Bucknall Austin firmly back in the game with Taylor as new director

Bucknall Austin has produced a healthy profit despite being rescued from administration only two years ago.

The firm has achieved an operating profit of £652,000 on a turnover of £18m and managed to put £202,000 towards staff bonuses. It expects to report an operating profit of more than £1m within 12 months and £2m within two years.

Bucknall Austin was formed in early 2003 after David Bucknall bought Citex Project Services from the firm’s administrators. In the firm’s first year it made a meagre £42,000 from a £15.8m turnover.

Bucknall founded Citex but left the company in 1998.

He revealed plans to recruit sixty new people in the next three years, to boost the company’s 290-strong staff. “I want to bring through a squad that will recreate the team of the past,” said Bucknall.

He recently hired Lance Taylor as a director and is also looking to appoint a corporate director, who is likely to come from within the firm.

Taylor, who has worked for GVA Grimley, PCM and Tarmac, is responsible for business growth.

Bucknall said: “We had great deliverers but we had to get rainmakers. We need to lead with people who are customer focused. That’s why we are bringing in people like Lance. We are now concentrating on two things: improving profits and strengthening the team.”

The firm is pioneering what it calls the “young board”, which comprises junior members of staff who are encouraged to contribute to the running of the business.

Bucknall Austin’s customer base splits into 60% private sector clients and 40% public sector clients. Bucknall said 90% of the company’s work is repeat business and he aims for “top quartile” clients only. Clients include Land Securities, the prison service, a number of companies working in the Thames Gateway area and Tesco. Bucknall said his firm was now Tesco’s “preferred supplier”.

The company will continue to concentrate on quantity surveying, building surveying and project management. It has offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Thames Valley and Welwyn Garden City.

Bucknall Austin posted after-tax profit of £443,000 on a turnover of £27m for the 14 months to 30 April 2004.