On 8th September more than 120 of Keltbray’s key stakeholders gathered at No.4 Hamilton Place in London to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary.
Clients, suppliers and other friends of the company came to hear Keltbray Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Brendan Kerr, say he was humbled and proud to address such an esteemed group of people; a testimony to what the Group has become: “Celebrating 40 years is a fantastic achievement, and it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the remarkable relationships we have built over the years with some many of our key clients, their representatives and our suppliers. I am so grateful for the loyalty and trust they have all placed in us over the years. Without it, Keltbray would not be where it is today!”
Keltbray was founded as a small earth and grounworks company in 1976 by friends, Howard Burden and David Ewens. Since then, it has grown to become a £350 million Group of companies that provide specialist services across the country. From groundworks, Keltbray has diversified into demolition, rail and environmental services, and recently launched its latest addition, Keltbray Structures, which is taking the Group into yet another specialist area in the form of reinforced concrete frames.
“I believe that our growth has been built on our ‘can do’ attitude, coupled with those family values that were there from the start and have always been at the core of our business,” continued Brendan Kerr.
In the history books, 1976 has been referred to as ‘The Golden Year of Britain’. The temperature topped 28 degrees for a record-breaking 22 days, crime rates were low, a print cost 32 pence and punk was born. But those who called it ‘The Golden Year’ seem to have forgotten about the strikes and 17% inflation.
As far as our industry was concerned, 1976 was far from being ‘The Golden Year’. Workplace fatalities stood at 650. Thanks to the Health & safety Act, which is also just over 40 years, and our collectively improving attitudes, our employees stay healthy longer, live longer and enjoy a much better work-life balance, and the fatality rate has dropped by 86%.
“Since joining Keltbray in 1989, I have seen extraordinary developments in technology that have helped us reduce risk and improve efficiency and safety. Looking ahead, I am optimistic and believe there is great potential for Keltbray to develop further, and that we still have many ‘Golden Years’ ahead of us. We have a great succession plan in place, and have invested heavily in plant and our people to future proof our business.
“As a former apprentice myself, I’m especially proud that we have employed 40 new apprentices to mark our 40th year, and that one on 17 of our people are an apprentice, intern or trainee. My journey with Keltbray has been a fantastic ride so far, incredibly rewarding in every sense, and I would do it all again tomorrow,” concluded Brendan Kerr.
ENDS
For more information, please contact Keltbray’s head of communications, Marit Meyer-Bell, on tel. 0786 765 3392 or by email to [email protected]
Keltbray Group
Keltbray Group is the UK’s leading specialist business, which offers engineering, construction, demolition, decommissioning, remediation, rail and environmental services. The company dates back to 1976, employs more than 1,000 people, and is a key player in developing and maintaining Britain’s built environment. Keltbray provides services to meet the needs of diverse and complex projects, and its well qualified people take pride in delivering projects safely and efficiently, on time and to budget, and with care for the environment and our communities. Keltbray has contributed to a range of high profile construction projects including The Shard, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stadium, St Pancras International, Crossrail, Earls Court and Battersea Power Station. For more information, see www.keltbray.com
