Civil engineering contractor Kilmac takes wraps off new West Lothian base

Tayside civil engineering contractor Kilmac has opened a West Lothian base aimed at handling a growing portfolio in central Scotland – as it eyes a major jump in turnover.

The firm will use the Ashwood Court satellite in Mid Calder as the hub for more than 20 office staff, engineers, surveyors and labourers, and the site has been officially opened by Almond Valley MSP Angela Constance.

Kilmac founding directors Athole McDonald and Richard Kilcullen have targeted a 50 per cent increase in turnover to £30 million within the next three years, prompting the Dundee-based business to embrace major groundworks projects beyond its traditional Tayside and Fife heartland.

From left: Kilmac's Richard Kilcullen, Almond Valley MSP Angela Constance, and Athole McDonald, also of Kilmac. Picture: Graeme Hart/Perthshire Picture Agency.

Mr McDonald said: “Having picked up projects worth more than £10m in and around West Lothian over the last couple of years we felt the time was right to create our first base beyond Tayside.

“Before the pandemic struck, we had boosted our turnover to £14m and, despite everything going on hold for two months during lockdown last year, we came close to matching that.”

He said having a presence in the Livingston area makes sense geographically – and provides scope to create more jobs. “We enjoy a close relationship with Aldi and completed a contract at their new Livingston store last year.

“We have also been working in the town with Muir Construction on extensions to the Alba campus laboratories. Those projects each came in around the £1.5m mark.

“Hard on the heels of a contract with McLaughlin and Harvey at the University of Edinburgh's Nucleus project, we secured contracts with Bam Construction for two West Lothian Council special needs schools at Cedarbank and Pinewood."

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