Stockton Group appoints Alan Smith as group managing director

Alan Smith has been appointed as Group Managing Director of Stockton Group. The appointment follows a year in which turnover rose from £10m (FY2024) to £25m (FY2025) and our three divisions - Drilling, Civils and Pipelines - were brought together under one Group brand.

Alan has 30 years' experience in civil engineering and construction. He joined SPI Piling as contracts manager in 2010, became Operations Director in February 2015 and Managing Director that August. As MD he was responsible for the company's strategy, commercial performance, governance and client relationships, and he built its health, safety, environment and quality (SHEQ) culture. Alan is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Member of the Association for Project Management (MAPM) and holds SIIRSM professional membership in safety and risk management.

As Group Managing Director at Stockton Group, Alan will lead our growth strategy, client and stakeholder relationships and delivery across all three divisions. He has directed projects from strategic definition through design, construction and handover, which matches our aim of taking a bigger role in early-stage planning, design and engineering for our clients.

Alan’s career began in 1996 as a trainee engineer at Birse Civils, where he progressed to sub agent before the business was acquired by Balfour Beatty. He became a project manager at Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering in 2008, delivering Environment Agency coastal defence and flood protection schemes under framework agreements and leading teams of designers, engineers, specialist subcontractors and consultants.

Speaking of his appointment, Alan Smith said: “Stockton Group has a strong reputation, a team that delivers and clear ambitions. What drew me in is the entrepreneurial spirit and the commitment to getting the job right for clients. I've spent my career helping businesses grow and deliver, and I'm looking forward to working with colleagues across all three divisions to build on the foundations already in place.”

Fiona O’Connell said: “Stockton has gone from £10m to £25m turnover in a year, and our clients are asking for earlier input and more joined-up delivery. Alan has run a contracting business for more than a decade and delivered flood and coastal schemes for the Environment Agency - the experience we need as the three divisions work as one Group. “Alan is widely respected within the industry for his collaborative leadership style, commercial acumen and commitment to developing successful teams and businesses. His appointment marks a significant milestone for Stockton Group as we continue to expand our presence across the construction, infrastructure and development sectors.”

Do you have a drilling, civils or pipeline project you’d like to talk about? Get in touch with our team.