The Newcastle company began work in 1976 and now employs 1,300 people in 29 offices around the world
A Newcastle company that has grown to have offices around the world and be involved in a number of landmark global developments is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Engineering consultancy Cundall launched in Newcastle in 1976 and now has 29 offices around the world employing more than 1,300 people.
As well as working on local projects including Eldon Square, Pilgrim’s Quarter and the Theatre Royal, the company helped deliver facilities for the 2012 London Olympics and the retrofitting of the famous Palm House at Kew Gardens, in London.
The £95m-turnover business – which has operations in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, as well as eight sites in the UK – last year moved from its long-time base at Gosforth’s Regent Centre to a new headquarters in the Bank House development.
It is also trying to reduce carbon emissions on all of its products through Zero Carbon Design 2030 and its 2050 Science Based Targets, and also says it is working to harness AI and emerging technologies to enhance the capabilities of its global team and push boundaries in engineering design.
Managing partner Carole O’Neil said: “We are immensely proud of the business we have built over the last 50 years. Not just of the projects we have delivered but above all the brilliant people, past and present, whose creativity and ideas have built the reputation for excellence that we stand on today.
“Every achievement helps deliver on our vision and values and every new challenge fuels our passion for what comes next. The next 50 years starts now. We are looking ahead with ambition, blending the seasoned expertise of past and present leaders with the fresh leadership of the next generation, and drawing on this mix of perspectives to forge the next chapter of Cundall’s story.”
The company was founded by Geoffrey Cundall in 1976 with the aim of creating a practice that was “less hierarchical than other practices… and allowed and encouraged staff to have a greater say in its conduct”.
The company brought together expertise in structural, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering to provide a “multi-disciplinary approach” to major development contracts.
Cundall last year opened its first site in Finland and celebrated a number of award wins for its work.
Chairman Tomás Neeson said: “Our people are our greatest strength. We champion a culture of collaboration that fosters creativity and innovation, and we are dedicated to investing in our people, empowering them to grow, and to create the opportunities for as many more as possible to join, lead and shape the future of our practice.”
