Our History

Greendale began simply as two friends with a common business goal, a pick-up truck and a spare room in Rob’s flat in Belle Vue Road. Landing their first job at the Norfolk Royale Hotel, followed in quick succession by a new conference centre at the Centre Court Hotel Chineham, Greendale hit the ground running and soon began to make its mark.  

In 1992 Greendale Construction became one of the first officiated Chartered Building Companies (CBC) in the country. That same year the two moved into the small office above Chris’ dad’s paint shop at Peter’s House, Poole. These were happy and exciting times; learning on the job how to expand for the good of the business.

THE GROWING YEARS

Two became more, and Greendale gradually began employing trades people instead to keep up with growing demand for local construction services. Notable jobs in the early 90s included work at Chase Manhattan Bank’s new UPS facility in Bournemouth, the renovation of Castle Marwood House, and several projects for the local Councils.

To keep up with a growing team and demand for work, Greendale employed Maria Seabright in 1997 to provide secretarial and administrative support. Maria soon became the backbone of Greendale HR, introducing the ‘Greendale Gazette’ in 1998 and eventually providing a managerial role. Maria continued in this role until her appointment to the Board of Directors.

In 1999 the team moved to larger premises at Seaforth House, Parkstone. This increased space and surge of growth led to notable projects including Stone Park in Wimborne, Manor Barn in Tisbury, Waterfront Museum in Poole as well as Hotel du Vin. In 2000 Greendale celebrated its 10^th anniversary in line with the opening of Seaforth House and so with it gained more recognition across the county.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

As Greendale continued to deliver more and more illustrious projects, industry bodies began to take notice. By 2000 Greendale already had three regional FMB Award wins and in 2003 was accredited with Silver level Investors in People. Following an additional regional FMB win in 2004 Greendale welcomed Andy Musselwhite, who would later join the board of directors, to the team as a Contract Manager. Andy brought with him connections to the Building Safety Group, who affiliated themselves with Greendale in 2005.

In 2019 Greendale was accredited for the second time in a row with Gold Investors in People rating.

EXPANSION YEARS AND FURTHER ORGANIC GROWTH

Greendale celebrated their 16^th Anniversary in 2006, hosted at and coinciding with the completion of a brand-new club house at Royal Motor Yacht Club. The same year saw the introduction of Greendale Electrical, a specialist division which is NICEIC accredited and provides electrical services to both commercial and domestic clients.

2009 was a special year for Greendale as, following intensive involvement with a local fundraiser, the team were met and introduced to the Queen in London. That same year saw Greendale’s largest move yet, moving to Old Generator House in Branksome. This was the largest office space the team had operated from, spanning three floors and a basement from two adjoining units.

2009 also saw the introduction of Greendale Small Works Division. Spotting a gap in the market to compete with domestic builders, the division took off quickly and provided the team with access to smaller domestic and commercial clients. Greendale’s successful Small Works division now contributes to over 20% of our annual turnover.

CEMENTING GREENDALE’S PLACE IN THE CONSTRUCTION MARKET

Since 2010 Greendale has seen further expansion, awards and recognition for not only building projects, but also its support for the local business community, school pupils and apprentices, as well as various charitable causes.

In 2012 Greendale carried out major restoration works at Durlston Castle, Swanage for which we received a national FMB award for Commercial Project. This landmark job confirmed Greendale’s capability to deliver complex conservation / restoration work. Further examples of this type of work included Highcliffe Castle (Phase 7 and 8), Hotel du Vin, Marine Villas and Shire Hall.

Establishing links in the local business community, Greendale joined the Bournemouth Property Association (BPA) in 2012 and became business partners with the Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) in 2015.

Following their commitment to their roles and instrumental involvement in business growth, in 2013 Maria and Andy were invited to join the Greendale board of directors. In these roles they work alongside Rob and Chris to steer the business in accordance with the business plan.

Since 2015 Greendale has continued to expand its footprint into Hampshire and West Dorset. In 2015 Greendale was appointed to refurbish an award-winning student accommodation block in Southampton, and in 2017 was appointed to the Hampshire SCOLA framework for schools across the south of England.

RECOGNITION FOR HR AND TRAINING

Greendale has a worthy reputation for the time and investment in its own staff and training programmes. Greendale has been accredited to Gold level Investors in People since 2015, and in 2018 won the award for Developing Talent at the Dorset Business Awards. The company is passionate about physical and mental well-being, offering mental health awareness courses and encouraging all staff to participate in the ‘midday mile’; a mental health initiative in place to help reduce stress in the workplace.

Many of Greendale’s apprentices have stayed with the company and, having started at entry level, have now progressed to senior positions both on site and in the office.