Latest news with #Akela
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Akela Construction unveils bold new strategy to tackle national infrastructure and skills crisis
Managing Director Robert Ogg unveiled the strategy, marking his first year in post, at a company-wide 'State of the Nation' briefing held at Hampden Park earlier this month. With bases in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Akela Construction will now operate as a three-sector business, with targeted delivery across: Residential infrastructure , supporting key partners across the central belt to drive the creation of new homes to help tackle the housing crisis , supporting key partners across the central belt to drive the creation of new homes to help tackle the housing crisis Civil engineering and general infrastructure , including roads, earthworks, drainage and utilities , including roads, earthworks, drainage and utilities Energy infrastructure, including substations, cabling and Battery Energy Storage Systems aligned with national Net Zero commitments This strategic pivot comes amid growing delivery pressures across the sectors. Despite widespread acknowledgement of a housing emergency, recent figures show completions down 4%, new starts down 11%, with private housing output at its lowest since 2012 and social housing at its lowest since 2016*. Meanwhile, transport proposals, strained water and drainage networks and a forecasted energy spend of £45bn by 2035 create an urgent mandate for sector-wide readiness and capacity. Under Robert's leadership, Akela Construction, and wider Akela Group, has secured a place on various new procurement routes, including frameworks and the Scottish Government's Pan-Scotland Civil Engineering Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). These will position Akela Construction for sustained pipeline growth, spanning Scotland over the next six years. 'Scotland's infrastructure is facing acute stress - across housing, transport, utilities and energy,' said Robert Ogg, Managing Director of Akela Construction. 'But with the right strategic focus and skillset, we can rise to meet that demand. This strategy isn't cosmetic, it's operational. We've repositioned Akela Construction to be more agile, transparent and aligned with where Scotland needs delivery most. 'While high-value energy investment in the north of Scotland is causing a real shift in the workforce landscape, we're taking a pan-Scotland view, with projects even being secured across the wider UK. Akela Construction is ready and we're already delivering.' Internally, Akela has embedded new performance protocols, as well as a more robust focus on sourcing and utilising the right data to support wider business priorities. Expanded metrics in localism, sustainability and supply chain resilience will shape future delivery. Robert Ogg continues: 'With 30% of Akela's workforce now under 30, and a goal to reach 50% within five years, we are actively tackling Scotland's ageing construction workforce through apprenticeships, employability programmes and direct career pathways. The launch of the Akela Training Academy in November last year, as well as our work with the CECA Academy, has helped us make positive strides in this direction. 'Scotland needs infrastructure delivered at pace but we can only do this if we have the right opportunities for upskilling and training the workforce,' 'That means valuing skills, creating opportunity and building responsibly, with people at the heart of every project. This new strategy provides the blueprint for Akela Construction's next phase of growth.'
Scotsman
6 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Scottish ground engineering firm grows Midlands presence with fourth Owl Homes site
Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Glasgow-based Akela Group, has continued to grow its presence across The Midlands with the announcement of a fourth ground engineering contract with award-winning developer Owl Homes. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Akela will install tubular steel piles for Owl Homes' Waltonbrook development in Burton on the Wolds, Leicestershire, which will comprise of 66two to five bedroom homes. The site is due to launch in autumn 2025. A fourth active site with Owl Homes further cements the relationship between the two companies and supports Akela's strategic goal of growing its presence across The Midlands. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Akela completed precast concrete piles for the first phase of Owl Homes' Oakwood site at Stoke Golding in Nuneaton and will return in September to begin phase two. The team are also currently onsite at Willowbank Meadows in Tewkesbury to install precast concrete piles. Will Payne, Managing Director at Akela Ground Engineering In addition, Akela will start onsite in August to deliver driven precast concrete piles at Furrows Close, Worcester, an affordable housing development by Owl Partnerships, of the Owl Group. 'Our growing relationship with the Owl Group is a great example of strategic collaboration in action,' said Will Payne, Managing Director at Akela Ground Engineering. 'Securing a fourth active site not only reinforces the trust and alignment between our two organisations but also marks another meaningful step in our expansion across The Midlands, a region that continues to be central to our long-term growth plans. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're delivering our specialist ground engineering services using our fleet of JX JCB driven piling rigs which has helped to ensure ground stability and manage natural soil movement caused by nearby trees. It's a practical example of how our technical capabilities and partnership approach are helping housebuilders unlock development potential with confidence.' Akela Ground Engineering currently onsite at Willowbank Meadows in Tewkesbury Ricki Hughes, Construction Director at Owl Homes, said: 'At Owl, it's important for us to establish strong relationships with our partners to deliver an exceptional end product for our customers. We are pleased to have partnered with Akela Ground Engineering on these new sites and look forward to working with them further across The Midlands.' Headquartered in Glasgow, Akela Ground Engineering opened its first office in England in Swadlincote earlier this year and announced the appointment of precast piling expert John Ward who will be driving operations in England. A key focus will be to source an English manufacturing base to increase capacity for Akela's groundbreaking ABeam precast system, which was launched to market in early 2024.
The Herald Scotland
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Time for hard choices in Scotland's infrastructure sector
And yet, what worries me most isn't the data. It's the inertia. There is a tendency in our industry, and perhaps across government too, to wait for the perfect conditions before moving. But those conditions may never arrive. The pace of change is quickening. Geopolitical uncertainty, ageing cross-sector infrastructure and mounting expectations on net zero all point to a delivery environment where agility and strategic clarity are absolutely critical. One example is the shifting shape of Scotland's construction workforce. High-value energy investment in the north of Scotland is undoubtedly exciting, but it's also diverting labour away from the central belt and other regions that still need delivery to continue at pace. What we're seeing is a kind of skills migration, what I've termed a 'reverse of the Highland Clearances', that is leaving significant workforce gaps in its wake. This will, inevitably, lead to project delays and, indeed, cancellations, unless action is taken. We need to keep all of Scotland switched on. That means investing now in apprenticeships, employability programmes and knowledge transfer. At Akela Construction, we've placed that commitment at the heart of our strategy – with 30% of our team now under 30, and a goal to reach 50% in five years. This isn't just good practice. It's necessary internal infrastructure in its own right and a core driver of long-term delivery confidence. Being agile doesn't mean chasing trends. It means building organisational resilience and having the confidence to diversify, to engage meaningfully with government and local authorities and to set your business up for long-term value rather than short-term volatility. Our own strategic pivot is shaped by that thinking. We've moved decisively into three integrated sectors: residential, civil and energy infrastructure. We've embedded transparent performance protocols. And we've joined procurement frameworks that allow us to tender with purpose and predictability. But this isn't a story about Akela Construction. It's a call for urgency across our industry. Scotland needs partners who are thinking nationally, while acting and delivering locally. That means bridging the delivery gap between high-growth energy projects and the everyday civil infrastructure that communities across Scotland rely upon. It also means not waiting for direction from others but setting your own. Because when the ground shifts, as it's doing right now, being prepared isn't a luxury. It's what determines whether you move forward or get left behind. Robert Ogg is Managing Director of Akela Construction, part of the Akela Group Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@
South Wales Argus
28-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
Police dog puts ‘best paw forward' to find 'concerned' person in town
A police dog named Akela tracked down someone officers were concerned about in Blackwood. (Image: Gwent Police) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. A police dog put her 'best paw forward' to find a person officers were concerned about in a Gwent town. Akela helped locate the individual in the Blackwood area. She managed to track the individual down the street before going into a wooded area where the person was found. A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: 'Team Akela was on hand to help last night. 'Caerphilly officers called on our four-legged officer's skills to help find a person in the Blackwood area who they were concerned about. 'Akela was more than happy to help. She put her best paw forward, tracked down the street, into a wooded area, and straight to the person. Paw-some work from our girl and her handler.'
