A director of a specialist contractor has told Insider about the importance of the firm’s South West roots and how further growth and expansion is on the horizon.
A director of a specialist contractor has told Insider about the importance of the firm’s South West roots and how further growth and expansion is on the horizon.
James Devey is RED South West’s divisional lead and the regional division of RED Group is now marking five years with an expanding pipeline of projects from its offices in Bristol and Exeter.
As RED Group, which is celebrating its tenth year, reports an 11 per cent increase in turnover for the 2025/26 financial year, rising from £171m to £190m, Devey reflected on the division’s journey to date and emphasised its proud South West identity
“We want to be the construction partner of choice for our clients,” said Devey.
“That sort of inspiration and focus on positive outcomes that we really want to leave that legacy in the region. It’s all about ongoing stability for us.
“We’ve established ourselves really, really strongly within the South West region, and we really want to live by our values. Our values being, relationships, enthusiasm, delivery, which is our RED.”
He added: “But actually we believe that following those vision values that we really are able to deliver what clients want. That really gives us the backbone that provides us with that deep, regional trusted expertise.”
Further organic growth is now being lined up, Devey said.
“We are looking for organic growth, but we are also exploring public procurement rates that will extend our reach within the region, which I think will then dictate an increased growth as we go through that transition point,” he said.
“Our turnover in construction is always dictated by the value of the project and the value of the projects are very much what comes through the door as it were.
“So our turnover is stabilised around about the £40m mark.
“Then in the next couple of years, we’ll be looking to keep that around £40m to £50m.”
Being in a position where RED SW has an increased number of projects across a wider stretch of the path in a year’s time is a key aim.
“That’s probably coming through the public procurement routes which will extend outside of the city centre locations, where commercial viability is stretched as you creep away from the city centres,” said Devey.
“The Brabazon development in Filton isn’t in the city centre but that’s drawing investment into other parts of the city. You’ve also got the Epic site, which is on the South side of the city, which will also be attracting a lot of investment.
RED SW has an impressive and diverse portfolio which showcases their specialised expertise, clear dominance and broad range of repeat relationships in the region.
With that, they’re set to provide: £52m of best-in-class commercial space, £15m of healthcare, £2.5m of bespoke dining facility for St Monica Trust.
They have successfully delivered £37m of PBSA (Moon Street Bristol and Hollis Wharf Bath). £22m of Hotel (Zeal Exeter), £15m of extra care living (Chocolate Quarter). £15m of façade remediation (The Crescent, Balmoral, Waverley, and The Panoramic Bristol), as well as a selection of education refurbishment/extension projects.
“The pipeline of the construction business is the backbone for the continuity and growth and we have a lot of work that spreads across the vast part of the South West of England,” he said.
“The pipeline extends from multiple opportunities across Bristol Park, Bath, Exeter and select locations at the M5. That’s where we’re seeing the hot spot areas.
“These opportunities are really spanning from best in class commercial offices, to all sorts of forms of accommodation from apartments to PBSA schemes.”
For Devey, it’s about ongoing stability going forward.
“So now that we’ve established ourselves strongly, we believe we have a really strong foothold in the region. It’s about long term stability,” he added.
“It’s about investing in our people.The South West now employs just over 50 people, local people, and it’s about having a portfolio of work that really stems and gives stability to the region.
“We’ve got some projects that will go on for a year to two years, and then we’ll take on some jobs as well that have been shorter periods, six months to a year.
“That really just allows us to ride through the storms of highs and lows of today’s budgets, tomorrow’s inflation, and the like and that coupled with our trusted supply chain partners, advanced procurement, group wide buying strategies, and really leveraging our repeat business from our clients is really key.”
