From managing complex site transformations — including an ambitious construction project to future-proof one of Tewkesbury’s biggest employers — to beating off competition from national and international businesses, becoming an official supplier for a prestigious NHS framework agreement, Gloucester-based Vitruvius Management Services is considered an unstoppable force in the county.
SoGlos chats to Mark Price, managing director of the Brockworth company, to discover some of the secrets behind the firm's thriving success — from his own well-earned accolades to his expert team.
Can you provide a brief overview of yourself and the firm’s history and how it has evolved over the years?
I founded Vitruvius over a decade ago — well, 17 years ago this year actually.
Vitruvius is a team of construction professionals. We are all passionate about construction and how to achieve the best value for our clients in their construction journey, however that may look for them.
As a child I loved diggers and never looked back. I trained as a quantity surveyor and then in project management, which led to a career in the construction industry.
I set up Vitruvius Management Services Ltd after having worked in major leadership roles for national consultants and major building companies such as Buro Four and Laing O'Rourke.
What gives me the greatest satisfaction is solving problems for my clients and I’ve built a like-minded team in Vitruvius who are able to bring solutions to them. I still love diggers, too!
In your own words, can you explain what services Vitruvius provides?
Vitruvius is a team of commercially trained project managers; we support our clients through their construction journey, from conception of the brief through to the construction phase, occupation, or at any of the stages they might need an experienced professional team.
At its simplest, we provide cost management, project management and construction management services. We define, lead, and deliver our clients’ built-environment projects.
Can you describe the key members of your team and their respective areas of expertise?
We have some highly experienced members in our team.
Our associate directors:
- Projects, Andrew Osborn, has an international career spanning many multi-billion pound schemes in the middle east.
- Commercial, Paul Walsh, has a career background with major UK contractors.
Both Andrew and Paul manage a team with decades of experience in quantity surveying and project management.
What sets your team and/or business apart from others within the industry?
We are commercially minded project managers, so we strive to get the best value for our clients over the whole construction journey, by owning and managing project risk and leading the delivery.
What are some of the most significant milestones or achievements in the firm’s history that you’re particularly proud of?
Achieving our clients' goals is our ultimate target. In ever more turbulent economic times, our team's problem solving skills ensure we get the best for our clients. A recent project completion for repeat client, Hartpury University, was a new Veterinary Nursing and Technical skills centre, completed on time and in budget. This followed four other projects in the recent past, most notably, the Graze Catering Hub.
We have strong relationships spanning multiple projects with some major Gloucestershire companies, including Hartpury University and College, Gloucestershire Airport and Cotteswold Dairy.
Why is it important for clients to involve your firm early in the planning and design stages of a project, and what are some of the common challenges or risks that clients might face if they wait until a problem arises to bring you on board?
Early involvement ensures maximum value for our clients and the chance to best achieve their business goals more efficiently.
Our team are excellent problem solvers as this is the main part of what we as project managers do. We are able to thrash out any possible problems and explore and identify the options that are most important to our client’s business when discussions are in the early stages.
Some common challenges are getting the projects through planning first time, and getting the planning correct, as we have a 100 per cent success of achieving planning for our clients.
This ensures that the right team can be built for the projects and saves money and time in the long run.
How do you ensure continuous improvement within your organisation and maintain a high standard of service on every project?
As accredited professionals the Vitruvius team are continuously learning to ensure our high standards of service are met. We are not only accredited as individuals, but the company is accredited as a chartered building company.
In early 2024, we were one of the first businesses to achieve the new status of ‘Chartered Construction Management Company’ as a member of the CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building).
Gaining Investors in People Gold for a second time running cements our employees commitment to learn and improve.
What is the firm's vision for the future, and how do you see the industry evolving in the next five to 10 years?
Our vision for the future is to continue to work in partnership with our clients’, supporting their business goals and creating/delivering the right built environment to make change happen.
When we update and elevate a built environment in line with a company’s goals, our clients can attract new talent, customers and pupils, and, in turn, continued company growth.
We love watching our ideas come
to life, putting together local talented companies to achieve stunning,
functional environments, whether it be educational facilities or commercial
facilities.
