Led from the front by husband-and-wife team, Stephen and Lorraine Clarke, Surrey-based Mostrim Groundworks is the epitome of a family business. Having honed its strong traditional values since its creation in 2011, its philosophy has enabled it to make the transition from a company operating out of a spare room, into a market leader with a workforce of over 170 individuals capable of carrying out major projects across the south of England.
As well as flourishing commercially, underlined by the fact that it has had to move to larger premises twice, Mostrim’s approach has attracted industry recognition too. This year it has been shortlisted for not one but two National Building and Construction Awards 2025 within the Digital Construction and Health & Safety categories. Two members of the company’s workforce, Lucian Ciurariu and Jeff Manion, have played an integral role in achieving the nominations, as Ellie Higgs, HR Business Manager, explains: “Being named as finalists really proves the value that Lucian and Jeff bring to the company, and we’re so pleased for the pair of them.
“Jeff, with all his efforts for welfare and mental health support, and for his commitment to keeping the sites functioning rather than actively seeking to shut them down – as so many HSE professionals seem to want to do on other sites – is a real asset.
“Similarly, Lucian’s technical support is extremely helpful to many of our clients, not to mention the drone imagery we share on LinkedIn for us all to enjoy. He’s assisted us with our new SiteDocs Platform, which is where all HS Documents are now processed. Instead of sort of scrappy bits of muddy paper onsite, it’s all digital. He really has become invaluable to the business too.
“Both Lucian and Jeff share their knowledge generously and have unfailing enthusiasm for their work, so it’s great that they’ve been recognised with these nominations. Lucian in particular has worked very hard over the years to get where he is. He started with no experience in construction and learned everything on the job, so it’s a big moment for him especially.”
It is apparent that both Lucian and Jeff have found a working environment that allows them to flourish in their respective roles. This is unsurprising given Mostrim’s commitment to ensuring the well-being of its workforce, evident by its numerous accreditations. These include Investors in People Silver (2023), IIP Employer of the Year (2023) and IIP Wellbeing (2024), as well as the fact that it was recognised as one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work (2024). These accreditations are specifically linked to the office staff; however, the value and outcome of these accreditations have developed into supporting everyone linked to the company and will continue to do so.
With its head office in Leatherhead, Mostrim operates across the south of England, carrying out a wide range of groundwork services for house builders. These include foundations, substructures, frames, podium slabs, and both private and adoptable drainage. Its offering also covers roads, infrastructure, and external works. This has helped the business build a strong, consistent, and long-term client base, as well as giving it access to newer customers with which it is developing excellent relationships.
Mostrim’s aim now is to enhance its client list by seizing the abundant opportunities currently available in the marketplace.
“There’s a great deal going on in the industry, especially in residential developments, and there’s a lot of big opportunities coming up,” adds Ellie. “The whole country has been in a period of uncertainty over the last few years, but we just keep pushing through it and working on ensuring our stability, as well as growth.”
Despite experiencing rapid progression over the last five years in particular, Mostrim has worked hard to maintain its values. It is also forever mindful of the challenges that all companies operating in the construction industry are having to contend with. “There’s always difficulties to overcome, whether it’s changes in legislation or an unexpected issue onsite. We strive to be as proactive as we can to meet them head on, rather than just being reactive. This is an approach that is continuing to serve us well.”
This is certainly supported by the rapid growth that Mostrim is enjoying, although it has never lost sight of the qualities that have been so important to its success. “We’ve maintained our family atmosphere and core values of growth, dedication and respect,” says Ellie. “This is in addition to our ongoing commitment to prioritising the well-being of our employees. These will always be the bedrock on which the company is built.
“Moving forward the aim is to keep developing the stability we have within the organisation and to secure further projects to ensure that we continue to grow at a steady rate.”
It can be all too easy for growing companies to lose sight of what made them so successful in the first place, as they develop into an ever-larger entity, but this is certainly not a trap that Mostrim has ever looked like falling into. Instead, its values are becoming ever more entrenched as it strives to keep building its forward momentum.