A strip-out contractor and groundworks specialist is celebrating its 30th birthday in style after starting work on its 5000th contract.
Umberslade, which was founded by existing MD Jeremy Emmett and business partner Gabriel Pettitt in 1996, is delivering a full-scale 205,000 sq ft internal deconstruction of City Centre House in Birmingham - an ambitious project that takes it past £140m worth of jobs delivered to date.
It marks a major period of growth for the Solihull-based business that has seen it increase annual turnover to £14m, create 23 jobs and launch a third division providing diamond drilling and installation of percussive driven earth anchors.
“We’ve come a long way since a couple of friends started out fitting office furniture and carrying out private and commercial relocations,” saidJeremy, who is joined in the senior management team by Edward Emmett, Tristan Dimmock, Kieran Kelly, Stuart Chenery and Chris Eaton.
“It all began with a strong work ethic, a willingness to take on almost any job and a determination to build a reputation for doing things properly. These are the same three core values that are very much still at the centre of what we do.
“Back then, strip-out wasn’t seen as a specialist skill and we tried to change all that, adding a level of professionalism and reliability that hadn’t been seen before. This led to new opportunities, bigger contracts across the UK and steady growth.
“We’ve always been a business that looks for opportunities to add value and when a groundworks company became insolvent during a project we were working on, we were asked to step-in. This was the start of the groundworks division ten years ago and this has since been joined by our diamond drilling operation - both of which are contributing to the success of our rapidly expanding group.”
Umberslade in 2026 employs more than 150 people across its three business units, working with clients in education, defence, healthcare industrial, commercial and high-grade office space.
Its reputation for delivering projects on time, to budget and to the highest quality has seen it undertake contracts for Brindleyplace, Derby University, Lloyds Banking Group, retailer SCS and Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
The company, which operates a proven SnagZero™ guarantee, provides access to mechanical and engineering strip-out, internal demolition, diamond drilling services and groundworks, the latter including earthworks and site preparation, foundations, concrete works, drainage and utility infrastructure.
Umberslade also controls the removal of the majority of waste product via its own skip fleet and is committed to recycling 100% of waste returned to its own facility and 98% via commercial waste streams.
Edward Emmett, operations director of Umberslade, said: “As we’ve grown, we’ve continued to invest in our 70-strong fleet of vehicles, plant equipment and machinery, which has given us the platform to take on more projects. In fact, we’re already targeting a record-breaking 2026 to mark our 30th anniversary.
“People are a big part of what we do. We regularly provide internal and external training to ensure they are highly skilled and benefit from ongoing personal development opportunities.
“Having so many directly employed team members is a big advantage. It reduces our reliance on subcontractors and ensures the client receives a consistently high level of service from people who have bought into our company culture.”
Umberslade, which is CHAS and Constructionline accredited, marked the 30th birthday with a recent BBQ and football tournament.
