NG Bailey Hits £707m Turnover with £1.7bn Order Book

NG Bailey, the UK’s largest independent engineering business headquartered in West Yorkshire, reports £707m turnover with operating profit up 41% and a £1.7bn order book focused on defence, healthcare, data centres, and energy

NG Bailey, the UK’s largest independent engineering and infrastructure services business, has reported turnover of £707 million for the year ending February 2026, up from £662 million the previous year. The family-owned West Yorkshire firm delivered underlying operating profit of £21.2 million, a 41 per cent increase on the previous year’s £15 million. The group’s order book has grown to £1.7 billion, focused on sectors with high barriers to entry including defence, healthcare, rail, data centres, nuclear, and energy infrastructure. The company has also created a new Chief AI Officer role and recruited more than 55 apprentices as part of its Journey to 2030 strategy. CEO Jonathan Stockton said the positive financial performance is rooted in a relentless focus on managing risk and a selective approach to the projects the firm takes on.

Why This Matters For Leeds

A £707 million West Yorkshire engineering firm with a £1.7 billion order book is one of the most significant businesses in the region. The sectors driving growth data centres, defence, healthcare, rail, nuclear, and energy are the same sectors generating investment across Leeds and West Yorkshire. The order book is a forward indicator of where construction and infrastructure spending is heading across the region.

What Drove Growth in the Latest Year

The first full year of the newly formed Built Environment division, which brought together engineering, facilities services, and low carbon businesses, delivered strong year-on-year growth. Freedom, the group’s electricity infrastructure business, continued as a major growth driver through strategic partnerships with UK Distribution Network Operators and a growing portfolio of privately funded connections projects. IT Services generated healthy margins following a strategic reset. The group invested £3.5 million in digitalisation, sales capability, and organisational capacity. Jonathan Stockton said the firm has continued to deliver strong financial performance while reinvesting in digitalisation and new technology solutions to remain at the forefront of the industry.

“People are at the heart of both our Journey to 2030 strategy and the Group’s DNA. As an independent, family-owned business, I’m pleased that our investment this year has focused on people development, including recruiting more than 55 apprentices as we look to support the next generation of industry talent.”

— Jonathan Stockton, CEO, NG Bailey

Acquisition and AI Investment

The new financial year has started strongly with the acquisition of Engineering Solutions Group, including its main trading business ECS Engineering Services, a specialist operating across the water, environmental, and wider infrastructure sectors. The deal strengthens the group’s infrastructure capabilities and brings water sector specialism into the Built Environment division. Jonathan Stockton said the acquisition was completed earlier than anticipated and provides a natural extension to the existing client offer. The firm also created a Chief AI Officer role to provide leadership and governance over AI adoption — ensuring new technology is adopted in a structured way aligned with its values and risk management framework. With a £1.7 billion order book and a diversified position across resilient sectors, NG Bailey said it remains confident in delivering its growth strategy towards 2030.