done good jobs	Gaskell led a £175m management buyout in 2004. Its turnover is £148m and operating profit is £35.8m (year to March 2005). The company has increased profit by an average of 51% since 2001. It built 1175 homes in the last financial year, up from 821	Turnover will be more than £200m when the latest results are posted with Companies House. A new social and affordable housing department will help it take advantage of the government’s housing growth plans
PC Harrington	This concrete specialist has four businesses: PC Harrington, HTC Plant, Slipform International and Structural Systems	Vaughan Burnand, chief executive of contractor Shepherd Construction	They have got a great opportunity to do good things	Turnover is £83m with pre-tax profit at £4.3m (year to May 2005)	The company should continue to grow quickly, thanks to recent contracts such as the £58m Bridgewater Place scheme in Leeds, the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester and the lack of competition in the sector