Dowds group eyes record growth with £90m pipeline in UK construction

Northern Ireland construction and engineering specialist JF & H Dowds Limited, trading as The Dowds Group, is preparing for a record period of growth with £90 million of pipelined work as it enters 2026.

The expansion is driven by strategic focus on GB-based Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) projects, delivering a £12 million uplift in new projects over 2024/25.

More than £50 million of the work is secured for 2026/27, with the remainder allocated to 2027/28. Recent completed projects include Taylor Wessing Commercial Offices with Mace (£14 million), Future Greenwich Campus for Kier (£8 million), and St Edmunds Hall, Oxford University (£7 million).

Dowds’ flagship 2026 projects feature a £27 million M&E scheme at the London School of Economics with McLaren Construction. Ongoing contracts include Guy & St Thomas Hospital and Lewisham Hospital with The Sisk Group (£20 million combined), and a £14 million Life Sciences project in Bloomsbury, London with McLaughlin and Harvey.

The company reported turnover of £65.3 million for the year ending 31 March 2025, slightly down from £72.7 million the previous year due to project start timing. Gross margin profitability increased by 3%, reflecting strong operational focus.

Investments include £1.6 million in a new Group Professional Services hub at Ballymena HQ, supporting engineering operations and specialist recruitment. Pre-tax profit slightly dipped from £1.5 million to £1.2 million, with year-end cash at £9.7 million.

Chief executive Louise McClelland said: “A key strategic goal for the company is to keep our people and client at the heart of what we do.”

Executive chair James Dowds added: “The outlook for the company is very positive as it moves into 2025/26 with a confirmed pipeline and order book for the next 18‑months and line of sight further into 2027 and beyond.”

Discover the full breakdown of Dowds’ projects in the full story.

Photo credits to The Dowds Group’s official Facebook page