Employee-owned construction company Lindum Group is marking its 70th anniversary today (Wed 23^rd September), celebrating seven decades of employing local people, supporting communities and building lasting relationships with clients.

Founded in Lincoln in 1956 by civil engineer John F. Chambers, Lindum began as a small civil engineering business working for water companies and industrial clients.

Seventy years later, the company remains rooted in the communities where its people live and work, with more than 600 employees across Lincoln, Peterborough and York.

Lindum now operates across 12 divisions, delivering construction, maintenance and specialist services for clients across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and beyond. Its approach continues to centre on developing its own people, creating opportunities for apprentices and trainees, and working with local businesses and suppliers wherever possible.

A significant milestone in the company’s history came in 1994, when Lindum became employee-owned. Today, more than 80% of its employees are shareholders in the business, giving its workforce a direct stake in its long-term future.

To mark the anniversary, Lindum employees and their families came together for a family fun day at Lincoln Water Park, giving colleagues the opportunity to celebrate the milestone together outside of work.

Co-Chair Edward Chambers, the third generation of the Chambers family involved in the business, said the anniversary was an opportunity to recognise the people who have contributed to Lindum’s story over the past seven decades.

“Lindum has changed considerably since my grandfather started the business in 1956, but the principles that shaped the company remain important today – employing local people, developing our workforce and building strong, long-term relationships with our clients and communities.

“Reaching 70 years is a significant milestone, and it is a chance to recognise everyone who has contributed to Lindum’s story over the years. It was great to bring colleagues and their families together to celebrate.”

The company has worked on projects ranging from schools, housing and healthcare facilities to commercial buildings, leisure venues and major infrastructure schemes. Its maintenance teams also provide ongoing services to private and public-sector clients across the region.

Lindum continues to invest in apprenticeships and training, supporting people to develop long-term careers within the construction industry.

In its 70th year, Lindum can point to a strong and diverse workload across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the East of England, with projects spanning education, housing, healthcare, commercial, industrial and public sector developments.

Current schemes include school expansions and refurbishments, such as works at Ruskin Academy in Grantham, a new science and sports hall block at Bluecoat Wollaton Academy in Nottingham, and extensions at Spalding Academy and Cherry Willingham School.

Lindum is also delivering housing developments, including 77 new homes at Heath View in Waddington, 52 homes at One at Charterholme in Lincoln, 37 homes in Welton, 58 homes in Beckingham, and residential developments in Ampthill, Little Downham and Market Deeping.

Alongside this, Lindum continues to invest in major commercial and community projects, including a new distribution facility near Peterborough, the redevelopment of Neighbourhood Centre in Huntingdon, a district centre and food store at Wintringham, an extension to a Primark store in Leeds and a new home discount store in Brough.

Lindum’s specialist divisions are equally busy, delivering roofing and cladding projects across the UK, healthcare and university refurbishments, fire station upgrades, industrial facilities and leisure projects.

Current work includes improvements at universities, hospitals, food factories, fire stations and multiple police and council facilities.

Together, these projects demonstrate the breadth of expertise that has enabled Lindum to grow into one of the UK’s largest employee-owned construction companies over the past 70 years

A potted history of Lindum….

John F Chambers was originally from Swaffham, Norfolk, the eldest of two boys and during the Second World War, he was stationed at Stirling in Scotland, where he worked as a trainee mechanical engineer. While there, he met a young lady called Barbara Curtis who was training to be a radar teacher.

Once the war was over, John and Barbara married and moved to the East Midlands, where John studied civil engineering at University of Nottingham. After graduation, the pair settled in Barbara’s home city of Lincoln and John began work for Lincoln City Council as an engineer.

After three children (and while the young Mrs Chambers was expecting with number four, David) John decided to leave the council and set up a new business in partnership with a colleague called Mr Nearey.

They borrowed £100 from Barbara’s father Edward Curtis (a local grain merchant) in Heighington and set up Lindum Construction, as a Civil Engineering Contractor on 23^rd September, 1956. Their first employee was Pauline Brown, who would later go on to be chair of the company when John retired in 1988.

John purchased his first works van at auction for £20. The vehicle was an ex Post Office delivery van and was adorned with PO’s red and yellow branding. These days Lindum has a fleet of 273 vehicles and 19 commercial vehicles. While the technology might have evolved, the colour scheme has endured!

In the early days, Lindum focussed on working with water authorities and councils around Lincolnshire. By the mid 60s, the company had built half of the sewage works around the county – constructing both underground and over-ground systems, including most of the Canwick works in Lincoln.

By the 70s, local architects had become a good source of work and Lindum’s first major design and build contact was carried out on Doddington Road for Sunstrand [UK] in 1974, through Ron Oldham at John Roberts Architects in Lincoln.. It was worth £356 000 (around £3.5 million in today’s money).

The 80s and 90s saw Lindum begin to build relationships which still serve the company well many years later. It completed its first project in 1979 for Geest (a company that’s now owned by Bakkavor and remains a client today.)

Other new customers then included Magnet, Lincolnshire Co-op and Rustons (which is now Siemens).

In 1991 Mrs Brown sadly died, after 35 years’ service and JFC’s youngest son David became chair of Lindum Group. This marked the start of the second generation of Chambers leadership.

David remained chair until 2024, when he was succeeded by Freddie and Edward Chambers.