Interview with Insider Media - Andrew Dawson, Managing Director, Castle

Hebburn-headquartered Castle has gone from "strength to strength” over the last few years. 

The company’s managing director, Andrew Dawson, explained that its growth is, partly down to the diversification of the business, which it undertook in 2021, towards more principal contracting, while maintaining its position as a tier one MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) business. 

“That’s really paid off for us,” Dawson said. “We've accelerated our position.”

The company is owned by three people, including Dawson, who explained that Castle is “very accessible”. 

“All of the owners are very involved. We’re here every day and we have a fantastic senior management team that we have put in place.”

People and relationships are at the heart of the company, which also operates an office in Edinburgh. 

“We still have a family run mentality,” said Dawson. “Everyone works hard for each other. We're all good friends and we've got people who have worked here for 20 years plus.” 

He continued: “It’s really important that when people join our business that they fit our culture.”

This helps the company grow, Dawson said, as “finding good people is one of the biggest challenges in any business”. 

In terms of success, he believes relationships are essential: “It’s a small industry so your reputation is everything. You have to be real and honest, and you have to treat people right.” 

He added: “If you try to expand into a region and you don’t have any local personnel operating for you it’s almost impossible to gain any traction. 

“We’ve been established in Scotland for many years now, but that was only on the back of employing Scottish people and people who have lived and grown up in that sphere.”

In terms of market sectors, Castle covers most bases. Prominent schemes the business is working on include the multimillion-pound college development in South Tyneside, which is currently under progress and Northumbria University's North East Space Skills Technology Centre. 

Operating across the UK, one obvious growth market is data centres, where Castle already has experience. 

While planning ahead is challenging, Dawson said the business will continue to push boundaries in the next few years. 

“We will continue to grow and expand.”