Terry Chapman, the former managing director of Schal, Carillion's construction management subsidiary, has bought a project management business.

Chapman, who quit Schal in April last year after a failed attempt at a management buyout, has bought Queensbrough project management from its founder and sole owner, Paul McNamarra.

Queensbrough is 20 years old and employs 25 people. Chapman declined to reveal any financial details of the deal or the business, although he is understood to have invested his own money and raised debt from banks to finance the deal.

The company is predominantly focused on private sector work within commercial planning, planning supervision, construction management and value engineering.

Its clients include blue chip companies such as Dell, Woolworths, Guinness and Unilever.

Chapman's co-directors will be Richard Langedijk and Simon Hurley, who have been at Queensbrough for five and 10 years respectively.

The company is based in London but staff tend to work at clients' premises around the country.

Queensbrough has all the right ingredients for sustainable growth

Terry Chapman

Chapman said his ambition was to grow the staff to 50 people over the next three years. He added that each staff member would be looking to bring in about £100,000 in fees annually.

McNamarra is staying on for a transition period as an adviser before retiring.

Chapman said: "After my bid for Schal was turned down, I decided I wanted to own my own business and do my own thing. Queensbrough has all the right ingredients for sustainable growth."

Chapman joined Schal from Mace in 1999 and was operations director before becoming managing director in February 2003.