Interviews

From rising construction costs to global geopolitical risks, Scotland’s real estate market faces no shortage of challenges. But for Chris Dougray, head of development at CBRE Scotland, adversity also brings opportunity. Chris Dougray is both generous with his time and eclectic in his interests

During a visit to Aberdeen, James Butler from AtkinsRéalis catches up with Colin Cardwell to outline the encouraging future in store for the company in Scotland. You can’t be an effective leader from behind a computer screen. That’s one of the maxims that informs James Butler&rsqu

Since its arrival north of the border, success for Keepmoat Scotland has been to establish the company as a recognised and trusted housebuilder, but as regional managing director Tim Metcalfe tells SCN, this is only the beginning. Having been in Scotland for a decade, Keepmoat is now implementing a

In an industry historically dominated by men, Paula Thompson has carved out an impressive career in timber frame design. Now technical commercial manager at Fleming Timber Structures, she has spent two decades navigating the evolving landscape of construction and its historic attitudes towards femal

In a joint Construction Leaders interview with Colin Cardwell, Gareth Edwards and Andrew Rae explore how they’ve built a thriving construction and renewables business, their approach to navigating industry challenges, and their commitment to delivering social housing, commercial projects, and

Still trading and independent after more than 80 years in business, Cruden Group has bucked a trend for many SMEs. Fraser Lynes, managing director of Cruden Homes, speaks to Colin Cardwell about how the company is still adapting to meet today's challenges. Recent months have been both busy and encou

The newly restored Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) has transformed Edinburgh’s historic Quartermile site, once the Royal Infirmary, into a modern landmark blending history, innovation, and sustainability.

Thomas & Adamson's Zander Muego speaks to Colin Cardwell about his journey to Egis Group via the Middle East. Scalability is a perennial problem for many companies in Scotland. How to exploit new markets, grow more efficiently and expand market presence? For property and construction consultancy

Senior associate Sammi Johnstone speaks to Colin Cardwell about her unusual route into construction, the influence of her father and the successful multi-disciplinary approach taken by Jones Hargreaves. Overseeing the tagging and microchipping of turtles in Tobago is an undeniably intrigui

This month's SCN Construction Leader, Gordon Megahy tells Colin Cardwell about his journey to Clancy Consulting, his love of timber and the firm's work on high profile sporting projects. Clancy Consulting, it seems, knows how to keep ahead of the game. The multi-disciplinary engineering co

Tim Metcalfe, Keepmoat’s regional managing director in Scotland, tells Colin Cardwell why his company's model to balance the needs of investors and provide affordable homes makes moral and business sense. The optics of today’s housebuilding industry are not unmitigatedly positive. After

For June's Construction Leaders feature, Alan Smith tells Colin Cardwell how SPI McGrattan navigated a number of challenges to carry out different types of contracts in Scotland. There must be something eminently satisfying about being integral to the completion of the last in the trilogy

As the Scottish Futures Trust publishes its Business Plan for 2024/25, the SCN Construction Leader for May, Peter Reekie, tells Colin Cardwell that net zero remains firmly on the agenda at the organisation. Peter Reekie laughs when he recalls his first work experience. It was certainly a s

For April's SCN Construction Leaders feature, Colin Cardwell caught up with Sidey managing director Steve Hardy to hear about the company's award-winning 2023 and its double-digit turnover growth. Steve Hardy is a refreshingly ebullient person. The native of Newcastle upon Tyne who made Perth his ad

This month's Construction Leader feature sees Raymond Slaine tell Colin Cardwell how the ethos of Goodson Associates is helping the company meet the challenges of fluctuating trends, the climate emergency and Artificial Intelligence. This year began on an encouragingly upbeat note for Goodson A