J&D Pierce Contracts, based in Glengarnock, North Ayrshire, is expecting turnover to rise towards £200m as it capitalises on growth in key sectors including data centres, distribution hubs, distilleries, stadia & arenas, transport infrastructure and the social and supply chain requirements related to renewable energy. 

In recent years, J&D Pierce has supplied structural steel for some of the UK’s most exciting construction projects including the redevelopment of Liverpool FC’s Anfield Road stadium, the Formula One race track at Silverstone, and the new Haymarket, Queen Street and Dundee train stations. It is currently providing steel structures for a range of blue-chip clients across the UK and Europe.

J&D Pierce employs 540 people across five sites, and is headquartered in Glengarnock, a village which was famed for its steelworks which operated from 1840 to 1985. The company has recently opened a dedicated shotblast and paint facility in Bellshill, and also has a specialist bridge manufacturing facility in East Kilbride, as well as offices in Durham and Scarborough. The Bellshill operation is the former Clydesdale Tube Works and required around £13m of investment to transform the third of a mile-long building into one of the biggest paint facilities in Europe.

The vast majority of the company’s supplies comes from British Steel as well as electric arc-furnaced steel from Europe. It processes around 1000 tonnes of steel per week, with a growing demand for more sustainable materials.

Derek Pierce, managing director, said the cyclical nature of different UK industries has provided opportunities throughout its history, and will do so again in the future. 

Derek said: “We’ve always been able to adapt and cater for a wide range of industries depending on where there is investment and growth. Sectors come and go in phases, and the nature of our highly specialised products means we’ve been able to grow with the times. In the early 2000s, we saw real growth in retail, supermarkets and distribution centres. Then, the investment in Scotland’s education estate meant we were supplying structures for new schools across the country. 

“The investment going into the UK’s renewable energy industry is one opportunity for the whole construction sector, in the critical infrastructure such as converter stations, as well as the development which will be needed to service that industry such as new factories, offices and the social requirements such as new homes and healthcare.” 

The business was started in 1975 by Derek’s father, Jim, who found himself out of work and started with a week’s dole money from a small workshop attached to the family home,  supplying gates and railings to local houses. 

Derek left school in 1982 and started working with his father while completing his apprenticeship as a fabricator welder. In 1986, they took on their first employee, Alex Rose, who is still with the business and runs the Skills Development Academy and all in-house training and development. 

In the late 1980s, the business won a contract to supply a metalwork package as part of a major regeneration project for local authority housing. Operating at that time in a 600 sq ft factory, the contract allowed them to move into a 1,110 sq ft facility before moving into a 3,000 sq ft operation in the now-closed Glengarnock Steelworks. Its main production facility in Glengarnock is now home to more than 200 staff and spans more than 36 acres. This is one of three production facilities across the central belt of Scotland, totalling 1m sq ft with 80 acres and 540 employees.   

Turnover steadily grew during the 1990s and 2000s, and in the early 2000s, the company was chosen to provide the structural steel for Blackpool Football Club’s new Bloomfield Road stadium. 

J&D Pierce opened its own training academy in 2012, and today employs 60 Modern Apprentices across all of its sites. 

In 2022, Storskogen, a Swedish group that acquires and operates well-managed and profitable medium-sized businesses, acquired 80% of the shares in J&D Pierce, and Derek says it has been the perfect move to allow it to invest in growth, while retaining its family culture. Derek’s two sons, Jamie and Fraser, work in the business having completed their fabrication and welding apprenticeships. They went onto steel erecting and site management, understanding every aspect of the business and now both fill significant roles within the company.

Derek said: “Our owners recognised that we know every inch of our business inside and out. They trust us to run the company and seek out the opportunities which we think will benefit us most. The partnership has also opened doors in Europe and with main contractors. 

“At the same time, J&D Pierce is still very much a family business in look and feel. We have many people who have been with us for all of their careers. As one of the largest employers in North Ayrshire, it’s important we retain that culture, and grow our own skills and talent. Attracting and retaining good people is as challenging in our industry as any other, so fostering a family culture alongside providing valuable training opportunities and long-term careers, is absolutely vital for us.”