The award-winning, multi-discipline property and construction consultancy, Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge), is celebrating its 30-year anniversary in Bristol.
Since the office opened in 1988, the consultancy has worked on key projects across the city, including the Airbus Aerospace Park in Filton, the design and build of the Knowle West Media Centre and the redevelopment of Hartwell House on Victoria Street, as well as on a number of projects for the John Cabot Academy.
The Bristol office, which was launched in the city centre by Martyn Garbutt in 1988, started life with just six employees. Today Ridge employs 32 members of staff at its Ham Green office, where it moved in 2004 after it outgrew its town centre premises. Over the last six months, the team has grown by 15 per cent to meet increasing demand for its services, which include building surveying, project management, civil and building services engineering. There are plans in place to appoint a further five consultants by the end of the year.
Greg Aston, Partner at Ridge, said:
“We’re delighted to have reached this major milestone in Bristol, which is testament to both the buoyancy of the local property and construction market and the reputation we have carved out for ourselves over the last 30 years. Ridge is always on the look-out for new talent and we strongly believe it’s the skilled staff we have here that are at the core of the company’s success. We’re incredibly proud of the Bristol office and everything it’s achieved in the last 30 years and we look forward to seeing what the next 30 bring!”
The team’s longest-standing member of staff is surveyor Chris Brown, who’s been with the business in Bristol since its inception in 1988. He says a lot’s changed in that time:
“When I first started, we all had drawing boards as computer aided design software didn’t exist then. We only had one phone and one computer between us, and these were mainly for our secretary to use. Obviously technology has had a huge part to play in the evolution of the business but it’s still a great, people-focused company.”
Over the course of its 30-year history, Ridge has developed a passion for CSR initiatives, and in early 2018, the Bristol team held a quiz night to raise money for their chosen charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Donations from more than 130 guests helped to raise over £2,800 for the charity, beating their initial target and more than doubling the amount raised in 2017. As part of its 30-year celebrations, Ridge is also sponsoring Portishead Cricket Club’s first Under-11s girls’ team which coincides with Sport England’s ‘This Girl Can’ campaign.
Ridge was the proud winner of the prestigious Building Magazine ‘Construction Consultant of the Year’ award in 2017 and most recently in 2018, the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) South West award for ‘Best Large Commercial Building’.