Firm set for record turnover despite the economic gloom

Feb 13 2008 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

Alistair Houghton meets PETER LINFORD, director at Liverpool’s Nobles Construction

IN THIS era of the credit crunch and financial market uncertainty, many construction firms are sounding at best cautious and at worst plain downbeat.

But Peter Linford, director at Liverpool’s Nobles Construction, is confident not only that his firm will ride out the credit crunch, but also that it will within months see record turnover levels.

The company has secured new contracts worth more than £3m and has a further £13.5m worth of projects due to start before the end of the first quarter of this year.

Just last week Nobles, which employs 45 people, was named as preferred bidder on a new £4.5m school project.

And the business is even on the acquisition trail, with a takeover set to be completed within weeks.

Linford says Nobles’ contract success gives it short-term stability and says he is very confident this will be a great year for the company.

“We need to ride out the next 12 months and wait for the economy to settle down,” he said.

“We’re fortunate that we’ve got £13.5m of contracts due to start in the next couple of months. That should see us through the next 12 months reasonably comfortably.

“We’ve got other bids out there which if we secure them would increase our turnover to over £20m, which would be the highest we’ve ever done.

“It would be ironic if in the 12 months that people were most concerned about the economy slowing down we surpassed our turnover expectations.”

Linford will not reveal the name of his firm’s takeover target, but says it is based in Lancashire and would allow Nobles to expand further into the North-West.

He said: “At the moment, we probably go as far north as Southport, and they probably go that far south. It would enhance our geographical area.

“But it also has a very good tender list, including local authorities in Lancashire as far as Blackpool. They are on the procurement lists for those authorities, which are hard to get on to.

“The company would keep its own name but it gives us exciting opportunities.”

Nobles was founded in 1994 by Dave Shaw and the Nobles family, then best-known for its painting and decorating business.

Seven years ago, the construction arm split from the painting and decorating division and is now a separate company.

Nobles Construction recently completed the £1.5m refurbishment of the Royal Birkdale Golf Club ahead of the 2008 Open Championship.

Its ongoing projects include the development of the £1.2m PDSA PetAid Hospital, in Kirkdale, and a refurbishment project at St Catherine’s Hospital, in Birkenhead.

The firm has many projects in the education sector, including a £1m all-weather pitch at Holy Rosary School, in Aintree. Nobles has also been employed by Knowsley Directorate of Children’s Services to complete a new £700,000 Sure Start facility at St Margaret Mary’s Primary School in Huyton.