Major investment for construction company

A Shropshire building contractor is building a £200,000 office extension and investing a further £250,000 in new staff.

Pave Aways has revealed plans for a 25 per cent increase in its multi million pound revenue - targeting a £35m turnover in 2025 - underpinned by an expansion at its own headquarters at Knockin, near Oswestry.

It already employs more than 100 construction and administrative staff and is predicting a £28m turnover for 2017, up £3m from the previous year.

Pave Aways began life as a civil engineering company in 1973 focusing on groundworks and hard landscaping and constructing paths, drives and roads before it moved into the building construction sector.

A management buy out was initiated in 2011 when the firm’s turnover was just £13m. Its current order book includes an £8.3m new production facility in Telford for a manufacturer in the automotive industry, a £4.6m warehouse and production centre in Welshpool, projects worth £6.9m at Shropshire’s Concord College and school refurbishments for Telford and Wrekin Council worth more than £750,000.

Managing director Steven Owen said Pave Aways’ success was attributable to a number of factors.

“We believe a large part of our on-going growth is down to the long term relationships we develop with our clients. Often, we are taken on to do one job and then win contracts again and again based on the high quality of our work, the hands on approach of our directors, and our aftercare.

“For example, we've had relationships spanning years with organisations such as hospitals and health trusts and educational institutions such as Concord College and Harper Adams University, where we have been responsible for many of their high-profile new buildings.

“We joke that we build 'more than just pavements', which is what our name suggests. Our remit is now full building construction services but, as we have gathered a reputation based on our name, Pave Aways is definitely here to stay with an exciting strategy for sustainable growth.”

Steven added: “We have built up a reputation over the last 40 plus years for our reliability, innovation, and performance. This, coupled with our own financial stability and long term management strategy, places us way ahead of many of our competitors so I am confident we will reach our £35m turnover target within the next eight years.”

Picture: Pave Aways commercial director Victoria Lawson (left), construction director Jamie Evans (centre) and managing director Steven Owen (right) discuss ambitious expansion plans