Cladding specialist of the year

When Alumet says that for it “innovation is a necessity”, it is not joking. In the past few years Alumet has developed not one but two new cladding products – Avon Dry Wall and Avon Solar Control – and has recently used both to complete its biggest ever project at St James Hospital, Leeds. As if this weren’t enough, Alumet has also expanded its range by buying another aluminium factory, which allowed it to complete a contract in Wolverhampton and then win its first one overseas in Gibraltar through partnering client Taylor Woodrow. All this effort has translated through to the bottom line with turnover doubling to £10.5m since 2003 and 95% of work coming from repeat orders from clients including Miller Construction and Kier.

Academic exercise: Alumet’s skills were put to the test on Cambridge University’s engineering department

Runners-up

FK Roofing Services

There have been some big changes at this company in the past year, not least the bold decision to cut back its order book – and consequently turnover – by a third so as to offer a better service to clients. However, with 90% repeat business from the likes of Asda, AstraZeneca and Bovis Lend Lease, things look pretty secure. So much so that FKRS has felt able to guarantee all its suppliers payment within 30 days. Predictions for next year are that revenue will soar back to £21m with profit of £3.5m.

Lakesmere

The Xscape Leisure Complex at Braehead, Glasgow definitely allowed Lakesmere to flex its creative muscles. Faced with an architect’s design that required an exterior wall to bend in several directions separate from the internal steel superstructure, Lakesmere came up with its aluminium “shingles” solution. It worked a charm.

MPG Facades

The pressure was on MPG when the NHS trust in Lewisham, south London told it there would be no air-conditioning in its new £70m PFI hospital. This wasn’t radical cost-cutting, rather the trust wanted to make the building as healthy as possible. Fresh air was in and stale, germ-carrying air was out. This was the biggest project MPG had taken on, so it carefully chose its materials and went to work. The result means that MPG should have no problem hitting its target of 85% repeat business next year.

Prater

Perhaps it was its association with Surrey Wildlife Trust that first attracted Prater to a project in Plymouth called Drake Circus. Whatever the reason, the company will be glad that it travelled down to Devon as this was its biggest stage yet – to clad and roof the entire 560,000 ft2 shopping centre. The results look really quacking…sorry cracking and should allow this rapidly growing company to really take flight.