Rising costs, mountains of red tape and the prospect of being hit for millions in liabilities: Ardmore’s woes hold a mirror to the industry
As the firm’s construction business goes into administration, the industry is left asking whether the burden of regulation, historic claims and low margins is making contracting an increasingly impossible business, writes Dave Rogers
A tale of two very different collapses: what Carillion (still) and Jerram Falkus tell us
Events more than a dozen years apart, show how fraught the building game remains for many, writes Dave Rogers
A year of change signalled national ambition, now we must think local to deliver success
Devolving greater power, trust and transparency to local authorities is not just a matter of administrative convenience, it is vital for effective public good, says Mark Robinson
The industry needs Lendlease to stick around because Mace and Multiplex can’t build everything
It is not good for anyone that some of the sector’s most high-profile projects are bid by just two firms, writes Dave Rogers
ISG’s collapse: a huge blow to construction that raises urgent and difficult questions
This is the biggest collapse to hit the sector since Carillion – as we absorb the grim news, people will want some answers and fast
Uh-oh. Co-op Live’s woes leave industry with familiar sinking feeling
When old men in their 90s have heard of the debacle, then things have gone really wrong. Problem is, people will think it’s the builders’ fault because that’s what people do, writes Dave Rogers
‘Get used to it.’ Can contractors’ hardening attitudes to risk be really much of a surprise?
Last year’s business failures have hit a nerve. Firms finally seem fed up with construction’s rough and tumble, writes Dave Rogers
Why are you still participating in the race to the bottom?
Procurement reform and clients who are prepared to use alternative price evaluation models are surely the way to improve the whole process and get the right bidder at the right price for a project, argues Rebecca Rees
Contractors and clients must work together to weather the inflationary storm
With industry output slowing, contractors can help clients to mitigate the impact of rising prices, says Scape’s Mark Robinson
‘Benny’s enthusiasm for construction was completely infectious’
As a rookie reporter Iain Withers scooped an interview with the then-retired McAlpine director Benny Kelly - here he remembers “construction royalty”
