Our Journey

VGC was founded in 1960 and its history reflects major milestones in UK infrastructure and the construction sector.

From working on the Channel Tunnel rail link to HS2 and Hinkley Point, VGC has evolved through strong, organic growth, setting new industry standards to support its teams, clients, stakeholders and communities.

1960

1960

VGC was founded in 1960 by Vernon and Colin Clements as a civil engineering contractor by two brothers that specialised in delivering small work packages to police stations, public houses and public buildings.

1977

The company was aquired by Sean Fitzpatrick and Bart Keaney in 1977. Bart Keaney had been working within the construction industry for 15 years and Sean Fitzpatrick was making the transition from a teaching career in maths and computer science.

The business moved into labour supply in the 1980s and the early high-profile contracts included providing teams to work on the Channel Tunnel rail link, Queen Elizabeth II bridge, Manchester Metro and Sheffield Supertram

1988

1988

Established Cole Hire car and van rental to support internal fleet management and provide daily rental to retail and B2B customers in West London.

Visit Cole Hire Website

1998

Established VGC Rail Projects to deliver sub-contract packages with London Underground, Euston Station, and the Heathrow Express Rail Link.

Laurence McKidd joins VGC as Rail Director.

1999

1999

Awarded the national rail delivery contracts with Network Rail to operate the rail putlers, the rail delivery trains and the long welded rail trains.

2001

Awarded the labour supply on the construction of the M6 toll – the Birmingham Northern Relief Road.

2002

Awarded the labour supply on the Watford to Bletchley Projects.

2003

2003

Awarded the contracts for provision of labour for Metronet / Balfour Beatty on the London Underground. Also working for Tubelines providing track and safety critical personnel.

2005

Established VGC Training to ensure that the workforce remained at the forefront of industry standards and accreditation requirements.

2006

2006

VGC Personnel established to supply professional, technical and engineering resources on a contract and permanent basis. Launched an equality, diversity and inclusion programme to support ethical business practices.

2007

Awarded the labour supply on the East London Line project. East London line – VGC Group. Started work on the Electrical Alliance for Morgan Sindall and National Grid.

2008

2008

Awarded the labour supply on the Olympic Park.

2009

Supplied personnel to support the challenging project to redevelop Blackfriars Bridge. We were one of the major providers of construction personnel for the M25 widening project.

2011

We launched our Be Safe by Choice behaviour based safety programme which makes people aware of how behaviour and attitudes are vital to help reduce accidents.

2011

2011

VGC Projects started working at Heathrow, delivering civil engineering projects within a complex environment.

British Airways TBJ hangars bays 1 and 2
Heathrow terminal 2 pumping chamber
Heathrow Terminal 5 retail development

2012

VGC played a key role in the North-West railway electrification upgrade project with clients Balfour Beatty and Siemens.

2012

In 2012 VGC was selected as one of only four labour suppliers to undertake work to dismantle parts of the London Olympic site in readiness for its conversion to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

2014

2014

Awarded labour supply contracts on 16 sections of Crossrail, the Elizabeth line, as well as subcontract packages and we were awarded Sustainable Employment award for local employment programmes.

View our Crossrail case studies

VGC provided teams and supervisors for the Edinburgh-Glasgow improvement programme – 150km of new single track, electrified railway.

2015

VGC helped develop and operate the first labour desk collaboration for client, Morgan Sindall. It established an operating model that would be adopted by major infrastructure projects across the UK.
We secured a labour supply contract for Sellafield.

2016

2016

Awarded labour supply on Hinkley Point Nuclear site.

2016

Formed an Integrated Labour Desk for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme – £1.5bn scheme to improve the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. VGC was presented with an Innovation Award for the A14 Supply Chain Awards and a Highways England ‘Improving employee engagement and behavioural change’ Award.

2016

2016

VGC supplied trades and labour resources for the Nexus Tyne and Wear Metro upgrade. Our teams also worked on a wide variety of projects for the £848 million capacity upgrade of the M4 motorway.

2018

VGC was the first labour provider to achieve the BRE 6002:2017 Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard.

We Secured the labour supply on Blackfriars.

2018

2018

Launched our Corporate Sustainability Strategy to set new standards for workforce empowerment, community legacy programmes and transparency in business and established the VGC Academy to support holistic learning and development.

Commenced work on HS2 enabling works at Euston and provided placements for management and technical staff for HS2 Phase 1 on behalf of Fusion. Began supplying teams for the Thames Tideway East and Thames Tideway West projects.

2019

VGC Projects secured fibre installation subcontract projects across London and the South East.

2020

Secured the labour supply for all four sections of HS2 with SCS, Align, EKFB and BBV:
HS2 N1 – N2 enabling for client BBV
HS2 for client EKFB
HS2 C1 for client Align JV
HS2 for client SCS

VGC Projects teams helped create emergency refuge areas on the M25 for client Skanska and continued to work through the global pandemic to provide vital infrastructure services.

Laurence McKidd is appointed CEO, and Ciara Pryce as COO.

Chris Ryan was appointed Managing Director of Labour Solutions and Jacques Kriel was appointed as Managing Director of VGC Projects.

2021

The VGC Energy division was created to support the energy sector and help deliver energy security projects across the UK and beyond.

2022

2022

VGC delivered more than £22.5m of social value across UK projects. Our teams started working on the Silvertown tunnel – the first new road tunnel under the River Thames since the Dartford crossing.
VGC Group breaks the £100m turnover for the first time.

VGC was presented with the HS2 Inspiration Award for modern slavery prevention at the House of Commons.

2023

VGC Labour Solutions and VGC Personnel recruitment divisions merge under the operating name of VGC to offer a full solution for all major infrastructure projects and all job roles from unskilled and semi skilled to technical and management.

Started work to support HMNB Devonport.

VGC received the Inspiring Change award for ‘Inspiring Change in the Community’, at the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Programme awards, recognising our recruitment, onboarding, and retention practices across all four sections of HS2.