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From Tiny Acorns Mighty Oaks Do Grow

Published on: 9 Jan 2017

We caught up with Director, Jonathan Tennant to discuss the extraordinary growth of Dalcour Maclaren across the past 14 years;

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"Growth? Oh yes we’ve done that! For the first year though, when it was just James Neil, George Gray-Cheape and myself we had no idea how things would develop. Our growth was the last thing on our minds! Our biggest challenge then was the one that is easiest for Dalcour Maclaren today. Back then we had to try and give the impression that we were a big national player in the utilities sector whereas now we most definitely are.

"By 2006, three years on from our standing start, we were up to 7 staff. Add on another five years (2011) and we were four times the size with 28 staff. Another six years brings us to today as we enter 2017 we now have 118 staff spread over 7 offices – our latest opening this month in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

"The secret of our growth? Well, unlike our competitors what we do is not just an add-on bit of a wider surveying business. What we do is our life-blood and everyone’s sole focus. We cover every aspect of the utilities sector. Nothing distracts us from that and we will never take on an instruction to act for a landowner to act against a utility company or acquiring authority. We also have a “home-grown” philosophy when it comes to our staff and wherever possible avoid the sub-contracting in of staff for projects. This gives us greater control on the quality of our work, consistency and delivery. I believe these aspects have generated a “one team” atmosphere – something which I think our clients recognise as well - which is far greater than I have experienced in other companies. We have a huge team brimming over with ideas, innovation and energy that strives to be the best – and these things represent the greatest engine for growth and success that anyone can hope for!

"This growth has seen not only the number of employees increase but also the number of clients and the geographical area that we now cover. We are no longer seen as a small specialised local firm; we are an expanding national business working across the whole of the United Kingdom. In 2015 an office was opened in Northern Ireland which now has 6 members of staff.”

As Surveyor, Simon Irving, who joined us last April, said “The Company definitely feels like a business that is not content with standing still. It is constantly pushing forwards, pursuing new clients, striving for better ways of working and growing in size. This is proven by the 22+ new starters that I have seen across the business since I started!”

“With big infrastructure projects on the horizon and new clients coming on board all the time, we’re looking for the next wave of surveyors that will play their part in the Dalcour Maclaren story”.

To apply for a Senior Surveyor Role please click here.

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