Kilmac

What Kilmac does

Kilmac is a Dundee-headquartered civil engineering and groundworks contractor operating across East and Central Scotland. Founded in 2004 by civil engineers Richard Kilcullen and Athole McDonald (who have worked together since 1988), the company delivers earthworks, drainage, foundations, concrete works, roadworks, building substructure, retaining structures, hard and soft landscaping, concrete floor slabs, and service utilities — typically as a main contractor or subcontractor to Tier 1 builders and public-sector clients. The workforce of over 180 is deployed from three offices (Dundee HQ at Delta House, Dunfermline and Livingston in West Lothian) with a privately owned fleet of more than 50 vehicles and company-owned plant. Differentiated technical capabilities cited include Passivhaus construction standards (e.g. Blairgowrie Recreation Centre, Perth High School) and SuDS-style urban drainage using porous block paving and strengthened cell web materials.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based contracts won via competitive tendering and framework agreements, with project values ranging from under £500k to over £3m and flagship schemes including the £7m Madras College in St Andrews and the £14m Broughty Ferry Flood Prevention Scheme. The customer base spans main contractors (Robertson Construction, BAM Construction, Balfour Beatty, Ogilvie Construction, McLaughlin & Harvey, Muir Construction), major retailers (Aldi, Lidl, Home Bargains), local authorities (Dundee City Council, Perth & Kinross Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Fife Council) and education institutions (University of Edinburgh), accessed via frameworks such as the Dundee City Council LOT 1 Civils Framework and the Hub North/East Central/South West Scotland frameworks. Beyond contracting, Kilmac operates Property Development under group director Derek Ross and a Renewables division offering fully financed turnkey onshore wind and hydro project development with 100% project funding.

The company began a phased transition to an Employee Ownership Trust in 2022 as part of succession planning, while sustaining its public-sector qualifications — ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001; Constructionline Gold; UVDB Silver; CECA membership; NPORS accreditation; Supply Chain Sustainability School Gold; Living Wage employer; Cyber Essentials. Sustainability investments include an all-electric company car fleet (since 2022) and a 500kW wind turbine near Forfar, alongside community activities delivered through the Kilmac Foundation (established May 2016) and a stadium naming-rights sponsorship of Dundee FC's Dens Park.

Name

Kilmac

Legal name

Kilmac Limited

Website

https://kilmac.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kilmac is a Dundee-headquartered civil engineering and groundworks contractor serving East and Central Scotland, delivering earthworks, drainage, foundations, roadworks and infrastructure projects to main contractors, retailers, local authorities and education clients, with a workforce of over 180.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Contracting

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Site Works EPC (Earthworks, Roads, Drainage, Foundations) (EUAEADAA)

Keywords

• Civil engineering contracting
• Groundworks services
• Drainage and attenuation
• Foundations construction
• Earthworks services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundee

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Civil Engineering Contracting: Delivering civil engineering projects as main contractor or subcontractor, including standalone groundworks packages and full civil engineering support as part of wider construction programmes. Revenue comes from project-based contracts with public and private sector clients across education, healthcare, commercial, residential, and renewables sectors.
2. Groundworks Services: Providing earthworks, drainage, foundations, reinforced concrete works, and hard landscaping as contracted packages to main contractors and developers.
3. Property Development: Direct property acquisitions, developments, and construction projects including commercial offices, retail units, and development sites across Scotland, managed by group director Derek Ross.
4. Renewables Development: Comprehensive onshore wind farm and hydro project development including financing and operation. Offers fully financed turnkey solutions, funding 100% of projects including legal expenses, with joint venture arrangements also available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kilmac is a civil engineering and groundworks contractor delivering infrastructure and building preparation services across East and Central Scotland. The company provides earthworks, drainage and attenuation, foundations, roadworks, retaining structures, hard and soft landscaping, building substructures, concrete floor slabs, and service utilities, either as standalone groundworks packages or full civil engineering support within larger construction programmes. It also operates a Property Development division and a Renewables division handling onshore wind and hydro project development and operation.

