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As Clarke marks its 30th anniversary, the business is preparing for another period of change. Founded in 1996, it has evolved from its roots in specialist contracting into a building-envelope partner spanning advisory, design, manufacturing, installation, remediation, and retrofit services across the UK. Those roots stretch back to the 1980s, when the Clarke family first built its reputation in construction.
Clarke’ s evolution continues under CEO Eugene Clarke. Building safety requirements, carbon targets, labour shortages and digital transformation are putting construction under real pressure. Eugene explains,“ Construction is under pressure to modernise and learn from other industries. But that’ s where the opportunity lies. For businesses like ours, there is still plenty of ground to cover through digital tools, design, 3D, 4D and 5D modelling, and a more carbon-conscious approach to how buildings are delivered.”
Eugene’ s observation carries weight because Clarke’ s own story reflects the changes now reshaping the industry. Eugene’ s father founded the family business in the 1980s, initially focusing on plastering and flooring. In the following decade, the business moved into external building systems. Over time, it expanded from rendered façade systems into cladding, glazing, and building-envelope solutions.
The shift was practical, not ideological.“ We needed to find a way to grow sustainably while adding more value to the business. We started by investing in design and then manufacturing, which allowed us to take on higher-value work without significantly increasing labour on projects.” That decision changed Clarke’ s place in the construction supply chain. Instead of arriving after major decisions had already been made, the company began contributing much earlier to the process.
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