Over a century strong, Francis Construction builds long-lasting bonds one project at a time
From public sector projects and heritage works to large-scale industrial builds, Francis Construction can do it all. Founded over 130 years ago, the company remains a community-driven, family-first operation. As Managing Director, Will Barrett, details: “Francis Construction was established by the Francis family in the 1890s. It traded as a local contractor on a variety of small-scale projects all the way through to the 1960s, when the company changed hands, and became part of my family legacy. Around this time, the Francis brothers were facing challenging business headwinds and decided to sell the business. My grandfather, in partnership with my great uncle, bought Francis Construction assimilating it into their own business. They kept the name and moved operations into the Francis head office.
“We were based in Tilehurst, Reading for a long while after that. My father took over the business in the early 80s, nearly 100 years after it was first founded. I followed in his footsteps, becoming Managing Director in 2015 following seven years at a major national contractor. We still operate the joinery shop, using some of the specialist heritage machinery a well as state-of-the-art equipment, and we’re still in business with some of the company’s original clients and supply chain. One of our current projects is in partnership with a local stonemason A F Jones, who we’ve worked with consistently for decades. We recently found an invoice between the two businesses dated 1916, which shows just how long-lasting that particular partnership has been.
“Maintaining strong relationships with clients is one way we stay true to our roots as a family business. We enjoy working together and supporting one another in proper partnerships where all parties have a stake in the outcome. Our history provides the company with an unshakable foundation, so we can focus looking forward to the future. At the moment, we have an annual turnover of around £30 million, serving clients across a variety of sectors. Our work in education has been especially important, as it opens up a range of public sector contracts, including local authority education, primary and secondary schools, and special educational needs facilities which we see as fundamental outcomes for a successful society. Many of the founding values of the business has been built on the principles that education provides lasting societal impact.
“Our most recent project (just completed) was an SEN school for Wokingham Borough Council. Alongside that, we’ve been working on two smaller SEN schemes for Ealing Borough Council. Independent educational establishments are also a key focus; we’ve just finished three projects for a leading independent school, valued collectively around £8 million, which highlights how big the education sector has been for us.
“We also work within the commercial, industrial and office sector. We’re currently delivering a £15.5 million scheme for SEGRO in Slough; a 110,000 square-foot warehouse and production site, which makes it our biggest project ever in terms of scale and value.” Will was quick to highlight that, whilst Francis works on larger long-term projects such as this, it also takes on smaller jobs where speed, flexibility and delivery certainty are key, keeping it close to the original roots of the business.
Unique partnerships
Franics’ route to Carbon Net Zero is well developed and it is currently undertaking an office-block refurbishment at Oxford Business Park for ARC who are at the heart of the UK science and innovation clusters. “It’s been a busy time for the business. We’re working on our fifth building in a row for ARC. The refurbishment of these projects reflects the importance of sustainability and acknowledges the positive carbon benefits refurbishment provides over new build options.
“We’re also undertaking some work in the residential market, working closely with local councils to provide energy efficient, low-carbon housing. We’ve adopted
passive house principles for these projects, which will serve as affordable housing for housing associations and Local Authority social housing schemes. It’s been incredibly rewarding designing and delivering low carbon housing both in terms of during the build and in operation, leading to low operating costs for those most in need for generations.
“Adapting to different levels, materials, and specifications can be very challenging. The regulatory changes over the past five years have far exceeded the previous 20 years. I think it really speaks to the skill and dedication of our team that we’re able to be successful in so many different sectors at once.”
In the competitive world of construction, Francis Construction offers its clients a unique kind of partnership, as Will asserts: “Our long-term approach is what sets us apart. We build strong relationships with our clients, based on mutual respect and trust. Following the completion of one of our most recent projects, we returned some money back to the client. We had finished under budget, and met our margin expectations, so we were able to give some of their original investment back, as well as providing them with a completed project. It’s a way of showing them that as a business we prioritise partnerships over profit. We pride ourselves on the fact that over 94 percent of our business comes from repeat clients.”
Staying true to traditional values has allowed Francis Construction to endure for over a century. Will and his team take lessons from the past, to ensure the company’s future: “We’re not currently on a growth trajectory. Our focus is instead on providing good value to our clients. We want to be a consistent, reliable partner, who people want to come back and work with time and again.
“We’re always developing our ideas and deepening our knowledge of construction so that we can provide an even better service. Our team takes a very innovative approach, we’re always looking out for new technologies that can support our clients and improve outcomes. The stronger our partnerships, and the broader our offering, the stronger we will be against external challenges. Changing economies, material scarcity, labour shortages – all these factors can make or break a business. My goal is to future-proof Francis Construction, so we can keep doing what we do best, adding value to the built environment,” he concludes.