Rhodri opens Castleoak HQ as £30m contract won

Feb 27 2008 by Aled Blake, Western Mail

CARE home construction specialist Castleoak has secured its largest contract – worth £30m.

The Cardiff company announced a deal with Richmond Villages to build a care village in Letcombe Regis, Oxfordshire following the success of its first project for the same client in Northampton.

The new project, which will be completed in 2010, will comprise 30 residential care rooms, 74 serviced apartments, 73 village apartments, a “wellness” spa, restaurant, cafe and shop.

Castleoak has also begun work on a further £23m of contracts for other clients across the country in the first two months of the year.

Simon Greenstreet, Castleoak’s customer partnerships director, said, “This contract demonstrates how far we’ve come as a company. Over the past eight years, we have broadened our portfolio of work from care homes through to extra care apartments and care villages, like this.

“This contract follows on from our first with Richmond Villages at Northampton and reinforces the importance we attach to the creation of effective long term partnerships.”

It comes as the company had its new office in Cardiff Gate Business Park officially opened by First Minister Rhodri Morgan.

Castleoak moved into Raglan House, the 24,000 sq ft newly built premises on Cardiff Gate Business Park, in January after a year of planning, and now occupies two of the three floors.

The new facility will allow for the company’s planned expansion over the next five years which will see staff numbers increase to 160 and turnover to more than £100m.

Mr Morgan said, “Castleoak is a standout example of new-found business confidence and can-do attitude. It is a real home-grown success story.

“It started out as a small family run business in Raglan in 1984 and hasn’t looked back since. It is now recognised across the UK as a leader in building and development in the social care sector.

“I’m pleased to see that Castleoak is not resting on its laurels; the new HQ building, support for charitable activities and the firm’s dedication to their staff and their welfare show that. I am heartened to see that Castleoak has not forgotten its history, naming its new headquarters building after the town in Monmouthshire where the Castleoak story began.”

The company has been supported by the Welsh Assembly Government Knowledge Bank for Business scheme aimed at high growth businesses.

Castleoak executive chairman Mel Knight said, “We employ great staff and we wanted to create an environment which helps them to do their best work. I believe that the new building says something about the company and our values. It provides us with the platform we need to achieve our plans over the next five years.”

Castleoak Care Partnerships, which was founded in 1984, is one of the UK’s leading design and construction companies specialising in the social care sector.

It has designed and constructed more than 6,600 beds in purpose- built accommodation throughout the UK and provides complete turnkey solutions, from inception to furnishing and equipping. It employs 120 staff.

Castleoak Care Developments was established in 2006. Its primary function is to source and acquire land on which care homes can be developed.