Cumming Group Expands European Presence with Scollard Doyle Integration
A name change marks the final stage for Ireland’s Scollard Doyle as it becomes part of international project management and cost consultancy firm Cumming Group, continuing its ambitious global growth
“The move just made sense,” says Derek Hutchison, President & CEO of Cumming Group on the addition of construction consultancy services company Scollard Doyle to its business. Since its inception in the USA in 1996, Cumming Group has grown to become the largest independent provider of project management and cost consultancy services in North America. Over the years, it has gained significant presence in the UK and Europe too, reflecting its ambitions as a global business, through acquisition and organic growth.
As of July, Scollard Doyle will complete its integration into Cumming Group, with the rebrand representing the final step in a journey of nearly three years. The structure and team will remain as is, ensuring continuity of service to Scollard Doyle’s clients. Barry Doyle, who founded the company together with
Michael Scollard in 2010, has been in the role of Cumming Group Ireland Managing Director for a year and a half.
“When it came to firms to invest in the business, we screened a number of companies for cultural fit, strategic ambition and sector expertise but only Cumming Group matched all three,” says Doyle. “What we’ve gained in being part of a larger organisation is it allows us as directors to focus on first-class service delivery, while benefiting from their strategic approach to functions like Marketing, Finance and HR.”
Hutchison adds that it was hugely important to continue to have the directors of Scollard Doyle leading this part of the Cumming Group business. “Strong local, in-market leadership is critical in our business and our clients and team members continue to benefit from this continuity,” he says.
The move has given Cumming Group valuable presence in the Irish market for the first time as it continues its European expansion. There’s a cordial Celtic connection to be felt throughout the two businesses as they come together — Scollard Doyle was founded in Dublin, while Hutchison hails from Glasgow. Explaining the appeal of the Irish firm and market, Hutchison says: “Scollard Doyle has built an amazing reputation for delivering quality service on some of the most complex programmes across Ireland. For us, Dublin is a strategic launchpad for Europe and the cultural fit was seamless.”
Cumming Group’s approach to the continuity of Scollard Doyle’s leadership is clearly evident. The two companies are perfectly in step, with many shared values, especially around global growth. There’s a commonality to leadership approach, as Doyle explains: “It might be a new name for us, but it’s the same mentality. We are proud to now share the Cumming Group name and pursue our shared vision to be the most trusted team in the built environment.”
“It’s essential to have employees who are knowledgeable about the business, the services it offers and how t o deliver them. Our clients have the support from all the people in the business and they in turn have the support of myself and the wider team. We are a director-led culture — if I go to pitches, that means I’m part of the project team. And it’s the same for all of our directors. We all have the attitude that no project is too challenging or too complex, and that’s something that we will always retain.”
Testament to this is the fact that over 75% of Scollard Doyle’s revenue is from repeat clients. This client-centric approach, of course, wouldn’t be possible without its 50-strong team who work out of offices in Dublin and Cork.
“Employee satisfaction is the cornerstone of our business. We’ve always had great staff who believe in us and trust us and, likewise, we trust them,” says Doyle. “Their commitment and expertise has helped us gain our reputation for being industry leaders in project management and cost management in Ireland; they have supported our growth and ultimately got us to this point and to joining Cumming Group, and it is the wider team who are responsible for driving the business today. It’s not about me as an individual, it’s about every person.
“Through Cumming Group, we now can double down on our Learning & Development programmes to the benefit of our employees and ultimately to our clients.”
The Irish contingent will be able to tap into a wider pool of expertise and best practice within Cumming Group’s broader global business, or as Doyle put it in no-nonsense fashion: “Bringing more added value than crunching numbers or issuing a programme.”
That said, there are reciprocal learnings that Scollard Doyle is bringing to Cumming Group. These include advancements in technologies such as modular construction in the housing sector, knowledge of the Irish market and of Europe, and specialised expertise in key industries including data centres.
Hutchison reflects on this international intent: “Given the connections we now have, we’ve got an amazing platform to build on. We have been focussing on sectors such as data centres, life sciences, pharmaceutical and manufacturing, which has allowed us to accelerate our global ambitions. There are also many macro trends such as ageing infrastructure, decarbonisation, the move to electrification as well as the impact of AI that is driving a lot of innovation. There’s a lot of opportunity ahead of us and we’re now well placed to benefit from those tailwinds.”
Doyle adds: “The real success story for me has been the collaboration, particularly at leadership level: where the sharing of knowledge, expertise and local market intel has been invaluable.”