Ridge on the lookout in the North

The multi-disciplinary firm is hoping to buy a small project management and QS company of 10 to 20 staff to get a foothold in the region.

The company has five offices, in Bristol, Leicester, London, Oxford and Reading.

Phil Jones, senior partner at Ridge, said: “Recruitment is difficult, so we have to do a mix of acquisitions and hiring. We are tentatively looking at buying something in the North West.

We only do business as far north as Leicester at the moment.”

He said the firm would also up its graduate recruitment efforts: “We are looking at potential sponsorship deals for students on construction courses and we are also looking at sponsoring non-cognate students to do conversion courses. We have been doing this for a while but we want to take a more disciplined approach now and take on around six graduates a year.”

In July Ridge bought Alan Dines Partnership, a 12-strong Reading-based QS, PM and architecture company. The Alan Dines team has moved into Ridge’s Reading office and founder Alan Dines joined as a consultant.

Ridge has been appointed by law firm Manches to provide QS services for the relocation of its Oxford city centre office to the Oxford Business Park (pictured).

Jones said Ridge was on target to reach a £14.5m turnover for 2005. Last year’s turnover was £12.8m.

Ridge moved from partnership to LLP status at the start of the year.