Last updated 16th February 2023
PDR Construction
PDR Construction went into administration on 17 January 2022. Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery were appointed Joint Administrators of P.D.R Construction Limited and all trading operations were reported to have ceased.
PDR Construction is a privately-owned group set up in 1992 which has grown to be one of the largest independent construction firms in the north of England. Based in Hessle, near Hull, the company also has an office in central London and works across a wide range of sectors, having forged strong links with hotel groups such as Travelodge and Premier Inn as well as discount retailers such as Bestways and Lidl.
PDR puts its success down to familiarity with client markets and on practical insider knowledge; having built out projects worth £0.6 billion, it now works across the UK with a turnover of around £83 million. After a tough recession and a reorganisation, the company has recently seen better times although Covid – with attendant site closures and delays – took its toll on the group”s latest results. These showed a higher turnover but an operating and pre-tax loss (see below).
However the firm has a healthy order book of repeat business and is also winning new work from a growing number of blue chip clients and developers.The company employs around 115, up from 95 a year ago.
In its latest annual report published in early 2021, the group said it had already secured in excess of £60 million of turnover for 2020/21 and it was targetting the same for the following year. As a management contractor, it could scale operations up or down as required.
In recent years, PDR has expanded in Greater London and Adam Thompson was appointed as construction director as the group seeks to grow in the South East.
Financials
To view the financials for PDR Construction, visit Companies House and use Company ID 02772148.
PDR”s might not have met its expectations but it grew revenues in the year to end-April 2020. Turnover rose to £82.7 million from £69.8 million previously. However the firm reported an operating loss of £351,853, compared to a profit of £372,011 previously, which left it nursing a pre-tax loss of £0.354 million, compared to a profit of £0.64 million previously. Despite the losses, the group”s accounts showed cash at bank rose to £7.03 million from £5.6 million previously.
Sectors
PDR works across a wide range of sectors including education, offices, residential, retail, non-food retail, automotive, industrial, blue light, health care, hotels & leisure, social housing, civil engineering, student and accommodation.
The company has worked widely for Lidl and is on a national framework agreement for the retailer and has also worked regularly for Aldi. In Leeds, PDR completed the 52,000 sq ft Belgrave Retail Park in Stanningley, near Leeds, where the firm worked in partnership with Lidl to regenerate a former industrial site.
In early 2021, PDR started work on a new motor retail project in York for client JCT600 Properties which involves a Volvo showroom being converted into a new Porsche Centre. The 6,000 sq/ft showroom is close to the city centre and is the firm”s third Porsche Centre project in the past three years.
In the commercial sector, PDR started work in autumn 2020 on an office/warehouse project at Melton near Hull for AT Little & Sons to create a new head office and distribution centre for Browns Books, a leading supplier of educational books. The two-storey, 44,000 sq ft building provides space for growth with 120 car parking spaces for staff.
Further south, PDR completed a new 60-room Travelodge Hotel & Greggs Cafe at the Blackwater Retail Park in Maldon, Essex in autumn 2020 for client Aquila Holdings.
Meanwhile, in spring 2020, PDR’s London office won a contract to delivering new retail units for Reef Estates in Croydon involving new units for Aldi, Smyths Toys in a scheme which will be delivered over a number of phases.
PDR Construction has also worked recently on a significant contract to build a new £16 million flagship head office for Hull-based safety equipment supplier, Arco, a leading company in the city. The scheme is part of the £80 million regeneration of Hull”s waterfront Fruit Market area, involving developer Wykeland Group..
Glenigan Data
Data from Glenigan points to a busy and varied workload at PDR Construction. It shows that the group is the main contractor on a new £3.73 million office and distribution centre for Wykeland Group, the Redcliff Road Commercial Development where work started in autumn 2020 and is set to continue for eight months (Project ID: 20074957). Glenigan data also shows that PDR Construction is the main contractor on a £4.8 million supermarket/restaurant scheme at the former Bridlington coach park where Hargreaves Property Ventures is a client and work started in late 2020 and is set to run for nine months (Project ID: 15045529).
Conclusion: Back on track and maintaining its workload
Following some difficult years and despite dipping into the red in 2019/20, PDR seems to be largely back on track and is maintaining a healthy workload. The firm”s reputation appears to be extending beyond its home patch and it should benefit from a wider geographical spread. That said, the firm retains a strong regional base and its links with key clients such as the discount supermarket groups, luxury car groups and in the care home market should enable it to maintain momentum in uncertain times.
Winning work with PDR Construction
PDR has policies on quality, customer care, environmental and equal opportunities which can all be seen on its website http://www.pdrconstruction.co.uk/
The company is part of the Considerate Contractor scheme and is a member of the British Safety Council.
Would-be suppliers and sub-contractors interested in working with the group are advised to send details to info@pdrconstruction.co.uk and mark them for the attention of the Estimators.
Estimating Director is Darren Kilvington
Email dk@pdrconstruction.co.uk
Tel: 01482 644444
Commercial Director is Nigel Weatherall, based in Hull
Email nw@pdrconstruction.co.uk
Tel: 01482 644444