About Us

Our History

James Callaghan Sons and Co Ltd was established in 1986 by James Callaghan. He used his extensive experience and contacts in the construction industry to develop a small but thriving civil engineering firm initially concentrating in the private sector. The business soon developed a reputation for quality and reliability at a competitive price and, on the back of this, was able to start tendering for larger contracts for commercial clients and in the public sector. Today, the business is still family run and managed, and carries out contracts across a variety of sectors, including health and education.

Health Sector

In 1993, a major break-through was achieved with acceptance on to the newly formed North West NHS Consortium, a list of approved contractors working for and with The NHS. This enabled the business to rapidly expand its client base, quickly establishing links with several local hospitals and NHS Trusts. To this day, health is still a core sector for the business, working alongside several NHS Trusts including; Stockport, Pennine Care, GMW, South Manchester University Hospitals, 5 Boroughs Partnership, East Cheshire, Greater Manchester West Mental Health and The Christie, to name just a few.

Education

This solid client base in the health sector gave the business the foundation to flourish in other areas of the public sector and by the mid-1990’s the company was working for several Local Authorities, with a particular emphasis in the area of education. Annual contracts were awarded for resurfacing school playgrounds in Bolton and Trafford. As school budgets have become more autonomous, contracts are no longer centrally awarded but we have managed to maintain and grow our partnerships directly with local schools and this sector continues to grow from strength to strength. We also work for several North West based Universities, including Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Liverpool where we maintain and develop the roads and footpaths across very large and varied campus sites. All our employees have been DBS checked and are used to working in live school and education establishments. We understand their specific needs and always plan our work to minimise the impact on their operations.

Commercial and Industrial

With Trafford Park, one of the largest industrial parks in the world on our doorstep, this sector is one we would find hard to ignore. Over the years we have worked on a wide spread of contracts from foundations for new build warehouses to yard maintenance, and have been lucky enough to grow and maintain relationships with a variety of clients; from small, private companies, to large, Blue Chip, national and multi-national firms including; Kelloggs, Lancashire County Cricket Club, CBRE, Shop Direct and International Timber. We deal with both individual site managers and with facilities managers looking after a portfolio of assets. We offer a responsive site survey and quotation service and will always offer what we believe is the best solution to meet our clients requirements. We believe this is why our customers keep requesting our services.

Domestic

As well as building and developing our relationships in the public sector, we haven’t forgotten our roots. We still work actively with individual clients on driveway and landscaping projects. With knowledge gleaned from working with professionals in the public sector, we can offer the latest products and services not readily available to homeowners. For example, we now undertake resin bound surfacing contracts in the domestic market which until recently just wasn’t an affordable option for most. By investing in training and development, we can now offer this product to private clients at a price which we believe is the most competitive around. Please call for a free, no obligation quotation.

Partnering and Framework

As the building trade evolves, we have always tried to stay abreast of developments. Facilities management has become ever more prevalent, with large national and multi-national companies overseeing the maintenance of client sites in various public, retail and commercial sectors. By implementing thorough management processes and procedures, we are able to apply for approved contractor status on many such contracts. We currently work alongside several facilities management organisations including Amey, Integral and Engie. The sites can vary from public gardens and parks, to cemeteries, community centres and town halls, each with its own specific requirements. We believe our experience working in such diverse environments has developed a unique adaptability to plan and work with our clients to achieve their objectives whilst minimising any potential disruption.

Our People

We are a family firm specialising in civil engineering and surfacing projects, with a dedicated and hardworking team. Our skilled, in-house operatives have all the necessary experience and training to complete often complex projects on time and to budget. They are ably supported by a professional management team with a wide cross section of construction industry knowledge and experience.

Our employee turnover is low, with average staff employment over 10 years. Our regular customers are pleased to see the same faces on job after job, from site operatives to contract’s managers. We have sons who have followed their fathers into the business, as well as brothers working alongside brothers. As well as passing down detailed knowledge and experience, this family ethos forges a tight, team work ethic, with an enthusiastic and conscientious crew who want the best outcome for our customers. That is why clients trust us and return to James Callaghan Sons and Co time and time again.