Civil Engineering Sme Ensures Further Growth With Office Relocation

A civil engineering and housebuilding SME has expanded into a brand-new office in Seacroft, Leeds.

Howard Civil Engineering, Erris Homes and Howard Plant Hire, which together form Howard Group, have relocated from Acorn Business Park in Killingbeck to Howard House, a newly refurbished office on Limewood Approach totalling almost 1,000 sq m.

The building, which is a converted former car sales garage, boasts ample room for the group’s 50 office-based employees in addition to two state-of-the-art meeting rooms, a warehouse and a dedicated reception area for Howard Plant Hire.

Michael Howard, CEO and managing director of Howard Group, is thrilled with the new premises: “Having outgrown our previous premises, I am thrilled to have secured this fantastic new office in such an ideal location,” he said.

“This is a very exciting move as we endeavour to cement our status as one of the north’s leading civil engineering companies and expand upon the high-quality service can deliver to our clients.”

This move follows of a string of new contract wins and framework awards for Howard Civil Engineering, including a £24m deal with Keepmoat Homes in Sheffield and a place on a £400m national framework.

Jamie Rainton, HR and payroll manager at Howard Civil Engineering, explained how the group’s new headquarters will help attract new talent to support the upcoming projects.

“Not only do our new premises enable us to offer enhanced provisions for our existing workforce, such as training rooms and breakout areas, but they also help us to attract new talent in the local area,” he said.

“One of our primary aims for the next four years is to increase our graduate and apprenticeship intake and I am confident our new office will play a key part in ensuring the Howard Group is an employer of choice for many young people across West Yorkshire.”

The new office will also help Howard Group achieve its environmental sustainability targets.

“Howard House is completely gas-free, meaning we will be saving over 16 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to our previous premises,’ said sustainability champion Sophie Henderson.

“In addition to this, we now have the capacity to station multiple recycling points around the building to help us reduce the amount of office waste destined for incineration,” she continued. “These forward-thinking design elements demonstrate Howard Civil Engineering’s dedication to sustainability and have been well-received by both clients and employees.”