Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd

What Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd does

Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd is a privately held, family-owned groundworks and civil engineering contractor founded in 2013 in Devon, United Kingdom, and headquartered at Highfield Farm, East Anstey, Tiverton. The company delivers end-to-end groundworks services spanning civil engineering, earthworks, soil stabilisation, trenchless technology (horizontal directional drilling), drone-based topographic surveying and GPS-guided machine control, operating as either main contractor or sub-contractor depending on project scope. It serves residential developers, commercial and industrial clients, renewable energy projects and utility-sector underground infrastructure work across the UK, with current projects located in Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, Derby, High Wycombe and Oxfordshire. Customers include Refresco, AFC Bournemouth, University of Bath, Persimmon Homes, Elan Homes, Quince Honey Farm, The Horse Trust, Rathfinny Wine Estate and The River Yealm Hotel.

The business combines an owned fleet of approximately 50 plant and machinery units (excavators, bulldozers, dumpers, crushers, screeners and directional drills) with third-party Leica precision surveying technology, including 3D GPS machine control installed on excavators and dozers and Leica-branded surveying drones for topographic mapping. Engineers convert 2D design files into 3D terrain models that directly guide GPS-controlled equipment, allowing real-time design updates on site. The company positions itself around an early contractor involvement (ECI) model, in which it joins projects at the design stage to lock in accurate costing before transitioning into turnkey or specialist sub-contract delivery. Projects are personally managed by directors William Friend and Ian Friend together with colleague Charlie.

Wedgewood generates revenue primarily through project-based contracts valued at roughly £500k to £6m each, with total turnover of approximately £6 million per annum. Pricing is quote-based and determined per project, with no publicly disclosed rate card. Go-to-market is direct B2B field sales, supported by a website featuring case studies, team profiles and service pages, plus prominent display of UK construction accreditations (Achilles, CHAS, SSIP, Constructionline Gold, Environment Agency, CIWM, WIAPS, National Highway Sector Schemes). The company is founder-controlled by the Friend family with no external institutional investment, employs over 40 people locally in Devon, and operates under partnerships with steel-frame provider Hotworks Engineering Ltd, drone technology supplier Emesent, and geotechnical and engineering consultancies Red Rock Geo, Blue Phoenix, Horizon Consulting Engineers and JRC Consulting.

Name

Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd

Legal name

Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd

Website

https://wedgewoodgroundworks.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd is a family-owned UK groundworks and civil engineering contractor delivering earthworks, soil stabilisation, trenchless drilling, drone surveys and GPS machine control as main or sub-contractor to developers, commercial clients and utilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering and Groundworks Services

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Shallow Foundations & Ground Support (Footings, Rafts, Ground Beams) (IMAFAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trenching & Utility Excavation (IMAFAKAD)

Keywords

• Groundworks services
• Civil engineering
• Earthworks construction
• Site preparation
• Subcontractor services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tiverton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Groundworks and Construction Services: Project-based revenue from civil engineering, construction and demolition services. Operates as both main contractor and sub-contractor on projects ranging from small to large scale. Groundworks business turnover is approximately £6 million per annum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd provides groundworks and civil engineering services for construction projects across residential, commercial, industrial, and utility sectors. The company operates as both main contractor and sub-contractor, delivering civil engineering, earthworks, soil stabilisation, trenchless drilling, drone surveys, and GPS-guided machine control services using its own fleet of 50 plant and machinery units. Projects range from small to large scale (£500k–£6m), managed under an early contractor involvement (ECI) model.

