The modular construction sector may be going through turbulent times, but one of the UK’s oldest offsite manufacturers claims to be going from “strength to strength”.
Rollalong, the largest permanent offsite construction company in the south of England, operates in the defence, education, and healthcare sectors.
The firm says it is now also winning “significant” residential contracts to provide modular homes for local authorities and housing associations.
Managing director Steve Chivers says Rollalong is bucking the trend of some recent high-profile failures in the modular offsite construction sector.
He said: “Thanks to our many years of experience, our diverse product range and our long-standing partnerships, Rollalong is not facing the same challenges that others are experiencing in the industry.
“We have a strong pipeline of work, such as the homes recently ordered by partners Magna Housing and Wiltshire Council.
“With these houses now being produced in the factory, our business is continuing as normal.”
Rollalong, which has now been in business for over 90 years, specialises in the design, manufacture, and installation of permanent offsite buildings.
The company says it currently has 1,000 homes on its order books and five proof-of-concept sites complete.
Unlike other offsite manufacturers, Rollalong does not operate solely in the residential sector; it also works with the defence, education, and healthcare sectors.
It’s this industry diversity that it partly attributes to its current stability.
The firm says it also benefits from its location, long history, and a robust supply chain.
‘Value of collaboration’
Steve Chivers said: “The residential sector is increasingly important to us, and we have demonstrated the value of collaboration through our partnership with Magna Housing, Wiltshire Council, and the South West Procurement Alliance.
“Working together, we can deliver the volumes that we require using a market-tested, BOPAS and NHBC Accepts accredited portfolio of standard house types in any step and stagger configuration and rollout through a regional delivery model.”
He added: “These are exciting times as we roll out the delivery of almost 1,000 new net-zero carbon ready and net-zero carbon living modular homes across Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset, using offsite manufactured, precision-engineered techniques to modernise and speed up the whole process.”
Image: A Rollalong module being lifted into place on site. Credit: STEWART TURKINGTON/Rollalong
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