Member Article

Construction firm celebrates 150 years

The oldest family-run building firm in the North East has celebrated its 150th year in business with contracts worth £1.5m. T Manners and Sons Limited, based in Bishop Auckland, has been appointed to carry out three school refurbishment projects across the region.

The work on the Roman Catholic primary schools in Trimdon, Darlington and Felling, Gateshead, are being funded by the education service of The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

It comes a few months after the firm, which employs up to 70 people, finished its first complete school build, also for the diocese, in Crook.

The company was formed by managing director Robert Manners’ great-grandfather in 1860 and lays claim to being the oldest family owned building company in the North.

Mr Manners, the fourth generation of his family to run the business, said: “Times are tough in the construction industry at the moment, even for a company that has been around as long as ours, so it is especially gratifying to win work with long-term clients such as the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

“I hope more clients will put their trust in the skills and experience that their local building contractors can offer. That’s the way the local economy can benefit most from the Government’s investment in our schools.”

Mr Manners believed the company’s experience working with schools had played a large part in it winning the contracts.

He said: “In recent times we have specialised in working closely with headteachers and school governors on projects like these. We have experienced people who can fit in and can get the work done without causing upset to the school routine. I think the key thing for us and for smaller and medium-sized firms is that organisations like the diocese continue to use local companies.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .