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When PPG Projects launched in 2023, General Manager Alan Chapman was the business’s first employee, working from a home office. Three years later, the Barnsley-based company delivers construction projects across the UK, bringing together the products and expertise from six specialist precast concrete businesses.
As the team has grown, so has the business. That growth recently led PPG Projects to new offices at The Business Village.
For Alan, it also marks a return to familiar surroundings.
“Believe it or not, I worked here 20 years ago with another concrete company,” he says. “So, I’ve known The Business Village for a long time.”
PPG Projects is part of the Precast Products Group, which sits within SigmaRoc PLC. The group brings together six specialist companies in the precast concrete sector. Between them, they cover everything from flooring systems and staircases to retaining walls and bespoke concrete products.
“We’re basically a one-stop shop for complex construction projects,” Alan explains. “We manage everything from design and supply through to installation. It means customers only have one point of contact instead of dealing with several suppliers.”
Projects often require a mix of products such as retaining walls, flooring, lift shafts, staircases, and concrete blocks. Different businesses within the group produce these, and PPG Projects brings everything together. This allows the team to coordinate full packages of work across major construction schemes. Projects range from self-build homes through to schools, hospitals, and apartment blocks.
Much of the work comes through companies within the wider group. Enquires get passed to PPG Projects when a project involves multiple products. The team also receives work through word of mouth, referrals, and long standing industry contacts.
“We work on anything from a single residential home up to multi-million-pound building projects,” says Alan. “Recent projects include work on a visitor centre at Newark Castle and retaining walls at the Royal Gardens in Kensington.”
The team also produces bespoke elements for specialist projects. One currently in progress is a custom-design for a fire station scheme.
Reducing the environmental impact of their products is becoming more important across the group. A sister company, GreenCem, is now developing lower carbon concrete technologies. These are designed to reduce emissions across a range of products.
Early trials have already shown successful results and there are plans to roll these out across the group in the next 12 to 18 months.
“We’ll be offering carbon savings across everything we produce,” says Alan. “We’ve also got a roadmap in place to be as carbon neutral as possible by 2040.”
By the time PPG Projects arrived at The Business Village, the team had already outgrown its previous office. After starting out working from home, the business moved into spare office space at one of the group’s sister companies. It worked for a while, but as more people joined the team, space soon became tight.
“We had all five people in a small boardroom,” Alan says. “It was horrendous at times.”
Finding a larger office was the next step, but location was just as important. The Business Village was already familiar to Alan, who had worked there around 20 years earlier. Its position close to the group’s Barnsley manufacturing site and with easy access to the M1 made it a practical choice.
“It’s a good central location,” says Alan. “It’s easy for colleagues and customers travelling from across the UK. Plus, our factory is only about a mile away.”
Once the team moved in, other benefits became clear too. Meeting rooms provide a professional space for customers, and the on-site Bistro is a convenient place to eat or catch up during the day. Free parking and 24-hour access have also been welcome surprises.
“The Business Village has everything we need,” Alan says. “And I didn’t even realise there was free parking and 24-hour access until we got here,” he laughs.
Although the team has only been in The Business Village for a couple of months, growth is already on the agenda. PPG Projects has expanded from one employee in 2023 to a team of five today. And Alan expects further growth as turnover increases.
“The sky’s the limit for PPG Projects as long as we stay successful in the current climate,” he says. “We started from zero in 2023. By the end of 2026, we’re hoping for around £5 million turnover. We’ll push from there and plan to double that figure the following year.”
As a relatively new tenant, Alan says the support from The Business Village team has already made a positive impression.
“Kevin’s been brilliant,” he shares. “Lindsay was brilliant too when we were looking for a place.”
So far, PPG Projects hasn’t needed much support, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there.
“If we ever need anything, we’ll just give them a knock.”
For now, though, the focus remains on building the business and settling into their new space at The Business Village.
To get in touch with PPG Projects:
For more details about GreenCem: https://greencem.co.uk/
For more details about SigmaRoc PLC: https://www.sigmaroc.com/
