Columnist

A record year for Portland

Gateshead-based Civil and Structural Engineering firm Portland Consulting Engineers (Portland) has announced they achieved a record level of turnover in the previous year. With the company receiving just under £1.5m worth of commissions over the previous 12-months.

As a result of this exciting period of growth, Portland have undergone a strategic recruitment drive, adding 6 new professionals to their team, increasing the company’s capacity, and providing a stronger platform for further growth in the coming years.

Four of the new staff have been brought in to reinforce the engineering team, with Graduate Structural Engineer Andrew Bryan, Senior Technician Daniel Stephenson, Structural Engineers Kevin Keeler and Mehrdad Namdari the latest additions to the Gateshead-based design office.

The remaining two members have been brought in to strengthen the administrative and marketing side of the business, with Hannah McCready joining to provide additional Reception and Administrative duties and Anthony Goodfellow joins as a Marketing Assistant.

It isn’t all change around Portland though. The company has maintained its successful working relationships with long-term project partners Howard Russell and Robertson Construction. Over the past year the companies’ have continued to work together on a variety of projects in a range of sectors including industrial with the construction of industrial warehousing facilities nationally, education with the redevelopment of local schools, and healthcare.

Projects within the healthcare sector has proven to be a growing market for Portland, with the company being contracted to provide consulting work on several significant schemes throughout the Newcastle-upon-Tyne NHS Hospital Trust. Some of the most notable projects include upgrading work within the Royal Victoria Infirmary and the construction of a new Elective Treatment Centre within the Freeman Hospital Complex.

Ever conscious of the role it plays in adding value to the communities in which it operates, Portland has placed a renewed focus on its social value activity. In the previous year the company has increased the number of activities it undertakes in this area to ensure its continuing operations benefit the local communities, the local environment, and the local economy.

As a forward-thinking leading consultancy, Portland is looking to create a plan for decarbonisation, working with external partners to track, record and reduce the levels of carbon we produce. The aim of this process is for the company to operate with net-zero carbon emissions as soon as is practicable, to tackle the significant threats that climate change will pose.

Lee Barr, Managing Director gave his thoughts on what has been a record-breaking year for the company;

“This last year has been one of the most exciting for Portland. We’ve announced the highest turnover in the company’s 18-year history, which has resulted in us being able to recruit a significant number of talented professionals to strengthen an already excellent team. We’ve also continued to maintain and enhance our working relationships with valued colleagues. I’m confident that, in the coming year, with a very positive new project list, that we will be able to grow turnover again and expand on our working relationships even further.”

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