B2B Business of the Year 2018

Start-up name: Glencar Construction
Founders: Eddie McGillycuddy and Chris Gleave
Started in: 2016
Based in: St Albans
Business description: Constructs industrial buildings for high-profile developers, retailers and distributors

With industry giants faltering in recent years, it can be said that industrial construction is a challenging sector. Nonetheless, Eddie McGillycuddy and Chris Gleave are excelling in it.

Profitable from the start, B2B Business of the Year 2018 Glencar Construction is currently achieving a whopping 325% year-on-year increase in turnover. But how is it achieving such success? Well, McGillycuddy and Gleave put it down to a number of factors.

Firstly, they’ve been careful to avoid their sector’s common pitfalls. Glencar’s team painstakingly manage cashflow and negotiate terms to minimise risk. They only target optimal projects that are the right size, and offered by stable clients.

Secondly, the business is set apart by its uniquely client-focused delivery. Unlike other firms, Glencar takes a consultative approach: engaging fully from start to finish, continuously communicating with clients, and seeking feedback from everyone involved throughout.

This approach has had a big impact – so far, 100% of Glencar’s clients have been retained for confirmed or likely future projects.

The start-up says another success driver has been employee engagement. Glencar staff are encouraged to join internal committees and sign up for external training and seminars to foster knowledge-sharing and improvement.

Plus, transparent communication and a non-hierarchical team structure keep all staff abreast of the business’ strategy and performance, which has led to excellent staff retention.

Now, Glencar’s plans are to open a new regional office in the Midlands to expand its reach, and to double turnover by 2021. Currently, the business is developing a sustainable strategy to maximise the roles local communities and charity sponsorship play in its projects.

This award saw competition from an array of impressive B2B businesses. Our judges picked Salary Finance, the start-up helping employees pay off their debts, for the Highly Commended award, while home-sharing management business Airsorted won the Commended title.