Lakehouse Contracts

Lakehouse was founded in 1988 by Chief Executive Steve Rawlings. They have headquarters in Romford, Essex, and regional offices in Camden, Hackney, Richmond, Andover and Kent, enabling them to provide a full service throughout London and the South of England.

The company has grown significantly since its inception and we employ a workforce in excess of 300 staff. Turnover for 2009/10 was £104million, a 51% increase on the previous year.

The majority of their work is focused in four core areas - social housing, education, health, and public buildings. Their service offering covers development, new build, regeneration and refurbishment, and repairs and maintenance. It is Lakehouse's aim to create better environments for people to live, work and learn.

Lakehouse's motivation is in the provision of outstanding customer satisfaction, knowing that satisfied customers will return to them time and time again.

BTMK are very proud to announce that Lakehouse were the winners of HM The Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2011, Building Awards Diversity Champion of the Year 2011, and Building Awards Contractor of the Year 2010.

What Lakehouse say about BTMK

“A good fit”: is how Lakehouse Contracts Limited, describes the company’s relationship with BTMK employment law specialist Fiona McAnaw. Essex based Lakehouse is an £80 million turnover company that has come a long way in a short time.  In 2008, it celebrated its 20^th anniversary by being named SME Contractor of the Year in Contract Journals Construction Industry Awards, underlining the success of its high quality approach to work ranging from major refurbishments and restorations to design and build projects and upgrading housing to meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard.

As a company named as one of the top five contractors in Building’s 2008 Good Employer Guides, which highlights construction companies committed to good employment standards, Lakehouse is also keenly aware of its responsibilities to its 200 plus staff. 

Even so, employment relationships do break down from time to time, and it is in those cases that Ken calls on Fiona’s expertise.  They explains: “It doesn’t happen often but, at times, a dispute may arise at the end of an employment that can't be settled amicably.

“We first started working with Fiona a couple of years ago, after she was recommended by a contact within Lakehouse.  She came in to talk to us and I liked her style.  I am very much a “do it now, do it properly” person and that is what I saw in Fiona.

“She is very professional and very pleasant but I have also seen her run rings around the other side.  Fiona has a commercial approach that means she looks for practical solutions and she has really helped us by managing disputes so that they are settled before they get to court.  In fact we have never had to go to a tribunal.”

Lakehouse says that this common-sense approach to managing disputes has proved highly cost-effective, which adds to their confidence in turning to Fiona when a dispute gets “ too hot to handle”, as he puts it.

He sums up: “She is tough, professional, she gives good advice, gets results and she is a genuinely nice person to work with.  Fiona is a good fit with the Lakehouse culture.”