A profitable year in the face of adversity

The accounts for J P Dunn Construction Ltd up to the end of September 2020 will shortly be submitted to Companies House. Rarely have so many obstacles had to be overcome by the business – with first the uncertainty of Brexit, and then the impact of Covid-19. Despite a reduction in turnover the company still made a profit – albeit at a more modest level than in recent years. This is a credit to the entire JPD team.

At the beginning of the last lockdown work on many of the sites was suspended and project starts were put on hold. The company had to adapt fast and is now in a much better place with a raft of new jobs kicking off.

All furloughed staff have returned to work, redundancies have been avoided, and the temporary wage reductions put in place in May/June were fully reinstated in July. The company has also been able to maintain its commitments to the graduate and apprenticeship schemes that are so important to the company’s future.

Going forward J P Dunn Construction Ltd is in a good place with a healthy cash reserve, well maintained plant that is already paid for, and a strong and diverse client base. The order book for 20/21 is back at pre-Covid levels.

On the projects at Aylesbury Estate, Havering, and Westminster J P Dunn is engaged in regeneration schemes to provide important housing. Works on NHS projects at Maudsley, St Barts and Royal Brompton Hospitals come at a time when the infrastructure of the health service is coming under a particular strain. This week J P Dunn handover The Green School for Boys in Isleworth. All of these projects emphasise the critical nature of construction and give reasons to feel both positive and proud in respect of the contribution of the company over the last year and going forward.