Carnegie Group, the South East construction company that has grown its turnover eleven-fold in four years while championing sustainability and gender balance, has been named a finalist in The Vistage Growth Business of the Year Award at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards 2026.
The Crawley-based business specialises in sustainable steel frame projects for commercial and industrial clients, operating in the competitive construction sector as an agile, rapidly scaling firm focused on high-value industrial developments. Its core mission, which it calls The Carnegie Way, puts a people-first culture at the centre of the business, directly linking individual professional growth to commercial success.
Eleven-fold growth, built organically
The company’s headline achievement is its organic financial growth. Since 2021, turnover has scaled eleven-fold, according to the business, while the team has grown from 4 to 20 employees and counting, a loyal workforce skilled and empowered to take on ever more ambitious projects.
A key differentiator is its one-stop shop solution, created by launching a RIBA-certified architectural division offering an end-to-end service from concept to completion. The company credits that capability with strengthening client loyalty, reflected in a 40 per cent repeat business rate. Full details of its steel frame construction services are available on the Carnegie Steel Buildings website, which records that the business was established by long-standing friends David Mindham and Simon Barren and moved to larger premises in Crawley in 2024 to accommodate its expansion.
Sustainability and people first
Carnegie describes itself as a pioneer in sustainable construction, harnessing steel’s recyclability and durability and implementing measures such as rainwater harvesting to achieve water neutrality. The firm points to its completion of the ambitious Palindrome development for GEW, which reduced emissions by 20 per cent and prevented 103 tonnes of CO2e from entering landfill.
The business also challenges the male-dominated profile of its industry, maintaining a near-equal gender balance and running NeuroNinja workshops to support employee engagement and wellbeing. It actively nurtures talent, citing the example of Danny Campbell, who progressed from digger operator to qualified site leader in just over a year, and extends its purpose into the community through a partnership with homelessness charity Crawley Open House. Looking ahead, the company has set an ambition to grow turnover by 500 per cent over the next ten years.
The next milestone
Carnegie Group now joins the shortlist for The Vistage Growth Business of the Year Award, which recognises businesses with revenues up to £25m achieving growth across financial, customer and people metrics. The winner will be announced at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House, London on 10 November 2026, where the steel frame specialist will learn whether The Carnegie Way has carried it to a national title.
