John McGeady targets 100 staff after Glasgow headquarters buy
Glasgow civil engineering contractor John McGeady Ltd is targeting a 100-strong workforce after buying its headquarters on South Street.
The business, which provides civil engineering, road surfacing and plant hire services across Scotland, has acquired its base at 1071 South Street after renting the site for the past two years.
The purchase was supported by £1.5 million of funding from Bank of Scotland. It gives John McGeady more control over a 4.3-acre yard that now acts as a central base for its plant and equipment.
John McGeady currently employs around 60 people and has further recruits in the pipeline. The company is aiming to grow to around 100 staff over the next three to five years and increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities it offers.
Owning the South Street site is also expected to support further investment. Plans under consideration include additional office space, a recycling facility and a training centre.
The proposed training centre could help develop skills within the company’s own workforce while also creating another route into the sector for people outside the business.
John McGeady was founded in 1982 and was acquired by the Crumlish family in 2018, while retaining the original company name. Since then, turnover has risen from around £900,000 to more than £20 million in its most recent accounts, with revenue forecast to reach about £30 million this year.
The company said its growth has been driven by investment in its workforce and operating capacity, allowing it to take on larger contracts. Typical projects that were worth around £150,000 several years ago can now reach up to £4 million.
Recent awards include a £30 million Roads-Related Maintenance Works Framework for Renfrewshire Council and a £2 million Patching Framework for Glasgow City Council.
The Glasgow yard complements the company’s existing base in Blantyre and supports work across Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and the wider country.
Managing director Tom Crumlish said the South Street acquisition gives the business more confidence to plan long term and creates space to invest in people and future opportunities.
Stephen Owens, senior relationship director at Bank of Scotland, said the headquarters purchase gives John McGeady a stronger platform for its next phase of growth.
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