With the help of his wife Nicola Fraser, 24-year-old Kenny Robertson started up his business in 2003, providing steel erection and consultation services for projects across the Northeast. Now, 20 years later, KR Group (Scotland) encompasses KR Steel, KR Cladding, and KR Solutions.
Growing a construction business in an oil and gas-dominated region business comes with an abundance of challenges, everything from banking crashes to lockdowns. Nevertheless, the business has not only weathered such difficulties but thrived.
Kenny reflects: “We started out with nothing, and despite achieving success we took a massive hit during the economic crash of 2008. However, any time quitting crossed my mind, I suddenly had a huge surge of resilience.”
In 2015, KR Steel secured its first million-pound contract – undertaking all steel and cladding works for a new fish processing plant. 2019 was another milestone year for directors Kenny and Nicola with the incorporation of KR Group (Scotland) Ltd, as the parent company for their suite of companies.
The couple then had a “pinch-me” moment, winning Family Business of the Year at the Northern Star Business Awards 2019, right before having to completely re-invent the way the business ran thanks to Covid-19. It managed to not only keep its doors open but substantially grow.
It was amidst this chaos that KR Group unveiled its headquarters: a new purpose-built office to complement its existing facilities nestled on the outskirts of the Northeast coastal village of Newburgh, Aberdeenshire.
“This was a huge landmark for us,” explains Nicola, “Opening our new office was a proud moment after having worked anywhere from spare bedrooms and kitchen tables to modular cabins.”
The site has since grown to accommodate a repurposing facility for cladding waste and a sheet metal fabrication workshop. This led to the development of KR Bon Reduction, an initiative to tackle cladding waste which garnered recognition at the VIBES, FSB, CeeD, and Northern Star Business Awards finals.
A carbon-conscious approach as well as a passion for helping the next generation disrupt the current expectations for a construction company, brought a renewed vibrancy to the field. KR Group become a FASET (Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training) Accredited company in 2020.
The business believes it is one of only four companies across Scotland to have the accreditation, demonstrating a commitment to high safety standards in the industry. KR Group also maintains active engagement with local charities and educational institutions. The creation of the ‘KRedit Project’ introduced structured support and learning pathways tailored to help young people get into work.
Currently, 25% of KR Group’s workforce is engaged in apprenticeships, traineeships, or graduate roles. Since its inception, KR Group has continued to drive and inspire change for the future of construction.
To find out more about KR Group (Scotland), visit the website.
