How Ernest Park is setting new standards and redefining the future of construction
Delivering complex and challenging projects across the UK, Ernest Park (EP) is primarily a project delivery company based in Watford, London. Established in 2014, EP has gained a strong reputation for providing an unrivalled level of expertise in advice, quality, and delivery across five core services: main contracting, management contracting, construction management, specialist trading and development partners, encompassing various industry sectors.
Owned by Joint Managing Directors, Michael Devereux and Neilus McCarthy, who join us to expand on EP’s evolution and project portfolio, EP’s founding story is one based on friendship. “I’m a quantity surveyor by training and Neilus is a project manager, and we’ve been friends since the early 1990s when we both worked in a local supermarket in our hometown of Castleisland in County Kerry, Ireland,” Michael opens. “Over our careers, we’ve both worked in different positions for several companies and developers of various sizes, and it was around 2012 that we started to talk about starting our own business. We decided to go for it, and we were awarded one contract on a main contracting basis, but fast-forward to today and we’ve completed over 70 projects and have a team of more than 80 employees.”
EP has completed a range of projects across six sectors of the built environment: residential, commercial, retail, leisure, heritage, and industrial. “Although we’ve mainly worked on residential construction or refurb projects in recent years, our projects vary between industries and in terms of value; our smallest current project is £105,000 whereas our current largest is £90 million,” Michael explains. “To uphold our reputation for quality, we’re careful not to overstretch ourselves and work on no more than five projects from a main contracting perspective at any one time, to ensure we remain hands-on throughout the process.
“We’ve expanded our capabilities by vertically integrating some of our own subcontracting companies to enable us to self-deliver substantial elements of our projects. EP is the main contracting company, but we also operate three other businesses: Switch Technologies, a mechanical and electrical company; EP Masonry, an expert brickwork contractor; and Ryker Structures (Ryker), which provides structural alterations and reinforced concrete (RC) frames.”
Award-winning projects
In terms of projects, EP has completed several complicated projects, particularly in Central London. “Our first ever project, The Artisan 1 and The Artisan 11-13, on Goodge Street, saw us convert existing commercial and retail space into luxury apartments,” Neilus shares. “The Artisan 1 was awarded the New Homes Grand Prix and Best Conversion awards by London Evening Standard in 2016, as well as Best Residential Redevelopment at the UK Property Awards. As a bespoke and high-end development with exceptional finishes, this project and its subsequent awards are testament to EP’s approach to project delivery and execution.
“We’re currently involved with a spectacular build-to-rent residential project, Finchley Road, for a private client, which will deliver three new-build, multi-storey residential towers comprising 22 apartments and commercial space on the ground floor. We were approached for this project after the private developer attempted to build it themselves, and although we’re a young company, I knew we had the capabilities and technical design expertise to take it on. We’re not afraid to make bold decisions, so we leaned on our internal self-delivery capabilities to take on the rest of the project on a management contracting and specialist trading basis.
“Finchley Road, which was designed by architect Amin Taha, uses stone as the external cladding and exoskeleton, and we’ve purchased around 900 pieces of stone from quarries in Italy and Norway to achieve the desired stone finish. The building will be the UK’s first ten-storey loadbearing self-finished stone structure without steel reinforcing threads or secondary structure since the last stone cathedrals were built. Everyone who visits Finchley Road, from PhD students to sustainable construction researchers, is impressed by the building. I’m confident the project will go on to win several awards for its architecture, and we’re proud to have played such a central role in delivering this project.”
Michael adds: “We’ve recently completed a smaller version of this stone structure for the same architect and engineer, on the Design Museum’s Future Observatory Stone Demonstrator in Earls Court to champion future construction methods. We’ve worked through the entire process with them and it’s a great platform for repeat work recommendations and showcasing viable sustainable construction solutions.”
Impressive portfolio
Known for delivering complex projects, EP has recently broken ground on its single largest project to date: a £90-million contract to deliver 492 apartments, shared residential amenities, and extensive commercial space in Basildon, Essex, for Orwell Real Estate. “While we’re sensible about how we operate the day-to-day business, we think of ourselves as cautious risk takers,” Michael shares. “We have an appetite for medium risk and we’re not afraid to take on new things if we’re confident we have the capabilities and people to pull it off. The Basildon project is a perfect example of this, and we’re excited about doing something different to anything we’ve ever done before.”
Prioritising people
While project delivery is inevitably a fundamental focus for EP, Michael and Neilus are equally passionate about operating a diverse, people-first company with a strong reputation. “We want to be an honest, open, and transparent business for both our customers and employees, with a positive culture that translates to somewhere people genuinely want to work,” Neilus confirms. “We’re a very collaborative team both internally and externally, and we champion clear communication throughout a project to build a foundation of trust with our clients.”
As our conversation closes, the pair turn to what’s next for EP, with 2026 set to bring a record turnover of £40 million. “We’ll continue to grow the business steadily and expand our client base, and I’d love to see EP in a position to take on our own development projects in the future,” Michael says. “This industry is constantly changing with sustainability demands, new construction methods, and innovative technologies, and we must embrace these developments to drive greater efficiency and benefits for the business, our people, our supply chain and the communities in which we operate.
“Having built some strong relationships, we want to continue doing repeat work while also being selective to ensure projects are a right fit for the direction of the company,” he concludes. “Neilus and I come from humble beginnings, and we still have so much more to learn as business owners. As we grow, we’re both passionate about growing the next generation, providing our employees with more opportunities and responsibilities, while continuing to deliver excellent projects that ‘wow’ clients.”