Product overview

Kilmac is a civil engineering and groundworks contractor offering a unified suite of construction services rather than a modular software platform. The core offering consists of Civil Engineering Contracting and Groundworks services, supplemented by specialist modules including Drainage and Attenuation, Earthworks, Foundations, Roadworks, Hard and Soft Landscaping, Building Substructure, Retaining Structures, Concrete Floor Slabs, and Service Utilities. The company also operates Property Development and Renewables divisions for property acquisitions and wind/hydro project delivery. A social impact initiative called the Kilmac Foundation handles community give-back and sponsorship activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering Contracting Civil engineering main contractor services covering infrastructure projects such as schools, flood defences, commercial developments, and public realm improvements for developers, local authorities, and main contractors across Scotland.
• Groundworks Comprehensive groundworks packages including earthworks, foundations, drainage, and concrete works delivered as standalone contracts or as part of wider construction programmes for main contractors and developers.
• Drainage and Attenuation Installation of shallow and deep drainage systems including adoptable sewer systems, attenuation storage crate systems, SuDS ponds, and related drainage infrastructure for construction projects.
• Earthworks Bulk excavation, earth moving, land profiling, cut and fill operations, vegetation clearance, and deep bulk excavations using privately owned plant and equipment.
• Foundations Foundation construction including concrete raft foundations, reinforced concrete pile caps, ground beams, trench fill foundations, strip foundations, and piling services for building projects.
• Roadworks Road construction services for both Local Authority adopted roads and private networks, including large-scale car parks and access road systems for new developments.
• Hard and Soft Landscaping Feature slabbed and paved areas using specialist skilled labour, supplemented by soft landscaped zones and urban drainage solutions including porous paved surfaces for natural rainfall dissipation.
• Building Substructure Building substructure packages including service pits, lift pits, building basements, waterproofing systems, sub-structure blockwork, and damp proof layers for commercial and residential buildings.
• Retaining Structures Design and installation of retaining structures including gravity walls, crib walls, gabion walls, cantilever walls, anchored walls, piled walls, and mechanically stabilised earth walls.
• Concrete Floor Slabs Finished concrete floor slabs to lower ground and upper mezzanine floors using lean construction methods and high volume concrete pours.
• Service Utilities Installation of service utilities systems including duct track installation and main service utilities tracking and connections for new developments.
• Property Development Property acquisitions, development, and construction services across industrial, commercial, and development sites in Scotland, led by Group Director Derek Ross.
• Renewables Development Development, project planning, construction, financing and operation of onshore wind farms and hydro projects in Scotland, including fully financed turnkey solutions funding 100% of project costs and joint venture arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered £7m Madras College and £14m Broughty Ferry Flood Prevention Scheme as key projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Balfour BeattycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2024Partnership to build East Lothian schools. Kilmac delivers groundworks packages as part of larger construction programmes.
• Robertson ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Long-standing partnership with Tier 1 contractor Robertson. Kilmac delivers groundworks packages for Robertson projects including schools, universities, and infrastructure. In 2024, Robertson awarded Kilmac the Outstanding Contribution to Social Value Award recognizing their partnership.
• Hub North ScotlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivered through Hub North Scotland framework for public sector projects including Hazlehead Academy with Robertson Construction Tayside.
• Hub East CentralcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFramework partner for Templehall Community Hub project delivered for BAM and Fife Council.
• Hub South WestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFramework partner for Chryston High School extension delivered for North Lanarkshire Council by BAM Construction.
• CECA AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CECA Academy to help students transition into industry with real-world experience, guaranteed interview, and mentoring throughout the process.
• Clued UpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver employability support to young people affected by disadvantage, opening pathways into careers in construction.
• Dundee Football ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStadium sponsorship arrangement - stadium renamed Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park for six-figure deal. Previous shirt sponsors with increased company branding around stadium.
• McLaughlin & Harvey ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on multiple projects including University of Edinburgh Nucleus, Fife Central Retail Park, and Broughty Ferry Flood Prevention Scheme.
• Ogilvie ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership delivering projects including ASN Grangemouth, Greenmarket BT Headquarters, and Usher Institute.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BAM Construct UK: UK Tier 1 main contractor with significant Scottish operations delivering education, healthcare, and commercial projects where Kilmac provides groundworks subcontracts; larger and broader than Kilmac, but its Scottish project portfolio makes it the most directly overlapping customer-competitor pair.
• Balfour Beatty: Global infrastructure group with substantial UK and Scottish operations delivering highways, rail, and building projects; broader than Kilmac in scale and capabilities, but directly comparable on the civil engineering and groundworks scope where Kilmac acts as subcontractor (e.g., East Lothian schools partnership).
• Galliford Try: UK-listed infrastructure and construction group whose Morrison Construction and building divisions operate across Scotland; not a groundworks specialist but the closest publicly traded analogue for Scottish civil engineering and infrastructure delivery at meaningfully larger scale.
• Kier Group: UK-listed infrastructure, construction, and property developer with significant highways, water, and utilities exposure; broadly comparable on the civil engineering and groundworks footprint, with overlapping public-sector framework positioning.

Direct peers

• Robertson Construction: Scottish Tier 1 contractor headquartered near Kilmac's territory and a long-standing customer of Kilmac on education, healthcare, and infrastructure projects; Robertson both competes for civil engineering work and procures Kilmac as a groundworks subcontractor, making it the closest comparable contractor by geography, project mix, and customer overlap.
• Ogilvie Construction: Scottish building and civil engineering contractor serving public and private clients across education, commercial, and infrastructure; comparable in size, Scottish focus, and the same subcontractor role on shared frameworks (Hub North Scotland, Hub East Central).
• Marshall Construction: Scottish building contractor delivering education, healthcare, and commercial projects; comparable in size and geography to Kilmac and a repeat customer on education projects (e.g., Alyth Primary School) where both play overlapping roles in the East/Central Scotland subcontracting market.
• Morrison Construction: Scottish-headquartered civil engineering and building contractor (part of Galliford Try) delivering infrastructure, water, and public-sector projects across Scotland; directly comparable in service scope (earthworks, drainage, structures) and in targeting the same local-authority and Tier 1 contractor clients as Kilmac.
• McLaughlin & Harvey: Northern Ireland-headquartered civil engineering and building contractor active in Scotland on retail, education, and infrastructure projects (including joint delivery with Kilmac on Fife Central Retail Park and the Edinburgh Nucleus); directly comparable in scale, civil engineering offering, and Scottish client overlap.

Emerging players

• Barhale plc: UK privately held civil engineering and infrastructure specialist focused on water, utilities, and transport infrastructure including trenchless technology and below-ground works; comparable on the civil/groundworks delivery model but with a heavier tilt toward utilities framework work, which is an adjacent vertical Kilmac is approaching through drainage and SuDS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kilmac2004
• Facebookfacebook.com/kilmacltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kilmac-ltd-dundee
• Instagraminstagram.com/kilmaclimited/?hl=en

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kilmac