ECL is a leading civil engineering firm providing a range of services such as groundworks, enabling works, infrastructure, highways, bulk excavations, remediation and stabilisation.
Over the years we have committed to building a reputation for excellence, working on some of the UK’s biggest housing developments. We didn’t suddenly leap onto the civil engineering scene — our success is a 25-year story that continues today.
Beginning from the ground up
It started back in 1993 when our founder, Tommy Hoare, began providing groundworks services for small-scale projects. Through hard work, determination and a desire to provide the best in customer service and results, Tommy’s business began to flourish, and in 1995, ECL began trading as a limited company, giving us room to grow as a company.
Between 1995 and 2006, ECL continued to expand, and we began to take on residential projects for developers such as McLean Homes and McCann Homes. These projects were mainly small groundworks operations for the construction of new homes, and during this period, we typically employed between five and ten operatives.
Investing in growth and development
In 2006, Sean Hoare became Managing Director at ECL and began to look for ways to expand the success of the company. Two years later, in 2008, our fleet of machinery grew with the purchase of our first brand-new machines (a JCB JS145, two 6-tonne JCB 360 excavators, two 6-tonne JCB dumpers and one 1.5-tonne JCB 360 excavator) and we made our first office move to bigger premises in Top Farm in Shefford.
In 2009, we carried out our first podium deck job and our first project worth over £5m, leading to an annual turnover of more than £10m.
The following year, Steve Tysoe joined the company as an equal partner and Managing Director. Previously Steve had run his own business, T&W Civil Engineering. His wealth of experience and industry insight helped to grow the business further, and in the next few years, the company won bigger and bigger contracts, leading to our first annual turnover of above £100 million in 2018.
Building future communities
After a quarter of a century, ECL continues to enjoy success and growth. These days, we specialise in working on large-scale residential developments, including several prestigious projects:
- A 600-house consortium project in Wootton, Bedfordshire, in partnership with Bellway, Taylor Wimpey and Bovis Homes
- A large-scale development at Stanton Cross in Wellingborough, which is being promoted by Bovis Homes and will comprise 3,650 homes
We also recognise the importance of developing the next generation of civil engineers, and we regularly take steps to engage with students, school leavers, and graduates to attract them to a career in the industry. Our apprenticeships and graduate schemes have been designed to help build careers and expand knowledge.
If you’re looking to work with a civil engineering firm that offers world-class service, innovative solutions and high-quality results, contact us today. Whatever the size or complexity of the project, we welcome your enquiry and will be happy to discuss your requirements in more detail.
