Knox & Wells

What Knox & Wells does

Knox & Wells is a privately held regional construction contractor headquartered in Cardiff, South Wales, founded in 1888 and operating for 137+ years with only three Managing Directors across its history. The firm employs approximately 70 staff spanning project management, commercial management, Health & Safety, design, site management, and in-house M&E operatives, delivering projects across five verticals: Education, Heritage, Commercial, Healthcare, and Industrial. Its core technology is conventional construction project delivery augmented by in-house Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) capabilities including solar array design and installation, alongside BREEAM sustainability assessment expertise used to achieve environmental certifications such as 'BREEAM Excellent' on public sector schemes.

The company's business model is project-based revenue under standard UK construction contracts (NEC4 Option A and JCT Design & Build), serving both public sector clients — local authorities (Blaenau Gwent CBC, Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC), educational institutions (St. David's Catholic College), and health boards — and private sector clients such as Blackwood Engineering. Recent project values disclosed on the company's portfolio range from £3.5M to £5.6M per project, with notable work including the £4.5M Y Muni Grade II Listed Building restoration (originally built by Knox & Wells in 1895) and the £5.5M Regain 2 office building for the Tech Valleys scheme. Pricing is per-project and not publicly disclosed, and go-to-market relies on direct client engagement, public sector procurement, and a project portfolio–driven website rather than digital or paid marketing channels.

The firm is registered as Knox and Wells Limited, a private limited company in England and Wales, with no disclosed parent company, external investors, funding rounds, M&A activity, subsidiaries, or patents. Leadership comprises Managing Director Mike Baynham, Construction Director Dan Evans, Commercial Director Owain MacMillan, and Finance Director Adrian Lewis. Marketing is conducted through a project portfolio website and a LinkedIn corporate page; the firm's value proposition rests on its heritage brand, family ethos, regional relationships, and demonstrable delivery on heritage, educational, healthcare, and industrial projects across South Wales.

Name

Knox & Wells

Legal name

Knox and Wells Limited

Website

https://knoxandwells.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Knox & Wells is a privately held Cardiff-based construction contractor founded in 1888, employing ~70 staff to deliver new-build and refurbishment projects across Education, Heritage, Commercial, Healthcare, and Industrial sectors for Welsh public and private sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Delivery: Knox & Wells generates revenue through delivering construction projects across various sectors including education, heritage, commercial, healthcare, and industrial. Projects range from complex multi-phase new builds to simple refurbishments for both public and private sector clients. Revenue is project-based and derived from construction contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Knox & Wells is a regional construction contractor delivering new builds, refurbishments, and fit-outs across five primary sectors: Education, Heritage, Commercial, Healthcare, and Industrial. Projects range from complex multi-phase new builds to simple refurbishments for both public and private sector clients in South Wales, with in-house Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) capabilities, solar array design and installation, and BREEAM sustainability assessment expertise. Contract forms include NEC4 Option A and JCT Design & Build.

Product overview

Knox & Wells is a construction company established in 1888 in South Wales, offering a unified set of construction services across five sectors: Education, Heritage, Commercial, Healthcare, and Industrial. The company delivers projects ranging from complex multi-phase new builds to simple refurbishments, with specialized capabilities in heritage restoration of listed buildings. Project delivery methods include NEC4 Option A and JCT Design & Build contracts. The company has approximately 70 staff including project management, commercial management, Health & Safety, design, and site management teams with in-house operatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Construction Services Construction and refurbishment services for educational facilities including new school builds, university complex refurbishments, and small local school works, delivered for schools, universities, and further education institutions in South Wales.
• Heritage Construction Services Specialized construction works in Listed Buildings and areas of historic interest, including sensitive heritage restoration and regeneration projects with deep roots in South Wales communities.
• Commercial Construction Services New builds, refurbishments, and fit outs for commercial spaces including offices, retail units, and dining establishments, delivering high-quality projects that vary in size, complexity, and scope.
• Healthcare Construction Services Healthcare facility construction and refurbishment services for local health boards in South Wales, focused on quality, value for stretched budgets, and careful navigation of facilities that often remain operational throughout works.
• Industrial Construction Services Industrial unit new builds, extensions, and refurbishments, delivered with sensitivity to ongoing factory or warehouse operations throughout construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• BREEAM Excellent accreditation achieved on projects like Regain 2 and St. David's Catholic College
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Morgan Sindall Construction: UK-wide contractor with strong public-sector education, healthcare, and heritage project portfolio. Uses NEC4 and JCT contract forms and has BREEAM-accredited projects — directly comparable on GTM and contract profile.
• Willmott Dixon: Larger UK contractor with major presence in education, heritage, healthcare, and commercial construction including restoration of historic buildings. Same NEC/JCT contract formats and BREEAM credentials; operates one tier above Knox & Wells.
• John Sisk & Son: UK and Ireland-based contractor with strong heritage, education, and commercial construction portfolio. Similar heritage/listed-building expertise and in-house M&E capability; operates at larger scale.
• Galliford Try Construction: UK building contractor with significant education, heritage, and commercial sector presence across regional offices. Comparable contract profile and BREEAM-certified delivery experience.

Direct peers

• Bowmer + Kirkland: UK building contractor of similar scale delivering new build, refurbishment, and heritage projects across education, commercial, and heritage sectors. Comparable on sector mix and project size bands (£3-10M).
• McLaren Construction Group: Mid-tier UK contractor delivering commercial, education, healthcare, and heritage projects across regional offices. Closely comparable on multi-sector nonresidential building construction with similar annual turnover band.
• Knill James Construction: Mid-sized UK contractor delivering commercial, education, and heritage projects across regional offices. Closely comparable on scale, multi-sector nonresidential focus, and BREEAM sustainability credentials.

Regional players

• WRW Construction: Welsh regional contractor delivering commercial, education, and industrial building projects across South and West Wales. Closely comparable on regional geography, size, and public-sector client base.
• Andrew Scott Ltd: Welsh-headquartered regional contractor delivering construction across South Wales, similar in size, geography, and public-sector client mix to Knox & Wells. Directly comparable on regional construction services model.
• Speller Metcalfe: West Midlands-based regional contractor of comparable size serving education, healthcare, heritage, and commercial sectors. Same regional-UK SME model as Knox & Wells with strong public-sector client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knox-&-wells-limited

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Knox & Wells