A CONSTRUCTION firm working on the upgrade of Barrow shipyard has appointed a new manager. 

Wates Construction has appointed Craig Abson as Construction Director and Stefan Hargreaves as Regional Commercial Manager, bolstering the contractor’s intended growth into Cumbria. 

The move to grow Wates’ regional team in the North West follows the announcement that 2016 will see the contractor target new opportunities in Carlisle and Barrow across the manufacturing, defence and pharmaceuticals markets. 

Returning from the UK following eight years as Operations Director for Overseas AST in the United Arab Emirates, Mr Abson has 33 years’ industry experience having managed large-scale projects and a workforce of up to 1,500. Mr Abson, who hails from Poulton-le-Fylde, will be responsible for overseeing project delivery across Cumbria. 

Stefan Hargreaves began his career in quantity surveying and joins Wates from ISG where he spent 11 years as commercial manager. Both join the 140-strong team in the North West and will support the delivery of Wates’ Cumbria-based project portfolio. 

This includes BAE System’s Strategic Bulk Store (SBS) and a principal position on BAE’s Systems Framework. Wates’ regional strategy to grow its presence in Cumbria forms part of the wider business’ plans to double turnover to £2bn and will build on Wates’ existing portfolio of North West based projects. 

Tony Shenton, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction North West, commented: “Wates is making great strides in its growth trajectory and this is reflective of our expanding presence across the North West. Welcoming Craig and Stefan to the team is a fundamental move to ensuring that our progression into the Cumbria market is implemented effectively and sustainably. 

“Their combined expertise bolsters the breadth of knowledge we currently have in our workforce and furthermore strengthens our collective expertise in large-scale projects. The proficiency we are cultivating really lends itself to the pipeline of high-end engineering developments on the horizon and we look forward to further building on the strength of our team in the coming year.”