Boxall Sayer, the quantity surveyor, has reported healthy results with a 19% rise in pre-tax profit, a 21% increase in turnover and an order book that has doubled in value to £2bn.


Clive Sayer: Merged practice can now beat premier league opposition

Clive Sayer: Merged practice can now beat premier league opposition


The results for the 12 months ending 31 December mean that the practice, which is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, has nearly trebled turnover in the five years since it was founded out of a merger between Boxall and Alex Sayer.

In 2000, the combined practices had a turnover of £1.1m, which has now risen to £3.1m, with a pre-tax profit of £750,000. The number of staff has also doubled since the merger in July 2000.

Chairman Clive Sayer said: "Five years ago, Boxall and Alex Sayer were two smallish firms languishing in the second division of the QS league.

"Today, after a successful merger and the implementation of a tough business plan Boxall Sayer is a 50-strong practice capable of winning against premier league opposition."

The company was named best all-round QS by Building's sister publication QS News at the magazine's 2005 awards.

Paul Hurford, the managing director, added that last year's growth had been based on acting as lead consultant on contracts as well as working in the life-cycle, risk management, due diligence, PFI advisory and due diligence markets.

Boxall Sayer's order book at the end of 2005 was £2bn, up from £1.1bn in 2004.

Boxall Sayer can win against premier league opposition

Clive Sayer, Boxall Sayer

As a PFI adviser it has worked on the £350m Whipps Cross Hospital scheme in east London, the £240m "northern batch" of NHS schemes, and the £800m Watford Health Campus.

The scheme in Watford, Hertfordshire, is due to be officially launched today, and is likely to include redevelopment proposals for at least part of the nearby Vicarage Road football stadium.

Hurford said that schemes such as these were likely to mean that turnover and pre-tax profit should increase by about 20% in 2006.

Next month the practice will open a four-man office in Manchester, headed by regional director Daniel Rhodes.

The company has had a presence in the city since 1929, when Boxall took on food producer HJ Heinz as a client.

Andy Welch, who heads the life-cycle and risk management team, is also to be promoted to the company's main board next month.

The 2005 results will be posted with Companies House later in the year.