Big buildings may look impressive in a construction company’s portfolio, but in reality they can often take less know-how and building skill than smaller refurbishments and conversions. JRJ Construction’s Jez Reddecliffe has constructed his fair share of larger, steel-framed buildings in past years, but he admits to preferring the challenge of some of the trickier projects he has been asked to take on by customers across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

It is those problem-solving skills that have given JRJ Construction a full order book, with repeat customers making up 90% of the business’s agricultural and industrial building clients.

Over the years, the company has been steadily refurbishing many of the industrial units owned by fourth-generation family farming business A A Clifton Ltd at Sycamore Farm on Romney Marsh. “That can be interesting when access is tricky and we have to keep the building secure while carrying out major repairs and refurbishments,” said Jez.”

One unusual and challenging job for another regular repeat customer was completed recently at ParkerSteel’s headquarters in Canterbury.

“ParkerSteel is installing a one-megawatt solar PV system on the roofs of the buildings, which measure about 200m by 40m,” Jez explained. “We were asked to remove and infill the bottom row of rooflights to allow the panels to be installed and then replace the top row with triple reinforced, super-safe rooflights to allow maintenance crews to work safely around them. In total, we have changed more than 17,000 fixings across the roofs.”

As an aside, Jez pointed out: “I worked in the warehouse at ParkerSteel in my twenties and didn’t expect to be asked back to do refurbishment work on the buildings!”

At Priesthawes Farm, Hailsham in Sussex, JRJ Construction carried out a major project which involved removing the roof, which measures 55m by 20m, and repainting the frames before installing new roof panels and replacing the guttering. The next phase of the project is due to start in September.

“We often get invited to carry out a relatively minor project before being asked back after demonstrating our flexibility, attention to detail and problem-solving skills,” Jez commented.

Those skills have seen the company in demand across the South East for both new-build projects and for repair, refurbishment and conversion work, as well as demolition and groundworks. Roller shutter doors are another area of expertise. As well as installing them in new build and refurbishment projects, JRJ Construction maintains around 50 at Sycamore Farm and a further 30 on other farms owned by the Cliftons.

Recent new build projects include a potato grading building for Tim Keir at Chislet Court Farm, another building that has already led to additional work on the same site. “We have been invited back to re-roof the grain store,” Jez commented.

Another area of work that has come to the fore recently is installing rainwater harvesting tanks that can save farmers and landowners a considerable amount of money at a time when mains water is far from cheap.

JRJ Construction works with D&H Direct to supply and install the tanks, pipework and filters that allow farmers to irrigate crops or provide water to cattle using the rain that falls on barns and other buildings. Jez and his experienced team recently installed four 25,000 litre tanks at Field Place Farm, Godalming in Surrey.

Jez, who has more than 20 years’ experience in building, has seen the business take off in recent years. The company also offers on-site welding and fabrication, which allows the team to tackle most challenges, particularly when repurposing farm buildings to give them a new lease of life and the farmer another income stream.

Jez prides himself on never having been called back to ‘put right’ something the farmer has judged to be below par. “The only time we ever go back to a farm is to start on the next job,” he pointed out.

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