A LARGE Lancashire company has been given a brand new look for the first time in more than 30 years.

Barnfield, established in 1976, has always been a developer but is predominantly known in the industry as a main contractor.

And now it is hoped that the results of a brand refresh project will help focus attention on the development arm of the businesses – alongside other specialisms.

Barnfield is based in Nelson and works on projects nationwide.

Tim Webber, Chairman and Managing Director of the Barnfield Group said: “Unless you have worked in partnership with us, many people in the industry would tend to think of us as just contractors, when in fact we are a lot more diverse.

“We have acted as lead developer on a number of major schemes in the North West over the past 45 years with both public and private sector partners, and as a developer in our own right.

“The fact that we are also experienced and successful main contractors has often meant that we can make many schemes work, where other dedicated developers or contractors can’t due to low-end values.

“As a company, we are an extremely hardworking team and have a tendency to roll our sleeves up and just get stuck in on our projects. We are often guilty of being quite modest when it comes to getting the recognition our projects deserve.”

Preston-based PR and marketing communications agency Freshfield was chosen to carry out the rebrand.

Gareth Edwards, head of design at Freshfield, said: “Throughout its history, Barnfield’s work has had a profound impact on neighbourhoods, communities, local economies and lives. It is a team that strives to make a difference and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with them.

“This branding project was about evolution not revolution. By refreshing the colours, typography and recrafting its brand icon, we’ve simplified and modernised the identity while retaining some of its original features. This was important given how much Barnfield’s leaders value long-term relationships and its history.”

The net worth of the group is now £30m to include cash balances of £9m ready to invest in new development opportunities during the course of this year.

The order book for 2021 is currently at around £80m with £70m of this coming from jobs which have already started on site.

Barnfield employs around 170 staff offering most aspects of construction and civil engineering work from its multi-disciplinary team. The Group is on-site nationwide delivering over 1.7 million square feet of development. This includes mixed-use schemes across retail, commercial, industrial and healthcare sectors and a variety of residential sites for its public and private sector partners, together with the Barnfield Homes brand.