Romsey: Growing WFBA confident that construction industry will remain buoyant

Romsey-based WFBA, consulting civil and structural engineers, expects the construction industry in the south to remain buoyant once the reality of Brexit and its implications are known.

WFBA has recorded its highest turnover to date, exceeding £1.6 million. Nick Groves, one of the founding directors, is confident that most of the projects delayed by some investors in the region will be given the green light for construction 'once positivity is regained'.

“Our investment in qualified people has continued and we now have our largest team since the business started in 1995, currently numbering 32 with an additional two engineers to join next month.

"The demand we are facing is from many market sectors including commercial (office, retail, manufacturing and warehousing), residential, education, hotel and leisure, refurbishment and marine-related projects, and as our capability has expanded so has the scale of the projects we are able to handle.”

Despite the pressures on available land, WFBA has consulted on more residential projects this year for companies including Bargate Homes, McCarthy and Stone and Travelodge across southern England, as well as projects for port and marine owners, including ABP and MDL. The company also provides independent forensic investigations to determine if mistakes have been made, either during the design or construction phases of a  project when it has become subject to a legal dispute.

The professional team at WFBA continues to play a major part within the Southern Regional Group of The Institution of Structural Engineers and supports the work of Portsmouth University as it encourages apprenticeship degrees within many sectors of the construction industry.