"We've come a long, long way together" - The Woodhart Timeline - Woodhart Construction

"We've come a long, long way together" - The Woodhart Timeline

4th September 2015

From little acorns...

If you planted a tree ten years ago it would most likely have grown just eight feet today. It would still be a mere sapling.

At Woodhart we are clearly made of sterner stuff!

In the same time Ben and Matt Woodhart set up their family carpentry company in Brighton and have seen it grow into a well-seasoned oak of a business.

From its roots in commercial carpentry the business has grown, developed and branched out into domestic extensions, loft conversions, construction, property development and refurbishment.

Working together

As another local boy made good, Fatboy Slim, told us:

“We’ve come a long, long way together
Through the hard times and the good.”

And the secret of Woodhart’s success has been working together: throughout its year of growth the essential team has remained the same.

How things have changed

Yet, how things have changed in the wider world around us in the years since we were founded.

  • Brighton gained the country’s first ever Green MP
  • The US elected its first African-American president
  • Michael Jackson and David Bowie left us with just their musical legacies
  • Nelson Mandela and Margaret Thatcher left us with just their political legacies
  • The Seagulls were relegated to League One
  • But they were promoted back to the Championship a few years later
  • Britain decided to leave the EU
  • Pluto lost its planetary status
  • Google became officially a verb
  • Apple released its iPhone
  • Democratic relations opened between the US and Cuba
  • Brighton opened its British Airways i360

That’s a lot of water under the bridge!

Here’s how the last ten years have played out for us at Woodhart.

A Woodhart timeline

The launch of the Woodhart Group in September 2016 caps off a decade of growth and consolidation.

The Woodhart Group is fully industry accredited with SMAS, CQMS and Construction Line. It is a member of Checkatrade and of the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce.

Here’s how we now look:

Woodhart Carpentry
Specialising in new build commercial carpentry

Woodhart Construction
Specialising in domestic and commercial construction projects

Woodhart Lofts and Extensions
Specialising in property extensions and loft conversions

Yet it all started back in 2006 when two brothers started a commercial carpentry business.

2006 Hello Woodhart Carpentry!

Ben and Matt Woodhart were almost destined to work in carpentry with that fateful surname!

After 16 years of working on commercial sites, where they honed their knowledge and skills, Woodhart Carpentry was formed.

2011 Hello Katharine!

Things were going so well out on the sites that the back office was becoming somewhat chaotic.

Katharine joined the team to put the accounts and admin in order.

Katharine is still with us today and the office is still immaculately ordered!

2012 Hello Jason!

As work expanded further it became clear that we needed another Contract Manager to run some of our sites.

Jason joined our team and remains an integral part of it today.

2013 Hello Nicole!

Nicole joined to take over the day to day running of the office, finances and cash-flow.

As the company had grown Nicole arranged accreditation and memberships to reflect our now substantial size.

Nicole still keeps the Woodhart ship sailing smoothly.

2014 Hello Woodhart Construction and Lofts!

Woodhart were in demand. The high-quality finishes and quick turnarounds, that commercial sites require, were increasingly being requested by homeowners as well as the trade.

To service this market Woodhart Construction and Woodhart Lofts and Extensions was set up and has become a critical part of the business.

2014 Hello apprentices!

As a local business Woodhart wanted to give something back to the community that has supported and nurtured it.

Its Apprenticeship Scheme was launched, in connection with the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board).

Many of our apprentices have gone on to work full-time for the business.

2015 Hello Valley Drive!

The continued growth saw us move into our new premises at Valley Drive.

Drop by and see us – we’ll pop the kettle on!

2015-16 Hello Kate, James and Wes!

Kate joined us as Office Manager, James became our Senior Surveyor for domestic jobs and new builds, and Wes came on board as a new Contract Manger alongside Jason.

Let’s not forget Ben and Matt still beavering away overseeing sites and driving the business forward.

With so much development and growth it was time to consolidate…

2016 Hello Woodhart Group

This September the Woodhart Group will be formed, organising our business into its three main areas of operation: commercial carpentry, domestic construction and domestic loft and extensions.

From little acorns indeed!

What we love about our company is that through all this change and development the personnel behind our business have remained the same.

We’ve grown together.

We love the work we do – and we’ve come a long, long way precisely because we have stuck together (through the hard times and the good).

And that’s something we’d like to celebrate!

How can we help you?

Call us on [contact type=tel] or email us on [contact type=email] to get your next project rolling.

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