5 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish business which worked on Liverpool FC's Anfield eyes growth
Accounts filed with Companies House last July show the turnover of J&D Pierce Contracts was £103.8 million in the year to December 31, 2023.
In recent years, J&D Pierce has supplied structural steel for high-profile construction projects across the UK, including at the Formula One racetrack at Silverstone as well as Anfield. It has also worked on the redevelopment of Edinburgh Haymarket and Dundee railway stations, as well as on the Queen Street project.
The business, which employs 540 people across five sites, noted it is currently providing steel structures for 'a range of blue-chip clients' across the UK and Europe.
It observed that the village of Glengarnock 'was famed for its steelworks which operated from 1840 to 1985'.
J&D Pierce has recently opened a dedicated shotblast and paint plant in Bellshill, and also has a specialist bridge manufacturing facility in East Kilbride, as well as offices in Durham and Scarborough.
The Bellshill operation is the former Clydesdale Tube Works, and required around £13m of investment to transform the one-third-of-a-mile-long building into what J&D Pierce describes as 'one of the biggest paint facilities in Europe'.
J&D Pierce sources supplies from British Steel as well as 'electric arc-furnaced' steel from Europe.
It processes around 1,000 tonnes of steel per week. The firm flagged a growing demand for more sustainable materials.
Managing director Derek Pierce said the cyclical nature of different UK industries has provided opportunities throughout the history of the business, and will continue to do so.
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He said: 'We've always been able to adapt and cater for a wide range of industries depending on where there is investment and growth. Sectors come and go in phases, and the nature of our highly specialised products means we've been able to grow with the times. In the early 2000s, we saw real growth in retail, supermarkets and distribution centres.
'Then, the investment in Scotland's education estate meant we were supplying structures for new schools across the country.'
Mr Pierce added: 'The investment going into the UK's renewable energy industry is one opportunity for the whole construction sector, in the critical infrastructure such as converter stations as well as the development which will be needed to service that industry such as new factories, offices and the social requirements such as new homes and healthcare.'
J&D Pierce noted the business was started in 1975 by Derek Pierce's father, Jim, who 'found himself out of work and started with a week's dole money from a small workshop attached to the family home, supplying gates and railings to local houses'.
Derek Pierce left school in 1982 and started working with his father while completing his apprenticeship as a fabricator welder. In 1986, they took on their first employee, Alex Rose, who is still with the business and runs the Skills Development Academy and all in-house training and development.
In the late 1980s, the business won a contract to supply a metalwork package as part of a major regeneration project for local authority housing.
J&D Pierce's main production facility in Glengarnock, at the former Glengarnock Steelworks site, now employs more than 200 staff.
Turnover grew steadily during the 1990s and 2000s.
In the early 2000s, the company was chosen to provide the structural steel for Blackpool Football Club's new Bloomfield Road stadium.
J&D Pierce opened its own training academy in 2012, and employs 60 modern apprentices.
Derek Pierce said Storskogen's acquisition of a majority stake in the business in 2022 has enabled J&D Pierce to 'invest in growth, while retaining its family culture'.
His two sons, Jamie and Fraser, work in the business, having completed their fabrication and welding apprenticeships.
J&D Pierce said: 'They went on to steel erecting and site management, understanding every aspect of the business and now both fill significant roles within the company.'
Derek Pierce said: 'Our owners recognised that we know every inch of our business inside and out. They trust us to run the company and seek out the opportunities which we think will benefit us most. The partnership has also opened doors in Europe and with main contractors.
'At the same time, J&D Pierce is still very much a family business in look and feel. We have many people who have been with us for all of their careers. As one of the largest employers in North Ayrshire, it's important we retain that culture, and grow our own skills and talent. Attracting and retaining good people is as challenging in our industry as any other, so fostering a family culture alongside providing valuable training opportunities and long-term careers is absolutely vital for us.'
