I & H Brown
I & H Brown is a UK civil engineering and construction group operating across Civil Engineering, Development, Farming & Estates, Plant Hire, and Energy divisions, serving public-sector bodies and enterprise clients with infrastructure, earthworks, remediation, renewable energy construction, and property development projects from offices in Perth and Warrington.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersPerth, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What I & H Brown does
I & H Brown Limited is a privately held, family-owned UK civil engineering and construction group headquartered in Perth, Scotland, with a second office in Warrington, England. Founded in 1964 by brothers Ian and Hardie Brown on a 90-acre farm in Fife, the company has evolved into a diversified five-division platform: Civil Engineering (infrastructure, earthworks, structures, remediation), Development (land promotion and serviced sites for housebuilders), Farming & Estates (4,000+ acres of arable farmland and 17,500 acres of upland in Inverness-shire, plus 677 hectares of managed woodland), Plant Hire (150+ Caterpillar and Volvo machines), and Energy (owned wind farm assets plus renewable energy construction services). Third-generation family members are now active in leadership.
The group's core civil engineering business delivers infrastructure, earthworks, energy grid-connection works (substations for offshore wind including the 450MW NNG project and 950MW Moray East platform), waste-sector facilities, bridges and highways, and remediation of post-industrial sites (former distilleries, power station ash lagoons, landfill reclamation including the UK's largest at Winchburgh). Notable technical capabilities include a fleet of 50+ heavy plant (D9 dozers, 50T ADTs, 60T excavators), guided auger directional drilling, the Mabey Delta Bridge system, an offsite materials logistics hub, and GPS-equipped machinery. The Energy Division pivoted from opencast coal mining (1985 launch) to renewables in the early 2000s and now operates its own wind farm in Northern Ireland alongside receiving rent from turbines on company land.
Commercially, I & H Brown operates an enterprise field-sales motion, winning work through competitive tender processes and framework agreements with public-sector bodies (South Lanarkshire Council, Warrington Borough Council, ABP) and private enterprise clients (INEOS FPS under an 18+ year framework, GE Grid Solutions, Siemens, RWE Innogy, Scottish Power, Places for People, Miller Developments, Suez, FCC Environmental). Pricing is project-based and quote-driven; disclosed contract values range from approximately £8.5m (Longannet/Cockenzie remediation) to £21.4m (West Craigs Infrastructure). The company employs around 220 people and reports approximate annual turnover of £70 million. Revenue streams span one-time civil engineering projects, land/property development sales, external plant hire, agricultural output (barley, wheat, potatoes, oil seed rape), and renewable energy generation income. Certification stack includes ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and 50001, with formal Net Zero commitments targeting Scope 1&2 by 2039 and all scopes by 2045.
I & H Brown firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- I & H Brown
- Legal name
- I & H Brown Limited
- Website
- https://ihbrown.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- I & H Brown is a UK civil engineering and construction group operating across Civil Engineering, Development, Farming & Estates, Plant Hire, and Energy divisions, serving public-sector bodies and enterprise clients with infrastructure, earthworks, remediation, renewable energy construction, and property development projects from offices in Perth and Warrington.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
I & H Brown industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Engineering Construction Services
- NAICS
- Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Utility System Construction (2371)
- SIC
- Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Site Remediation & Contaminated Soil Handling (IMAFAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI), Balance-of-Plant (BOP) & Civil Works for Power Plants (EUAEAAAL)
Keywords
Where I & H Brown is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Perth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
I & H Brown business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Civil Engineering Projects: Core revenue from civil engineering contracting services including infrastructure, earthworks, structures, energy, and remediation projects. Revenue is project-based, generated through competitive tendering and framework agreements with public and private sector clients.
- Property Development: Development division generates revenue through land development and sale of development sites to housebuilders. Also includes portfolio of investment properties contributing to stable recurring income.
- Plant Hire Services: External plant hire services offered to organisations outside the civil engineering division. Fleet of 150+ machines from Caterpillar and Volvo with nationwide service networks.
- Farming & Land Operations: Revenue from farming operations supplying barley, wheat, potatoes, oil seed rape, and other produce to food and drinks industry. Also rental income from wind turbines on company land.
- Renewable Energy Operations: Own and operate wind farms generating revenue. Currently own and operate a wind farm in Northern Ireland and receive rent from turbines on company land.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | NNG Substation project value |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Manston Lane Link Road project value |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Blindwells Earthworks project value |
| Other | Multi-year contract | West Craigs Infrastructure project value |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
I & H Brown product offering
Product offeringCore offering
I & H Brown is a UK civil engineering contractor delivering infrastructure, earthworks, structures, energy and remediation projects for public and private sector clients. Its services extend through five integrated divisions covering civil engineering, property development, plant hire, farming and estates, and renewable energy, enabling end-to-end delivery from land acquisition and remediation through to construction and energy generation.
