‘The contracting model needs to change’ – Permasteelisa’s boss on why the industry can’t go on like this

By Dave Rogers2024-09-26T06:00:00

Source: Shutterstock

Liam Cummins joined the cladding specialist in 2023 after years working for main contractors. He talks to Dave Rogers about unsustainable margins, working for some formidable CEOs and why London is still the place to do business

Liam Cummins’ last three bosses read like a roll-call of chief executives in the contracting industry.

There was John Gains, knighted in 2003, who was in charge of Mowlem for nine years before leaving at the end of 2004. Cummins had already departed – for Laing O’Rourke – by the time Mowlem, then listed on the Stock Exchange, was bought for £290m by Carillion in 2006. Imagine that now.

Cummins was at Mowlem for six years, then stayed with Ray O’Rourke for 17 years, initially as boss of Crown House and later at its building arm working on schemes such as the Cheesegrater and the Ascot racecourse redevelopment.

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