Scottish ground engineering firm grows Midlands presence with fourth Owl Homes site
Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Glasgow-based Akela Group, has continued to grow its presence across The Midlands with the announcement of a fourth ground engineering contract with award-winning developer Owl Homes.
Akela will install tubular steel piles for Owl Homes’ Waltonbrook development in Burton on the Wolds, Leicestershire, which will comprise of 66two to five bedroom homes. The site is due to launch in autumn 2025.
A fourth active site with Owl Homes further cements the relationship between the two companies and supports Akela’s strategic goal of growing its presence across The Midlands.
Akela completed precast concrete piles for the first phase of Owl Homes’ Oakwood site at Stoke Golding in Nuneaton and will return in September to begin phase two. The team are also currently onsite at Willowbank Meadows in Tewkesbury to install precast concrete piles.
In addition, Akela will start onsite in August to deliver driven precast concrete piles at Furrows Close, Worcester, an affordable housing development by Owl Partnerships, of the Owl Group.
“Our growing relationship with the Owl Group is a great example of strategic collaboration in action,” said Will Payne, Managing Director at Akela Ground Engineering.
“Securing a fourth active site not only reinforces the trust and alignment between our two organisations but also marks another meaningful step in our expansion across The Midlands, a region that continues to be central to our long-term growth plans.
“We’re delivering our specialist ground engineering services using our fleet of JX JCB driven piling rigs which has helped to ensure ground stability and manage natural soil movement caused by nearby trees. It’s a practical example of how our technical capabilities and partnership approach are helping housebuilders unlock development potential with confidence.”
Ricki Hughes, Construction Director at Owl Homes, said: “At Owl, it’s important for us to establish strong relationships with our partners to deliver an exceptional end product for our customers. We are pleased to have partnered with Akela Ground Engineering on these new sites and look forward to working with them further across The Midlands.”
Headquartered in Glasgow, Akela Ground Engineering opened its first office in England in Swadlincote earlier this year and announced the appointment of precast piling expert John Ward who will be driving operations in England. A key focus will be to source an English manufacturing base to increase capacity for Akela’s groundbreaking ABeam precast system, which was launched to market in early 2024.
Currently manufactured at the company’s purpose-built facility near Glasgow, ABeam is a unique, non-weather-dependent, precast concrete beam system that uses a specially designed mechanical joint, allowing foundation ground beams to be installed in just a few hours.