RLB turnover jumps as staff numbers grow

Rider Levett Bucknall said turnover will be up by a fifth when it files its next set of results later this year.

The consultant, which has its main London office in the Shard, said revenue for the year to 30 April will be £130m, with around £100m of this coming from the UK.

Profit will be up 30% although the firm declined to say what the number will be.

Work in London grew by 20% with most of its regions, including the North-east and Manchester, also experiencing improved revenue.

Andy Reynolds, RLB’s chief executive for the UK and Europe, said some jobs were being held up for a few months because of funding issues but added the delays were not having much of an impact: “It’s relatively short in the grand scheme of things.”

He added the firm was seeing growth in the tech sector as well as retrofit, logistics and manufacturing.

Staff numbers during the period were up around 10% to just under 1,600 with 1,300 in the UK with the firm opening new offices in the past year in Newcastle and Edinburgh. Its Europe business has five offices in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and a recently opened outpost in Greece.

Reynolds, who was recently appointed to the RICS’ standards review board which looks after professional standards across the industry, said RLB rejigged its board in spring, doubling the number of members to eight.

Additions include people and culture director Sarah Draper and regional director Steve Gillingham.