Blackpool-based Fox Brothers has bought North West civil engineer and highways contractor J J O’Grady to further extend its range of services.

Established in 2006, Preston-based J J O’Grady has a track record of working with local authorities, housing developers and civil engineering contractors.

Under the terms of the deal, J J O’Grady continues to trade under its own name within the Fox Group of companies.

Established in 1932, Fox employs around 80 staff and specialises in the supply and haulage of aggregates, recycled materials, muck-shift, earthworks and civil engineering projects. Last year revenues totalled £16m, slipping from £22m because of Covid.

Fox director John Flood said: “The acquisition makes perfect strategic sense for our business as  J J O’Grady adds several different services and different customers, including local authorities.

“It has an excellent reputation, and we believe it has a great deal of potential to grow.

“We will be able to offer clients a more complete solution from site preparation through to highways and street maintenance.

“Our focus is on providing a single-source solution for local authorities, housebuilders, infrastructure, construction and civils contractors.”

Founder Seamus O’Grady will stay in the business, which continues day-to-day operations from its base at Lostock Hall.

Flood added “We would like to thank our non-executive director, Owen McLaughlin, for his support through the acquisition process.”

In September 2020  Fox acquired Clive Hurt (Plant Hire) to create the largest provider of haulage and plant hire services in Lancashire, with a 180-strong fleet of wagons and over 400 items of plant and machinery.

Flood added: “We will continue to look  for other opportunities to expand our services.”

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Sir Robert McAlpine’s managing director of the London business, Paul Heather, has suddenly left the business.

Heather joined McAlpine from Skanska nearly five years ago, where he had been working as managing director of its succesful London and the South East team.

A source told the Enquirer: “We suddenly got an email saying he was leaving the business, nothing else.”

He will be replaced by Alison Cox, who was McApines’s executibve director of engineering and technical services, the first woman to undertake the Director of Engineering and Technical Services role in the company’s 150-year history.

Before herBefore her appointment to the executive board in January, Cox was project director on McAlpine’s high profile Battersea Power Station Phase 3A project.

A McAlpine spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Alison Cox is assuming responsibility for our London region with immediate effect. We have no further comment to make at this time.”