Top 25 contractors in FM by FM turnover

This table was drawn up in recognition of the large number of contractors carrying out infrastructure maintenance and management in the quest for longer-term income streams and better margins.

The top of the table is dominated by companies better known as big builders. Amec comes top, with a turnover of £850m, followed by Carillion with £556m and Balfour Beatty with £493m. None of the three has yet made the move to a support services listing, unlike three of the four companies directly below them – Jarvis, Tilbury Douglas and Amey. Amey makes the most compelling argument for the shift from contracting to facilities management because it makes by far and away the best margins – a whopping 14.7%.

However, whether the margins are sustainable is unclear. The evidence in rail maintenance is that they are getting tighter. However, the likes of Amey argue that the FM market has a long way to grow because more and more clients are choosing to outsource.