Staffordshire firm is named UK's best small construction business to work for

The developer of affordable housing and Extra Care schemes was ranked sixth in the Great Place to Work list for businesses under 50 employees, a 27-place rise on the previous year.

Backed by more than £1 million of investment in people development, recruitment and a strong environmental, social and governance strategy, the company is the highest placed business in its sector and scored 100 per cent in seven of the 25 focus areas in the survey.

Richard Williams, managing director at Keon Homes, commented: “We were absolutely blown away by our progress, going from 73rd to sixth in just three years – now the challenge is to break into the top five.

“What is especially pleasing is that this ranking is all about the views of our people, with our 51 employees answering 25 questions on what it is like to work at Keon.

“100 per cent of people said we were a great place to work, and this reinforces the culture we have been trying to instil across the business since we launched in 2018.”

Benedict Gautrey, managing director of Great Place To Work UK, added his support: “Our overarching goal has consistently been to enrich the world of work by empowering companies to evolve into exceptional organisations that cater to everyone.

“We wholeheartedly endorse the idea that what's 'better for business' aligns with what's 'better for people,' ultimately contributing to a better world for all.”

Keon Homes, part of the Chasetown-based Tara Group, has enjoyed a successful start to 2024, with this latest accolade following news that it has sealed a quartet of new land deals worth over £28m.

This includes unlocking three crucial sites in Wolverhampton, Coventry and Nuneaton that will see it build a 150-strong mixture of houses and apartments.

It has also agreed its first partnership with Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust, which will involve construction of 65 new homes, a sports pavilion and football pitches for the community as part of the Local Authorities “Our Future City” plans.

Mr Williams added: “Our growth has surpassed even our most ambitious projections and, in order to deliver on the new schemes secured, we have had to take on 14 new staff in the last eight months with more jobs in the pipeline.

“Whilst we may be involved in bricks and mortar, people will always be our biggest asset and we understand the importance investing in apprentices, graduates and giving all staff the opportunity to access training and personal development courses via the Tara Group Academy.”

He concluded: “We are also hugely passionate about the communities we operate in and regularly take part in staff challenges to support The Noel Sweeney Foundation. This is brilliant for team building and makes a real difference to lots of local charities every year.”