Our Story
During our long history we have developed an approach to delivering projects that’s focused on creating a stable, well-trained and experienced, directly-employed workforce. This ethos means we deliver consistently high quality for our clients, matched with a long-term commitment to excellent customer care.
In an age when few construction companies maintain a directly-employed workforce, we still believe that a skilled and committed team of well-trained craftsmen and managers, supported by robust and accredited management systems, is the best way to guarantee a consistently high standard of work throughout everything we do.
Most our workforce have been with us for many years; more than 90% for more than ten years and many started with us as apprentices. Our apprenticeship programme has been running for longer than we have kept records!
We have held Investors In People accreditation since 2002 and this is testimony to our long-term commitment to training and staff development, alongside robust management systems.
Our Managing Directors
Thomas Manners
As a young carpenter, Thomas Manners established our company in 1860 and by 1868 had built a new joinery workshop and premises in Peel Street, Bishop Auckland. Thomas was a savvy businessman, as records show by 1880 he was carrying out general building work, joinery and plastering.
A huge fire destroyed the Peel Street premises in 1883, causing damage in excess of £2,000 (£250k in present day terms). The astute Thomas did however, have the property insured and was able to rebuild the premises, installing new steam powered machinery at the same time.
Thomas’s sons, Thomas, George and Robert, all worked for the company until the outbreak of the First World War, when Robert enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps and became a driver; an elite position in those early days of the motor vehicle.
Meanwhile the company contributed to the war effort by building the wings for the Sopwith Camel fighter aircraft. The wings were transported to Norfolk and assembled into the iconic aircraft built by Boulton & Paul.
Robert Manners
Robert’s military career ended shortly after he was gassed, leaving him with breathing difficulties for the rest of his life. He returned to Bishop Auckland and re-joined the company in 1917, taking over the management of the business due to Thomas’ advancing age. Thomas died in 1919, at the age of 80.
Under Robert’s management, our company prospered however, by the outbreak of the Second World War, his health was beginning to suffer due to the injuries he sustained in the First World War.
Brian Manners
Robert’s son Brian joined the RAF in 1941 and became a fighter pilot, with a distinguished record training pilots in both the UK and America.
Returning to civilian life, Brian trained as an accountant but due to his father’s ill health, her was coerced into joining the company in 1948.
The business prospered once again and during the 1950s and 60s, was an integral part of the construction industry in the North East.
The 1970s saw industrial unrest and soaring inflation, which had a detrimental effect on Brian’s health by the end of the decade, so he asked his son Robert to join the business.
Robert Manners
Robert Manners, a qualified civil engineer, brought a modern and dynamic approach to the business. The 1980s and 1990s again brought expansion and saw the company develop close links with local authorities, the NHS and schools across the region.
The early years of the new century brought further growth and in 2005, we relocated from our original Victorian premises in Peel Street to new modern offices and workshops on South Church Enterprise Park.
Simon Manners
Robert’s youngest son, Simon, graduated from UCL in 2005 with a degree in project management and worked in London and the South East on multi-million pound construction projects before returning to his native North East.
Simon joined the company as a contracts manager in 2009 and became a director in 2013. In 2016, Simon became joint Managing Director alongside his father Robert and became sole Managing Director in 2018.
Robert remains as Financial Director to this date.
