Pair planning for start-up to hit £10m turnover mark in first year 

The former boss of ISG’s Agility fit out division is setting up a new company with the ex-managing director of BW.

Max Steward spent more than 12 years at ISG across two stretches, sandwiched either side of a three year stint at BW.

ISG Agility was the collapsed contractor’s fit out business which specialised in the sub 50,000 sq ft sector.

Chris Pratt (L) and Max Steward (R) co-founders of Archer

Chris Pratt and Max Steward (right) worked together at BW

Its major projects division was headed up by Lee Phillips who joined Wates last week tasked with establishing a fit out business at that firm in the London commercial market. Elsewhere, Agility’s former managing director Nick Oddy has now joined Structure Tone.

Steward has teamed up with former BW boss Chris Pratt to set up Archer which will specialise in cat A and B commercial office jobs.

It is being backed by Mike Garrett and Jacob Hegarty from £16m turnover contractor Ikon based in Farringdon.

Steward said the Ikon pair “will act as supportive partners and stakeholders in Archer” with the new company being able to call on the firm’s staff to help get jobs up and running.

He said teaming up with Ikon meant it was able to tackle the larger jobs much sooner than a traditional start-up.

It will focus on jobs in the capital as well as Cambridge and said a turnover of £10m in its first year of trading was within reach.

Steward added: “We see a need in the market for a truly agile, forward-thinking offering that not only embraces the latest technologies, but also prioritises good old-fashioned customer care.”

Ikon, which specialises in office design and fit out, is expecting turnover next year to hit £24m.

Meanwhile, the boss of Morris & Spottiswood has said its deal to take on more than 100 staff from ISG Cathedral retail fit out arm will eventually set it on the path to a £400m turnover in the coming years.

Group chief executive Jon Dunwell said Cathedral would add £100m of revenue to the business as well as 110 staff to its existing 450.

But he added that under a five year plan due to start in 2026, revenue at the group will be targeted at £400m.

He said Cathedral was looking at jobs of no more than £15m in areas such as banking, insurance and commercial office.

Topics