Product overview

Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd offers a unified groundworks and construction service portfolio comprising six core service offerings: Civil Engineering (roads, bridges, drainage, pipelines), Earthworks (terrain transformation, muckshift, pond/lake construction), Soil Stabilisation (soil strengthening using various engineering methods), Trenchless Technology (directional drilling, HDD for underground utilities), Drone Surveys (Leica-powered topographic mapping), and GPS Control Models (Leica GPS machine control for excavators and dozers). The company combines cutting-edge surveying capabilities with decades of operational experience, using their own fleet of 50 plant and machinery items including excavators, dozers, dumpers, screeners, and crushers. They operate as both main and sub-contractors providing civil engineering, construction and demolition expertise for residential, renewable energy, utility, industrial and commercial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering Engineering of roads, bridges, drainage, pipelines, airports, structural components of buildings, and railways, including design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment.
• Earthworks Terrain transformation through expert handling, excavating and engineering of soil and rock, including muckshift, pond and lake construction, and carriageway construction using the company's own fleet of heavy equipment and GPS control systems.
• Soil Stabilisation Strengthening of soil and subgrade materials using physical, chemical, mechanical, biological, or combined methods to increase weight-bearing capabilities, tensile strength, and overall performance of sands, subsoils and waste materials.
• Trenchless Technology Installation of underground utilities through precision directional drilling (horizontal boring/HDD), utility ploughing or surface-launched drilling rigs to install underground pipe, conduit, or cable in a shallow arc with minimal surface disruption.
• Drone Surveys High-precision topographic mapping using Leica surveying drone technology combined with digital terrain modelling software, delivering survey quality comparable to traditional methods in a fraction of the time and at reduced cost.
• GPS Control Models GPS-guided machine control using Leica GPS equipment installed on excavators and bulldozers, with 2D designs converted into 3D terrain models to enable faster, more accurate excavation and dozer work with real-time design updates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced site survey costs and workload through drone topographic surveys
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Red Rock GeominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeotechnical partner providing specialist expertise for ground engineering projects. Logo displayed in partners section.
• Blue PhoenixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction and engineering partner working alongside Wedgewood on various projects. Logo displayed in partners section.
• JRC ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting engineering partner for structural, drainage and highways aspects of groundworks and building design projects. Also listed as a client.
• Horizon Consulting EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy partner providing design expertise for groundworks and civil engineering projects.
• Hotworks Engineering LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteel frame building partner for all steel frame building requirements. Described as an official partnership for specific construction services. Key strategic partner for building construction elements.
• CJL ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction consulting partner. Also listed as a client. Wedgewood states they work alongside companies like CJL, Champion, MJL, Doocey and Pearce rather than in competition.
• Champion, MJL, Doocey and PearceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction industry partners mentioned in positioning statement that Wedgewood works alongside rather than competes with. These are industry peers for collaborative project delivery.
• Atlas Health and Safety ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent health and safety adviser providing regular H&S inspections. Supports compliance with CDM Regulations 2015 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skanska UK: Major UK infrastructure and civils contractor delivering highways, bridges, earthworks, and utilities at national scale. Overlaps with Wedgewood on earthworks, drainage, and trenchless technology but operates from a fundamentally different scale and tier.
• Mick George Ltd: One of the largest independent UK groundworks, demolition, earthworks, and aggregates suppliers. Highly comparable in core groundworks activities but operates at materially greater scale, with vertically integrated aggregate supply that Wedgewood does not have.
• Walters Group: Midlands-based UK groundworks, civil engineering, and plant-hire contractor covering earthworks, foundations, and infrastructure projects. Comparable service profile to Wedgewood with broader plant hire capability.
• Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd: Welsh-headquartered UK civil engineering contractor delivering highways, bridges, earthworks, and utility infrastructure. Comparable in trenchless technology, drainage, and infrastructure services, but with significantly larger turnover and regional depots.

Direct peers

• Breheny Civil Engineering: Suffolk-based UK civil engineering and groundworks contractor carrying out earthworks, highways, drainage, and structural foundations. Comparable in scope and end markets (residential developers, infrastructure) to Wedgewood, with greater scale.
• Forkers Ltd: West Midlands-based UK civil engineering and groundworks contractor offering earthworks, foundations, drainage, and infrastructure services. Comparable in sub-contractor model for residential and commercial developments.
• McAuliffe Group: UK civil engineering and groundworks contractor delivering earthworks, substructure, and infrastructure works for residential and commercial developers. Comparable service portfolio and customer mix (residential developers, commercial) to Wedgewood.
• O'Brien Contractors: UK groundworks and civil engineering contractor offering earthworks, foundations, drainage, and infrastructure services. Directly comparable in service mix to Wedgewood, though operating at larger scale and from a London/South East base.
• Danaher & Walsh: East Midlands-based civil engineering and groundworks contractor covering earthworks, infrastructure, and site preparation. Direct comparable to Wedgewood on service mix and UK regional operating model, with broader geographic coverage.
• JPCS Ltd: UK groundworks and civil engineering contractor delivering earthworks, substructure, drainage, and external works for residential, commercial, and infrastructure clients. Closely comparable service portfolio to Wedgewood across housing developers and civils projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=MGg2a_a-API
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wedgewood-groundworks

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Wedgewood Groundworks Ltd