Growth in demand for the services of one amble-based business with an annual turnover of £1.75 million has led to the creation of a spin-off company.
Now in its fourth year, specialist construction company, Smailes Construction Ltd (Smailes Construction), which works across high end residential and commercial projects, has announced the launch of Huxmar which managing director, David Smailes sees as a natural progression for the business.
Based on David’s vision, to change the perception of how construction projects should be delivered, Smailes Construction has swiftly developed a reputation for adopting a collaborative approach and delivering projects that exceed client expectation. He will apply this same vision to develop Huxmar as a sustainable business.
Huxmar, which is named after David and his wife Alison’s West Highland Terriers, Huxley and Marley, will focus on delivering bespoke kitchens, bathrooms and timber structures. Since its launch the company has secured a number of standalone contracts to design and deliver kitchens and is currently constructing two bespoke summer houses for clients in Northumberland.
According to Mr Smailes, there is a growing confidence generally in construction but particularly in the residential market and it is this which will also support the development of the new venture and the ongoing success of Smailes Construction. He said:
“I am delighted with the response we have had to Smailes Construction and also the feedback so far from clients when I have mentioned the launch of Huxmar. As a business we have team of highly skilled construction professionals. Rather than subcontract work to kitchen companies it soon became apparent that it was beneficial for both the client and the business if we were to supply and fit bespoke kitchens. This gives the client peace of mind dealing with one contact and allows us greater control of the supply and installation process which is totally in our hands and furthermore, provides greater value for clients.
“Thanks to our growing reputation we now find ourselves in a position to win work through negotiation rather than competitive tender. This clearly demonstrates that people understand what we are about as a business and that our collaborative approach provides both greater value and cost certainty on all projects that we undertake.
“Our team currently stands at 12 and whilst there is no immediate plan to create more jobs, I am confident that we will be looking to increase the team in due course and create another apprentice position, perhaps in the next six months.”
Smailes Construction is currently on site on a significant refurbishment project of a private dwelling in Cresswell Northumberland, working closely with architect Ged McCormack and recently completed the fit out of a store in Glasgow for niche fashion retailer, Four Marketing.