好色先生TV

Bam Construct鈥檚 revenue and profit have held steady amid difficult UK market conditions, with the firm鈥檚 boss saying its focus on innovation and technology has helped it to 鈥渂eat the market鈥�.

Speaking to 好色先生TV following the publication of the firm鈥檚 results for the year to 31 December 2012, Graham Cash Bam Construct chief executive, said that the firm鈥檚 revenue and profit had held up in a challenging market.

鈥淲ith the market dropping the amount it has, even though we are level [with last year], we are actually beating the market because the market is falling,鈥� he said

Bam Construct鈥檚 revenue fell 3%, from 拢945.9m to 拢917.2m in 2012, while profit rose from 拢11.5m in 2011 to 拢13.9m. The firm鈥檚 pre-tax profit margin was 1.5%, up from 1.2% the previous year.

Cash said the firm鈥檚 turnover, which peaked at around 拢1.1bn at the height of the boom, had now levelled out, and he expected it to be 鈥渋n the 拢900ms鈥� again this year. He said this year the firm hoped to boost profit, with margins to 鈥渟how a similar improvement鈥� to this year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting the right quality of work with the right risk profile. If you can do that and deliver a good product then the margin will follow,鈥� he said.

Cash said the firm had enjoyed a 鈥渟uperb start鈥� to the year, winning a range of work, including the high-profile 拢300m Google HQ job in London 鈥� which Cash is unable to discuss 鈥� as well as schools work through the government鈥檚 Priority School 好色先生TV Programme.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had a strong first quarter 鈥� well up on last year鈥檚, even if you don鈥檛 include the project that we鈥檙e not allowed to talk about,鈥� he said.

Cash said that because the firm was already 鈥渨ell structured鈥� it had not had to focus on internal restructuring, as many of its rivals had, and instead had concentrated on researching clients鈥� needs and developing innovation and technology.

Last year Dutch parent company Royal Bam Group signed a 鈧�3.5m (拢2.8m) contract with software firm Autodesk to provide 好色先生TV Information Modelling (BIM) technology across its global operations, including all Bam projects in the UK, and launched a project aimed at using BIM to improve the facilities management of a building once it is complete.

Cash said the firm鈥檚 focus on BIM had helped to give it a market edge, including on the Google HQ job.

Bam has also been appointed to provide pre-construction advice, including building a BIM model, on Derwent鈥檚 拢150m redevelopment of the former Saatchi & Saatchi (pictured) office building in Fitzrovia, London.

Cash said he hoped this would give Bam an edge in the race for the main contractor鈥檚 role on the Make-designed scheme, with Mace, Brookfield and Bam all vying for the job. 鈥淲e are developing the project with the client, but ultimately the client has the opportunity to tender to those three bidders, and probably will,鈥� he said.

Meanwhile, Bam Nuttall, the UK engineering business, reported revenue of 拢730m, down from 拢809m in 2011, with pre-tax profit up 18% to 拢18.1m 鈥� giving the firm a pre-tax margin of 2.5%.

Steve Fox, chief executive of Bam Nuttall, said the firm鈥檚 margin 鈥渆xceeds most competitors and places us among the top performing businesses in the civil engineering market鈥�.