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Our Journey

2000

• Andrew Watson, Gary Taylor and Charles Tweed begin a small but ambitious construction business working out of an industrial unit in Castleford.
• Laying the foundations for a people-first ethos, they start an enterprise management incentives (EMI) share-option scheme for employees, enabling every employee to share in the success of the business.

• The business begins a 6-year engagement with Bradford Trident to renovate 600 houses in the BD5 area of Bradford, generating a projected £10 million income. The project is named National NHC Housing Project of the Year in 2004; RICS Best Regeneration Scheme in 2005; and is commended by Bradford Vision in 2006.
• This project proves to be the introduction into the wider social and afforfable housing sector.

• Another vital introduction to a different sector comes when the business starts working with Merseyrail.
• As a result, Merseyrail wins several awards for station improvement which creates the opportunity for us to succeed in gaining work with several other train operating companies including Northern Rail, First Trans Pennine Express and Arriva Trains Wales.

• We move into 13,650 sq ft of new premises we purchase in Glasshoughton, near Castleford, West Yorkshire.
• We open a Scottish office in Cumbernauld under the direction of Stuart Mason.

• The commitment to excellence in managing and looking after our own employees is rewarded by Investors In People accreditation.

• We are ranked 15th in the North of England, and 63rd in the whole of the UK, in the prestigious Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100, an annual league table of fastest-growing private companies.
• For the first time, we choose a main charity, the Child Brain Injury Trust, to support throughout the financial year. We raise £20,000 for this worthy cause.

• We are the first company in the history of the National Business Awards to receive three separate awards in one year at the regional finals: The City & Guilds Employer of the Year Award, The 3i Growth Strategy of the Year Award and The Investors In People Outstanding Workplace of the Year Award.
• When the daughter of one of the team contracts meningitis we decide to support the Meningitis Research Foundation, raising £20,000. Thankfully, the little girl makes a full revovery and is there at the presentation to hand over the cheque with her dad.
• The business attains BS EN ISO 9001:2000 quality management certification.
• Our directly employed workforce exceeds 100 people.

• We build a major innovative scheme for Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust in York, 21st Century Homes, a development of affordable, attractive and sustainable housing. The project receives Eco Excellence status and becomes the catalyst for winning and building several other sustainable schemes.
• We are listed in The Sunday Times top 100 best small businesses to work for in the UK.
• The first board director is appointed from outside the business when Ian Bowness becomes financial director.
• We raise £22,000 for the chosen charity for the year, Cancer Research UK, following the sad death from cancer of the wife of one of the business's longest-serving employees.

• We secure an external investment partner in Barclays Ventures, who take 46% equity interest. This provides the security and support needed to pursue our vision and future growth strategy.
• Strategic Team Group Limited is officially formed as a group incorporating the English and Scottish-based businesses.
• Stuart Black is appointed as non-executive chairman and they promote Andy Coates, who had worked his way up through the business, to construction director.
• Our quality management system is approved to ISO 9001:2008.
• We invest £60 thousand in new IT infrastructure, notably to link all on-site building managers to head office.
• We raise over £30,000 for the British Heart Foundation, and receive a regional award from the charity for 'Most Innovative Fundraising Idea 2008', an Olympics-themed party event.
• We undertake the UK's first National Station Improvement Programme project - the renovation of Ormskirk Station in Lancashire. This is a milestone project, establishing us as a significant player in rail construction and renovation.

• They are appointed to Kirklees Council's 'Constructing Excellence Contract' framework, and undertake several prestigious projects including the refurbishment of public rooms in the historic Huddersfield Town Hall. This reflects the degree of trust earned for working in historic listed buildings.
• The business also wins a major local authority framework with YORbuild, a series of collaborative construction frameworks for the Yorkshire region's 22 local authorities and other regionally-based public sector bodies.

• We complete the UK's first Cyclepoint scheme at Leeds Station for Northern Rail.
• We build 18 cycle stores and Southport Cyclepoint for Merseyrail.
• Our directly employed workforce exceeds 200 people.
• Lee Robinson is appointed as sales director.
• Strategic Team Group celebrates its 10th anniversary.
• The business continues to thrive in all core markets and geographical regions.

• Turnover increases by 30% from the previous year to £46.49m.
• We generate an exceptional level of enquiries with a year-end order book of £36.8 million.
• We secure significant local authority frameworks in England and Scotland.
• We raise £30 thousand for The Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract.
• We open new regional offices in Bristol and Stockport.
• We start a renewable energy delivery partnership.
• We launch a new business to provide socially beneficial community projects using private finance.