Construction and fit-out company, Gilbert-Ash has reported a strong increase in profits, up by 11 percent to £7.6million with a further significant uplift projected this year.
With offices in Belfast, London and Dublin, the firm’s profit before tax increased from £6.8m in 2024. Turnover for 2025 of £227m was down from £268m in 2024, due to a change in the start of a large project that has since progressed at pace.
Solid operating cash generation has also strengthened the firm’s liquidity and reserves alongside a strong pipeline of work.
Gilbert-Ash has won several prestigious contracts including one to construct a tech campus on a sprawling 90-acre site for a US healthcare software company at Long Ashton near Bristol.
The company has also been appointed to carry out a major refurbishment of the London headquarters of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Projects completed in 2025 include the €47million citizenM hotel in Dublin, alongside two landmark aparthotel schemes: the £53million Wilde Aparthotel at Park Street in Cambridge and the £28m The July hotel in London.
The company’s stellar track record in arts and culture was cemented with the completion of the £40million Theatr Clwyd project in Wales, while its standing in the education sector was reinforced by the completion of St Paul’s Junior School in London and a major project at Winchester College.
Gilbert-Ash Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson, who has been shortlisted in the prestigious Building Awards for CEO of the Year, said the results reflect a business that has stayed the course through what remains a challenging period for construction.
He said: “The past few years have required careful navigation for our industry, but our results this year are proof that quality work and quality people are the best way to meet these challenges.
“We’ve used this period to deepen our connections with long-standing clients and to embark on new and exciting relationships across a range of sectors – 2025 has been a strong demonstration of that.”
Looking ahead, the company enters the new financial year with a significant order book and several high-profile projects underway.
Its relationship with Whitbread continues to flourish, with two Premier Inn hotels progressing in Dublin: the €41million Jervis Street hotel and the €37million O’Connell Street project, which together will add almost 450 beds to the city’s hotel offering.
While in England Gilbert-Ash is also working to deliver a Premier Inn in Brighton and two hub by Premier Inns in London, in Moorgate and Trafalgar Square, which, at 693 bedrooms, will be the largest Premier Inn hotel in Whitbread’s portfolio.
Meanwhile, work is nearing completion on a £30million state-of-the-art sports centre at Eton College and in the arts and culture sector work continues on Merseyside at the £28m refurbishment of Tate Liverpool.
Gilbert-Ash’s reputation as an employer of choice was further enhanced this year when it was named once again in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work listing, earning a high commendation in the 55+ category.
To help fuel this next stage of growth, Gilbert-Ash continues to invest significantly in its people through its Make Your Mark campaign, which celebrates the achievements of its workforce while attracting the industry’s best operators to join the company.
Ray Hutchinson continued: “Being recognised by The Sunday Times, alongside a growing order book spanning several sectors, makes this a genuinely exciting time for Gilbert-Ash. We’re continuing to seek out the best people in the industry to join us as we take the next steps in our growth.”
