Just over 12 months ago, Kilmarnock-based Hugh LS McConnell was joined by Mr McGarvey, a leading figure on the Scottish housing scene.

Mr McGarvey had left Engie at the end of 2017 after 10 hugely-successful years.  As regional managing director, he had grown the business, which had originally started as Apollo Property Services Group, from its inception in Scotland to revenues of £60 million.

His switch to McConnell brought to an end the 30-year reign of Angus Tosh, who had grown the Ayrshire business over three decades.

During his tenure, Angus had successfully nurtured the company to become one of Scotland’s largest independent specialist roofing contractors.

Headquartered in Kilmarnock, with offices also in Camberley in Surrey, McConnell has an industry-wide reputation for delivering quality projects in specialist flat roofing, sheeting & cladding and painting. The business can trace its business roots in Kilmarnock back to 1929.

McConnell employs 90 directly-employed staff and has an annual turnover of £14m. New managing director McGarvey said was delighted to take over the reins of such an established and respected business.

On discovering that Angus was looking to exit the business, things moved very quickly towards a smooth takeover.

Eamonn said: “I had worked extensively with Hugh LS McConnell over the years and they quickly became our preferred contractor for specialist roofing and cladding works.”

Having that level of knowledge about the business definitely helped during the business transition period. It quickly became clear to Eamonn that McConnell’s was a business with an extremely loyal staff and client base.

He added: “We found a business where the majority of senior staff had been with the company for over 20 years.

“In many ways, it seemed like McConnell were one of the industry’s best-kept secrets.”

At Hugh LS McConnell over the years, many of the staff had started out as apprentices and then worked their way up into management positions.

It was clear that the strong business DNA had also been pivotal in building long term relationships with a number of key clients, with whom McConnell still continues to secure repeat business,

Going forward, the business hopes to build on these successful relationships, as well as widen McConnell’s client base across both the public and private sectors in which it operates.

McConnell operates as both a specialist main contractor and flat roofing, sheeting & cladding and painting subcontractor in construction, refurbishment, maintenance and infrastructure sectors.