Ardent, which has expertise in the consenting and delivery of projects across the transport, renewables, utilities and regeneration sectors, recruited a further 20 industry experts in the first quarter of 2025 to achieve a 200-strong workforce.
The company, which also has offices in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Warrington, Dublin and Glasgow, is now ahead of its own ambitious growth plan, yet it intends to go further in the coming months to grow beyond 250 people by mid-2026.
Jonathan Stott, the company’s group managing director, said Ardent would continue to attract experienced experts in their field whilst investing in training and technology to develop its existing workforce, all for the benefit of its clients.
He said: “To surpass growth plans we felt were very ambitious is a measure of the team’s incredible work and testament to just how attractive a proposition Ardent is for talented individuals who are among the best in their respective sectors.
“It’s a win-win because attracting this type of talent, and deploying top-level training to nurture those already with us, benefits Ardent as a business and our client-base too. We have deliberately focused on establishing an extremely high-quality senior team, and that is helping us to continue to attract top-class junior and mid-career professionals, who have a thirst for knowledge and want to work with a market-leading team on important projects.
“It’s our goal to deliver life-improving change to communities and future generations, and we support projects that will make a genuine difference - whether it's legacy building regeneration in our urban centres or renewable energy helping the UK drive towards net zero.
“It is this desire to deliver change that spurs us on to grow and we’re pleased so many talented professionals are keen to join us on this journey.”
Growth has been achieved in each area of the business though the renewables and utilities sectors have expanded significantly after a string of successes in which Ardent gained a place on National Grid's framework, is supporting Thames Water's new reservoir project and provided land and engagement services on multiple utility-scale solar projects and off-shore wind projects off the coasts of England and Scotland.
Ardent’s Consent Management Consultancy team is also in line to play a significant role in the Great Grid upgrade, as well as supporting Sizewell nuclear power station and East West Rail. Renewables work is set to increase, with a particular focus for growth in Ireland.
Richard Caten, chief executive of Ardent, said: “This is another landmark moment in the growth of Ardent in recent years.
“We are investing in every area of the business to create a team of experts right across the board who are backed up with the latest technology to ensure we are at the cutting edge of what we do. Our Digital Solutions team is set to double in size over the next three months, underlining the investment we are making in new technology that will allow our highly-skilled professionals to focus on aspects of their roles that require their knowledge and expertise.
“And, we won’t stop here. We will continue to invest and grow at what is an exciting time for our industry.”