Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Akela Group, has appointed precast piling manufacturing expert, John Ward, to support expansion of its precast manufacturing operations in England.
With over 35 years of industry experience and a wealth of operational insight from roles with Aarsleff Ground Engineering UK, Centrum Pile Ltd and Green Piling, John joins Akela Group as Precast Manager and will be based between the Swadlincote and Glasgow offices.
As well as managing the Glasgow facility, a key focus for John 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.
Currently manufactured at the company’s purpose-built facility near Glasgow, ABeam is a unique precast concrete beam system that uses a specially designed mechanical joint, allowing foundation ground beams to be installed in just a few hours.
Not dependent on weather conditions, ABeam has been met with a positive reception from housebuilders in Scotland who have made significant time savings and efficiencies. Akela Ground Engineering is keen to grow the roll-out of the product across the UK and Ireland.
In January the company announced its new Irish base in Co. Armagh and appointment of Barry Christy as Operations Manager for Akela Ground Engineering Ireland.
Will Payne, Managing Director of Akela Ground Engineering, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome John to the team. His knowledge and expertise will play an important role in our strategic expansion plans in England.
“Since launching to the Scottish market in early 2024, we have worked hard to roll out our ABeam system, with leading housebuilders seeing success at sites across the central belt. John will play a key part in our plans to create a manufacturing base in The Midlands which will enable us to offer this service to customers across England.”
Speaking of his appointment, John Ward said: “I have been aware of Akela Group’s significant growth over the last few years and have been impressed with the company’s commitment to sustainable growth and innovative operations. The future of the construction industry will hinge on companies investing in innovative solutions and skills development and Akela Group has demonstrated its focus in these areas.
“The launch of ABeam in 2024 was an exciting step change in our industry and I am looking forward to supporting its introduction and adoption by developers in England.” Leading housebuilders have praised ABeam for achieving significant efficiencies and helping to increase the number of homes built on their sites across Scotland. The system has received NHBC Accepts certification and the UKCA mark for its production facility, reinforcing Akela Group’s commitment to quality and reliability.
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