CHARLES Brand, a name synonymous with some of the most iconic marine and civil engineering contracts in Ireland and Britain, has been revived.
And bosses says it is already bucking currently construction industry trends by landing a number of significant new deals.
Acquired by Lagan Specialist Contracting Group Holdings in 1994 and then branded as Lagan Construction since 2005, its directors have opted to re-introduce the old name.
They say that will build on the rich history of renowned civil engineering and marine infrastructure works with which the company has been associated since its founding by a young Charles Brand in 1829.
Through the decades Charles Brand has been associated with schemes like the Ben Crom Reservoir in the Mournes, the Queen Elizabeth Bridge, Stormont Wharf and the Lagan Weir in Belfast and Lisahally Port in Derry, and in the 1920s it also played a major part in the expansion of the London Underground.
Now under its revitalised moniker, it has secured new contracts at home and in Britain, including a £9.5 million workload for DP World London Gateway, a state-of-the-art deep-sea port and rail terminal on the Thames on the same site as an expansive land bank for the flexible and fast development of logistics facilities and warehouses.
Charles Brand will design and construct a new empty container yard on the port, providing a 15-acres stacking area at DP World's highly productive deep water berths, which are built to handle the world’s largest vessels.
The project comprises of 80,000 sq metres of bulk excavation and a heavy-duty pavement comprising of cement bound macadam with surface finishes of grouted macadam and block paving and will be delivered in two phases.
Charles Brand's managing director Niall McGill said: “We’re delighted to announce this contract award for our new client DP World London Gateway.
“This strategically important scheme will bring long term benefits to the smart trade hub and the wider region.”
He added: “Charles Brand has a legacy of delivering large civil engineering and marine projects so we believe we’re well placed to deliver this scheme to the highest industry standards.
“The company has its fingerprints all over Belfast, and reviving the name has been so well received by clients, consultants and indeed some of our plant guys, who have been with us for more than 40 years.”
And he said: “They say a brand is timeless . . . . and Charles Brand is just that.”
