Last updated 20th February 2023
Seddon Group
Seddon Group, is a privately-owned construction business which recently marked its 125th anniversary. The company has strong positions in the social housing and care homes markets and works on more than 50 long term framework contracts and has a significant workforce with around 620 employees.
As a contractor, the group works on residential, industrial, healthcare and commercial schemes and in joint venture partnerships on developments. In 2021, the group’s £210 million turnover was split between construction £169 million and property development £41 million.
After a restructuring in 2013, Seddon Solutions was created – headed by managing director Jonathan Seddon – and which has now been renamed Seddon Group. Based in Bolton, Lancashire, the group’s core businesses cover construction, housing partnerships, property services, engineering services, painting & decorating and support services. A further restructure in 2021 involved the de-merger of Seddon Residential Holdings.
Meanwhile, the firm traditionally has a significant apprenticeship programme and took on 14 new entrants in 2022. Around 61% of the group”s contracting work is for repeat clients.
The group”s latest results point to improving overall profits and a strong work pipeline. Meanwhile, the group also pointed to the cash resources it has which give it the capacity to build its land bank for residential, healthcare and commercial property developments.
Financials
To view the financials for Seddon Group, visit Companies House and use Company ID 08461555.
The results for Seddon Group for the year to December 2021 show that the company put in a solid performance as the impact of Covid lessened. Group turnover rose to £209.7 million, up from £200 million previously. Group pre-tax profits rose to £8.5 million, up from £7.0 million previously. Continuing operations produced a pre-tax profit of £5.9 million, compared to a loss of £1.2 million. Meanwhile, the group retained a strong balance sheet with net assets of £51.9 million and year-end cash balances, net of overdrafts, stood at £15.9 million, down from 33.0 million.
Construction
With offices in Bolton, Birmingham, Stoke on Trent and Shotton, Seddon Construction”s services cover construction, housing partnerships, property services, engineering services and painting & decorating. The firm works across a wide range of sectors including housing, healthcare, education, commercial & retail, hotel & leisure, local authorities and heritage & ecclesiastical.
In 2021, the group”s combined contracting businesses reported a pre-tax profit of £2.1 million, against a loss of £2.5 million previously, on a turnover up 27% at £166.5 million. The business retained a strong work pipeline although an uncertain supply chain has meant it has faced delays in moving project forward. The group”s healthcare and commercial property developments reported a pre tax profit of £2. 6 million and various projects were sold during the year.
Recent key projects where the company has worked include the £50 million Sale West scheme, Greater Manchester’s biggest estate regeneration in over a decade. Seddon and Irwell Valley Homes have partnered to deliver 39 new homes for social rent, with a further 40 due for completion along with a £7m home improvements plan for the estate. Seddon is also leading a project across five sites in Salford that will involve building 235 new homes to Passivhaus standard for affordable, scalable housing.
During summer 2022, Seddon completed the construction of a £4.2m primary school in Castle Donnington for Leicestershire County Council. It also completed a £2 million regeneration of Stafford”s 224 year old Shire Hall library to create an enterprise centre.
In early 2021, Seddon led a £1.7 million refurbishment of Aston University’s laboratory facilities which forms part of an extensive campus redevelopment strategy. Seddon has also worked at nearby Birmingham University.
Meanwhile, Seddon delivered the initial base build phase of the new £6.4 million Eureka! Science + Discovery at Wirral on Merseyside.
Seddon has a strong position on frameworks. The company has a place on the SCAPE Framework, public sector partnership (Lot 1 – Midlands North West – Lower) and has delivered some 48 projects valued at up to £750,000 for clients including the University of Derby, Stoke on Trent and Derby city councils, High Peak Borough Council and Staffs Moorlands District Council and East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS.
Seddon is also on two frameworks for new build schemes. It is a member of the Delivery Partner Panel 3 (DPP3) used by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and other public sector bodies to speed the procurement of new homes in England.
The firm is also a preferred supplier by STAR Procurement, a shared procurement service between Stockport, Trafford and Rochdale councils and able to bid for works for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.
Seddon, is also on WM Housing Group’s new-build development framework in a five year £75 million framework with one of the largest housing groups in the West Midlands. It has also been appointed to housing frameworks for Stoke on Trent and Blackburn and Darwen BC”s growth framework.
Seddon’s Property Services also has a place on the Department for Work and Pension’s Estates Contractor Framework for the Midlands, North West and North Wales regions. The UK-wide framework includes its national network of Job Centre Plus offices, regional corporate centre offices and call centres.
Other businesses:
Seddon Housing Partnerships supplies affordable housing projects and works on joint venture developments with registered providers and uses the ID brand to drive sales. In recent years, the group has built more than 1,365 new homes and flats through a mix of tenures.
Seddon Care Partnerships delivers care projects and works on joint venture developments with care operators.
Seddon also has various joint venture companies including H& S Joinery and businesses in waste recycling and renewable energy.
Glenigan Data
Data from Glenigan points to a healthy pipeline of work at Seddon. It shows that Seddon is the main contractor on a £12.1 million scheme of 133 houses and 42 flats in Preston for Community Gateway Association where work is set to start in late spring 2023 and run for 20 months (Project ID 16291097). Glenigan data also shows that Seddon is main contractor on an £11 million project of 102 houses Rochdale for Hive Homes (Greater Manchester) where work is also due to start in spring 2023 (Project: ID 20511011).
Conclusion: A private company set to prosper as an independent
Although Seddon has made a good start to life as an independent company, project delays linked to Brexit and Covid have taken their toll in recent years. Yet the firm has enjoyed better trading in 2021 and after a restructuring of the senior contracting management team, the group appears to be making good progress on building its margins and maintaining a healthy order book. Its reputation and good track record, particularly in the education and social housing sectors should buoy up its workload. Medium term, the firm appears set to continue to benefit from growth in the affordable housing sector and its experience in regeneration in the North West.
Winning work with Seddon Group
Details of how to join Seddon’s supply chain are available on its website. The firm has arranged 26 ‘meet the buyers’ events since 2019 and has over 105 preferred trading agreements with key suppliers and manufacturers.
Seddon requires all its subcontractors to be certified by Constructionline to a minimum silver level standard and holdone of the SSIP certificates including ACCLAIM, CHAS, Safecontractor, SMAS. Would-be suppliers are then urged to join the supply chain by contacting Steve McCluskey or Kate Johnson.
Key Contacts
Kate Johnson, Supply Chain Coordinator
Tel: 01204 570400
Email: Kate.Johnson@seddon.co.uk
Steve McCluskey
Tel: 01204 570400
Email: Steve.McCluskey@seddon.co.uk
Mike Cross, Head of Pre-Construction at Seddon
Tel: 01204 570400