Family-owned MC Construction has made an historic change by promoting group operations director Russ Forshaw to managing director as successor to David Lowe, who has become the company’s executive chairman.
It is the first time in the Salford-based company’s 51-year history that a non-family member has held the managing director role.
Russ, 37, joined the company in June 2017. Initially he was the head of a new facilities services division before being promoted to group operations director.
He moved to MC Construction from Manchester Central, where he was director of facilities management. Earlier in his career he spent eight years at Shepherd Construction.
David has served as MC Construction’s managing director for more than 11 years. He joined the business in 1981 as an apprentice bricklayer.
His father Charlie Lowe founded the business with John Purcell in 1971. John’s sons Mike and Chris alongside David are the current owners.
David will remain actively involved with the business and continue to focus on customer satisfaction and new opportunities, as well as sharing his experience and expertise via the MC Academy, which seeks to up-skill staff, transfer knowledge and share best practice across the company’s workforce.
MC Construction is a £20m-turnover business with more than 60 staff. The company delivers complex construction projects throughout the north west, specialising in internal and external refurbishments, structural alterations and new builds for a wide range of clients across multiple sectors.
It also undertakes facilities management services and has a development arm called Victor, whose first housing scheme – Paradise Mews – is in the emerging Piccadilly East neighbourhood of Manchester city centre.
Russ said: “I am proud and excited to be given this opportunity to become managing director and look forward to continuing the work of my predecessors to drive positive change within our business and to see our brilliant team develop further in the years to come.
“I’m extremely grateful to Dave, Mike and Chris for placing their trust in me and for enabling me to continue the fantastic work of the Lowe and Purcell families.
“MC Construction has over half a century of history, with a proud record of successfully delivering projects for multiple clients across a variety of sectors throughout the north west. We have established a wonderful company culture, and the future is bright.”
David Lowe said: “Russ has been an integral part of our senior team for a number of years, showing great leadership qualities, a deep understanding of the business to grow our capabilities, and working extremely well with colleagues, clients and suppliers.
“This has been a planned succession and we know Russ is the right person to step into the managing director’s role, building on the founding families’ legacy to take the business forward.
“I have been privileged to be managing director for over 11 years and now is the right time to become executive chairman, which enables me to continue to add value to the business.
“We can assure clients that it is ‘business as usual’ and that we have a structure in place to ensure the business will continue to flourish in the future.”
