Morgan Sindall's record result underpinned by investment in the future
Morgan Sindall Construction has made an important contribution to the Group’s financial success during 2021, with its consistent delivery of community-boosting projects across the UK. This has been reinforced by investment in ground-breaking research initiatives that cemented its position at the forefront of low carbon innovation within the construction industry.
2021 has been an excellent year for the Group, with a record set of results. Group revenue rose 6% from 2020, delivering an adjusted operating profit of £131.3m (FY 2020: £68.5m) on revenue of £3.2bn (FY 2020: £3.0bn). The Group reported a secured order book of £8.6bn, up 4% on the year end. With a strong balance sheet and net cash of £358m (FY 2020: £333m), the Group is confident of achieving another good year of progress in 2022.
Pat Boyle, managing director for Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Whilst 2021 continued to provide challenges for all of us working in the built environment, every obstacle we faced offered us the opportunity to explore ways in which we could use our capabilities and resources to find innovative and intelligent solutions for our customers.
“We have pushed ourselves and our industry partners to continually deliver better, greener buildings that support enhanced outcomes for all, while delivering game-changing research that will support our sector for years to come.
“It’s obviously pleasing to be able to report another strong financial performance, but the real success of our business comes from using our expertise to help the drive towards Net Zero. We are improving the economic and social wellbeing of communities across the UK and ensuring construction is an industry where anyone – regardless of background – can reach their potential.”
Investing in new research to lead industry change
During this period Morgan Sindall Construction not only focussed on successfully delivering a multitude of projects across the country, but invested in research that would help ensure the long term sustainability of the construction industry.
Launched in October 2021, the Circular Twin project involved digitally building a previous school project and reworking the scheme from start to finish so that each decision and design choice favoured a lower carbon outcome. The team collaborated with Scape, HLM Architects, Cundall and Lungfish Architects on Circular Twin. The project demonstrated whole life carbon savings of 67%, and utilised Morgan Sindall’s innovative and industry-leading CarboniCa carbon calculator and modelling tool.
Throughout this process, the project radically experimented with new working methods, notably adapting who was involved in design work and when, to form an early alliance of experts, with a shared goal to reduce the building’s Whole Life Carbon.
Circular Twin began in response to the climate emergency and is possibly the first in the construction industry to put into practice the strategies of the Construction Playbook and guidance from the UKGBC. It proves how the ultra-early alliance of designers, clients, contractor, and the supply chain leads to significant reduction in Whole Life Carbon for modest capital cost uplift.
Elsewhere, the company’s Gen Z report – published in partnership with developer HBD, and professional services consultancy Gleeds - explored the best way to attract, retain and develop the industry’s future-fit workforce, published by three leading businesses operating in the built environment: main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction,
It found that fewer than one-third of Generation Z would consider a career in the built environment, with 57% of females still put off the industry because of perceptions it is male-dominated, according to new research.
Morgan Sindall Construction's work across the UK
In tandem with this important investment to help future proof the industry, Morgan Sindall Construction continued to deliver signature projects across the country.
In the Central region, work started at the £44m Kenilworth Multi Academy Trust (KMAT), one of the biggest schools currently in construction in the UK. The new build will replace the current Kenilworth school and increase capacity by 400 places, paying testament to Morgan Sindall Construction’s commitment to delivering high-quality facilities and supporting growing towns and communities. Over the past five years, the main contractor has created over 65,000 student places at over 170 schools around the UK. Once complete in 2023, KMAT will join a long list of educational facility projects built by the contractor in the Midlands, including Castleward Primary School, Ravensdale Primary School, Hackwood Primary Academy and Rosecliffe Spencer Academy.
Major works have also been completed on two schools in the south coast, with a £9m extension at Calthorpe Park School in Fleet, Hampshire, and a new £9m Hillbourne Primary School in Poole, Dorset. The major extension was completed for Hampshire County Council four weeks early and will provide an extra 300 new places for 11-16-year-olds. In Poole, the newly completed two-storey Hillbourne Primary School is a modern fit-for purpose building with 14 classrooms, a practical room and learning resource centre, administration block, large hall with servery, a pre-school with a dedicated play area, two multi-use games areas and outdoor play areas including a purpose-built sports pitch. It features solar panels, mechanical ventilation in all classrooms, sprinkler systems and intelligent lighting.
In Scotland, the main contractor delivered an exciting £6m urban beach development on Dundee’s waterfront which included an active travel hub and interactive play area. The landmark 7,000 square foot urban beach is surrounded by bench seating and features illuminated footpaths to encourage all-day usage. Morgan Sindall Construction was also awarded a separate £1.7m contract earlier in 2021 to manufacture and install a striking stainless-steel whale sculpture. The site is seen as a key catalyst for the wider £1 billion regeneration of the city.
In the East of England, the Cambridge business was successfully appointed for the fourth time to Cambridgeshire County Council’s £150m Design & Build Contractor Framework. This framework is primarily aimed at delivering schools across the county, such as the £9.7 million Marleigh Primary Academy that’s currently being built on Newmarket Road in Cambridge.
The Eastern Counties business has continued a successful string of projects at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Great Yarmouth, with appointment to a third refurbishment project at the site. It is also progressing construction of the £26m Great Yarmouth Marina Centre.
Elsewhere in the East, the Essex business handed over three MMC focused school expansion projects as part of a £9.5 million scheme awarded under the ECF2 Framework. Other notable school projects in Essex include the completion of a comprehensive refurbishment and expansion project at Ramsden Hall Academy in Billericay and the start of work at the £5.5m new-build St Luke’s Park Primary School and Nursery in Runwell.
The London and Home Counties Business has been appointed by English Cities Fund (ECF) to deliver the Manor Road Quarter scheme, a £107.25 million, 34-story mixed use development in Canning Town. In Hertfordshire, the Northern Home Counties business has been selected to build the University of Hertfordshire’s new School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science (SPECS), a five-storey, 165,000 sq ft facility that will be delivered under the Southern Construction Framework (SCF).
Ongoing major work in the region includes the £35 million Kingsbrook Secondary School for Buckinghamshire Council, which is also an SCF project, and the City Centre Opportunities Site (CCOS), a redevelopment scheme won via the Pagabo National Framework. The Evelina London Children’s Hospital in London recently celebrated with a topping out ceremony at its new day treatment centre, as did the team at the £11m council housing development on Victoria Road, Portslade.
Elsewhere, the Yorkshire team’s work delivering a new Jewson Warehouse in Chesterfield resulted in significant social value benefits for the town underpinned by close collaboration with local groups. This region also began multiple projects in Leeds, including a new building at Horsforth School and Springwell Gardens, a 16-storey complex comprised of 223 one, two and three bedroom residential apartments.
In the North West, work began on the University of Salford’s North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC). The £16 million NERIC is part of the £2.5 billion Crescent masterplan, a 240-acre major regeneration scheme being delivered by the University of Salford, Salford City Council and development partner, The English Cities Fund – a strategic joint venture between Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England. This is the North West’s team second project as part of this development, in addition to ongoing work at the new £65 million Science, Engineering and Environmental Building (SEE Building).
During this period, work was completed on The Spine, the first Grade-A office building in the Liverpool City Region for more than a decade. It is also the highest in the city, sitting proudly at the eastern gateway to the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) Innovation District. The 160,000 square foot, 14-storey building, designed by architecture and building consultancy practice AHR, stands more than 500ft above sea level, commanding spectacular views across the city and as far as Snowdonia and the Pennines.
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