As Director Ron O'Connor explained: "I'd worked for some of the largest international firms, including WSP, Mouchel and White Young Green. I'd reached a point where I wanted to be my own boss, keeping my hand in on the design side, while also taking pride in developing a business and running my own team.
"I set up PRO Structures in 2007, and despite the testing economic times, we've gone from strength to strength, winning ever more exciting and prestigious projects, including a high proportion of repeat business – at least 80% of our workload."
Expansion and Awards
The company now has seven staff members, including a degree apprentice who started with them this October, and is currently recruiting for a middle-to-senior level structural engineer. They have moved to larger and more prestigious offices in north Bristol, and have branched out into exciting areas of design including change of use (converting disused office and agricultural buildings into residential), façade engineering including for stadia, retail complexes and supermarkets, and an increasing amount of bespoke 'green' residential designs.
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"We started off mainly working on the residential side," said Ron, "but it's very exciting to see this expand into other areas, including office and commercial spaces. We do still undertake a lot of residential work, but this is increasingly bespoke architectural schemes, or for volume house builders such as Redrow. We've been proud to win the accolade of Highly Recommended in the LABC Building Excellence Awards a little while back, as well as Best Residential Structural Engineering Firm - Southwest England in this year's CV Magazine's UK Excellence Awards.
So what is the secret of PRO Structures' success?
"I really think it is that essential combination of service and value," said Ron. "Large firms inevitably have higher overheads, and also their senior staff often can't pay individual attention to each project. Small firms are in a position to offer lower fees, and if their engineers have gained a good breadth of solid professional experience, and the processes and overall management are designed to cope with the demands of a growing business, they will thrive."
With a growing and enviable reputation in the South West, PRO Structures is the structural engineer of choice for Redrow Homes (SW) as well as smaller developers and contractors such as Nelson Developments, BJ Campbell and St George's Homes. On the architectural side, clients include Angus Meek, GSH, dz Architecture and Clear Future Architects. PRO Structures has carried out the structural design for several care home conversions for the Aurora Partnership, and a whole retirement village at Brade Drive in Coventry for Hall Bros, as well as carrying out structural glazing design for both Ridgeway Glazing and The Windowglass Company.
If any architects, surveyors, specialists or developers in the south west region and beyond would like to be sure of the very best structural advice, from a firm who really cares and will do their utmost to solve problems and add value, then they would do well to get in touch.
Call PRO Structures today on 0117 923 8777; email info@prostructures.co.uk, or visit www.prostructures.co.uk.
