Huddersfield construction firm acquired by Sewell Group

The Sewell Group has has announced the acquisition of a Huddersfield-based construction company.

Illingworth and Gregory (I&G) is family-owned business, which specialises in maintenance and refurbishments, primarily in health and education, in West Yorkshire.

Sewell Group’s investment in I&G makes the business a sister company to Sewell Construction and will help both companies capitalise on opportunities across the wider Yorkshire region.

Sewell GRoup was founded in Hull and also has offices in Leeds.

Paul Sewell, managing director of Sewell Group, said: “People do business with people, and the team at I&G are the type of people we want to work with. They share our values and it was very easy to bring them into the Sewell family.

“They put the customer first, create a nice buzz around things they get involved with and they secure repeat business, which is also the way we work. With our mutual regional aspirations and growth in West and North Yorkshire, this came up in Huddersfield. That’s a great fit, but the best fit of all is the people.

“This is a great partnership between two like-minded, family businesses, which helps reinforce our strategy to grow across the wider Yorkshire region.”

Sewell has already started working with I&G, with Sewell Construction Management Trainee Cameron Hodgson moving across from the business’ West Yorkshire team to work at I&G in the run-up to Christmas.

Jez Illingworth, I&G’s managing director, and construction director Dean Simpson will remain with the business.

Jez said: “It’s business as usual as far as I&G’s team, customers and supply chain are concerned. We are very excited about becoming part of the Sewell Group family and by the mutual opportunities which lie ahead.

“We share the same goals, values and ambitions, and it’s really positive to join forces with a fellow successful Yorkshire family business as we look to build the future together.”

Sewell Construction has recently refurbished the Grade-II listed Hull New Theatre and created the new £10m Ron Dearing University Technology College (UTC), transforming the Kingston Square area of Hull city centre.

Construction of the new £9m Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre is also well underway on the site of the former David Lister School in East Hull.

Work in West and North Yorkshire includes an extension and refurbishment of a hub and library in York and the recent completion of an extension and refurbishment at Athelstan Community Primary School in Sherburn in Elmet.

I&G has completed work on a wide range of projects in the health sector, including reconfiguration of the existing accident and emergency department at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds and redevelopment of a listed building at Leeds General Infirmary to form a Hyperpolarisation MRI scanner department.

In education, I&G has recently completed in excess of £3m worth of refurbishment projects across the University of Leeds estate.