Business is good for extensions expert Leigh Fowler – so much so that he’s tripled his workforce over the last few years. Taking on four joiners has enabled the conscientious bricklayer and builder to offer an even smoother service. “There’s no stress now at the joinery stage of relying on somebody to come in. It makes the job much faster,” says Leigh, 38, who employs 16 staff.
The mild-mannered builder ensures his extensions match existing brickwork perfectly. Unlike most builders, he takes a skin off the old building, cleans the bricks and uses them on the front for a seamless match. “I like to think the little details set us apart,” he says. “Like structural steelwork which we like to get flush with walls so there’s no bulkhead. We try to make a job blend in as much as possible”
Leigh grew slowly and thoroughly into offering complete extensions. He trained as a bricklayer on leaving Lostock Hall High School, and worked for various builders, until setting up on his own 11 years ago to give his young family a more financially secure future. Then he was offering a ‘watertight package’ – groundwork, walls, roofs, windows and doors. In 2019, confident he had good sub-contractors, he began doing all the inside work as well, from plumbing and electrical work to fitting bathrooms and kitchens. Leigh recently added Kirk Brockbank to his operations team, with Ged Thompson added in as another driver for one of eight vehicles LJF use to move materials.
He likes to have a good relationship with customers. “He’s reliable, trustworthy, fair and honest. If there’s a problem, he doesn’t hide it and we talk and find a solution,” said one Fulwood customer.
If people need expertise to realise their dreams, Leigh uses architect Mike Palmer and structural engineer John Davis, both from Penwortham, as well as offering ideas himself. He adds; “Building extensions excites me. I still like bricklaying but I like project managing and running a job better.”
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