Product overview
I & H Brown is a UK civil engineering and construction group operating as a unified platform with five core divisions: Civil Engineering, Development, Farming & Estates, Plant Hire, and Energy. The Civil Engineering division delivers infrastructure, earthworks, structures, energy, and remediation projects. The Development division manages land assets and residential/commercial developments. The Farming & Estates division operates 21,500 acres across Scotland. The Plant Hire division provides a fleet of 150+ machines. The Energy division focuses on renewable energy projects including wind farms, hydro schemes, and battery storage. Together, these divisions enable the company to offer end-to-end capabilities from land development through construction to energy generation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Civil Engineering Services Core civil engineering contractor services spanning infrastructure, earthworks, structures, energy projects and remediation projects delivered for public and private sector clients across the UK.
- Property Development Services Land promotion, planning and development services managing residential, retail and industrial development sites across Scotland, including Wellwood (1,100 houses), Banknock North (450 houses), Cocklaw Street (900 houses), Mid Craigie Retail Park, Colton Farm (450 houses), Luncarty South (650 houses) and Ruthvenfield commercial development.
- Farming & Estates Operations Agricultural operations across 21,500 acres in Perthshire, Fife and Inverness-shire including 4,000+ acres of arable farming, 17,500 acres of upland ground and 677 hectares of managed woodland for carbon offsetting.
- Plant Hire Services Professional plant hire service offering a fleet of over 150 machines from Caterpillar and Volvo, including GPS-equipped equipment and trained operators, available externally to organisations across the UK.
- Renewable Energy Services Renewable energy construction and operations services including wind farm construction, hydro-electric schemes, battery storage, substation build and own/operated wind and solar projects across the UK and Ireland.
Quantifiable outcome
- NNG Substation will generate 450MW of renewable energy, enough for 375,000 Scottish homes and offsetting over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use I & H Brown
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
I & H Brown technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
I & H Brown partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- A & J Stephen LtdminorJoint venture partnership with local Perthshire housebuilder A & J Stephen Ltd for Luncarty South development. I & H Brown and A & J Stephen collaborated to achieve Local Plan housing allocation for 110-acre site, with planning consent granted for up to 650 houses plus employment land in 2019.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
I & H Brown competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sir Robert McAlpine: Privately-held UK family-owned civil engineering and construction firm with infrastructure and energy capability, structurally comparable to I & H Brown.
- Balfour Beatty: UK-listed major infrastructure group delivering highways, utilities, energy and earthworks; directly comparable as a much larger incumbent competing in the same tender pool for renewable-energy civils and remediation.
- Morgan Sindall Group: UK construction and regeneration group with a strong infrastructure & development services arm; competes for the same civil engineering, highways, and brownfield regeneration packages as I & H Brown.
- Kier Group: UK infrastructure contractor with significant highways, utilities and energy civils exposure; overlaps with I & H Brown on local-authority framework tenders and substation/highways civil works.
- Galliford Try: UK construction group with infrastructure and land development divisions; comparable to I & H Brown's combined civil engineering and housebuilder-facing development offering.
Direct peers
- VolkerFitzpatrick: UK civil engineering contractor delivering rail, highways, structures and energy infrastructure; competes with I & H Brown on renewable-energy civils and infrastructure frameworks.
- Bam Nuttall: UK civil engineering contractor focused on infrastructure, energy, and environmental projects; closely comparable in earthworks, remediation, and renewable-energy enabling works.
- John Graham Construction: UK and Ireland civil engineering and building contractor with strong infrastructure, utilities and earthworks capability; comparable on remediation, highways and energy infrastructure projects.
- McLaughlin & Harvey: Northern Ireland / UK civil engineering contractor with energy, utilities and remediation expertise; directly comparable on substation enabling works, wind farm civils and brownfield development.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
I & H Brown social profiles
Digital presenceI & H Brown compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
I & H Brown financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
I & H Brown leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
I & H Brown funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
I & H Brown M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about I & H Brown
What does I & H Brown do?
I & H Brown is a UK civil engineering contractor delivering infrastructure, earthworks, structures, energy and remediation projects for public and private sector clients. Its services extend through five integrated divisions covering civil engineering, property development, plant hire, farming and estates, and renewable energy, enabling end-to-end delivery from land acquisition and remediation through to construction and energy generation.
Is I & H Brown a public or private company?
I & H Brown is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was I & H Brown founded?
I & H Brown was founded in 1964. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is I & H Brown based?
I & H Brown is headquartered in Perth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does I & H Brown make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Civil Engineering Projects are the primary driver. The others are property Development, plant Hire Services, farming & Land Operations and renewable Energy Operations.
Who are I & H Brown's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall Group, Kier Group and Galliford Try. Direct peers are VolkerFitzpatrick, Bam Nuttall, John Graham Construction and McLaughlin & Harvey.
Does I & H Brown have an API?
No public API is recorded for I & H Brown.
What industry is I & H Brown in?
I & H Brown's product category is Civil Engineering Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAKAG, Site Remediation & Contaminated Soil Handling, with a secondary code of BPAIANAI, Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse. Its NAICS code is 237990 and its SIC code is 1600.