Britbuild Magazine speaks with Sara Barnes and Des O’Neill of Interclass

Winning a Construction Award of Excellence is rarely the result of a single project or achievement. 

Often, it reflects years of consistent delivery, strong leadership and a company culture built on collaboration and trust.

For Interclass, being named Best Building Contractor at the Construction Awards of Excellence was a significant milestone; particularly as the company marks its 50th year in the construction industry.

Britbuild Magazine spoke with Sara Barnes, Preconstruction & Marketing Manager, and Des O’Neill, Managing Director, about what the recognition means for the business, how early project planning shapes successful delivery, and why investing in people remains central to the company’s long-term approach.

Q: Interclass won Best Building Contractor at the Construction Awards of Excellence last year. What does that recognition mean for the company and the wider team?

Des O’Neill:

“Winning this award means a huge amount to us, especially because it comes in our 50th year as a business, the timing certainly makes it feel even more special. 

To begin such a milestone year with the recognition of Best Building Contractor is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

For O’Neill, the timing of the award adds particular significance. Achieving industry recognition while celebrating a half-century in construction highlights the consistency of the organisation’s work and the strength of its teams.

“Our people work extremely hard day in and day out, and it’s a real moment of pride for the whole team to reflect on what we’ve achieved together.

It’s reassuring to know we must be doing something right! It really does validate the hard work, dedication and resilience of everyone in the business.” 

Q: From a leadership perspective, what elements of Interclass’s approach do you believe helped secure the award?

Des O’Neill:

“A lot of it comes down to the tenacity of our teams and their ability to solve problems for clients.

Construction projects are complex – there are always challenges along the way. What our teams do very well is work collaboratively to find solutions that achieve the best outcome for the client.

Because of that, we’ve built strong relationships and we see a lot of repeat business. Clients come back to us because they know how we operate and they trust us to deliver. 

Another important point is that we’re very comfortable with who we are as a business. We don’t feel the need to chase turnover or growth for the sake of it. We’re happy with our sector split and the size we operate at in the market.

You don’t necessarily have to be the biggest contractor to be the best. What matters is consistency, reliability and how you treat people along the way.

Our approach is deliberately collaborative and non-adversarial, and I think clients really value that. It helps create a much more positive environment for everyone involved in a project.”

Both O’Neill and Barnes also emphasised the company’s commitment to improving both internally and across the wider sector.

Sara Barnes:

“We’re always looking at ways to improve how we do things, whether that’s using new technology, improving communication or finding better ways to support our teams.

But we also care about the bigger picture. Construction is an industry we’re all part of, so it’s important that we contribute positively to it.

One thing Interclass has always done well is investing in people and bringing through the next generation. That’s something we’re really proud of and something we continue to prioritise.”

Q: Sara, as Preconstruction & Marketing Manager, how does the pre-construction phase contribute to delivering successful, award winning projects?

Sara Barnes:

“If we don’t get things right at that stage, it becomes much harder to deliver a successful project further down the line.

The earlier we can engage with the team and start building relationships, the better.

During pre-construction we spend a lot of time working through the risks and challenges of each project. The goal is to de-risk the project as much as possible before construction even begins.

If you can address those issues early and get everyone aligned, it creates a much smoother process and allows the team to focus on delivering the project collaboratively, on time and on budget.”

Barnes says the construction industry still relies heavily on trust and relationships; recognition plays an important role in reinforcing that reputation.

Sara Barnes:

“Our reputation and access to new opportunities still rely heavily on relationships and word of mouth, and awards help reinforce that credibility.

We want clients and consultants to know who we are and how we work, and when they see that your work has been recognised by the industry, it gives them confidence that we know what we’re doing and can deliver a successful project for them.”

Q: Supply chain collaboration is increasingly important in construction. How do you ensure partners are fully involved in the process?

Sara Barnes:

“We simply couldn’t deliver the projects we do without our supply chain partners. 

One of the key things is bringing them into the conversation early. When they understand the project, the challenges involved and the client’s priorities, they can contribute their expertise from the start.

That early involvement makes a huge difference because subcontractors often have specialist knowledge that can really help shape the delivery strategy.”

Interclass also makes a conscious effort to strengthen these relationships through regular engagement.

Des O’Neill:

“We held our supply chain event in January this year, and we had over 170 people in the room.

The whole purpose of that event was really about alignment – understanding how we can continue to support each other to improve the standards that we are delivering on site.It was also an opportunity to celebrate and recognise exceptional performance from our subcontractors over the last 12 months – we gave out eight awards in total including Best Collaborative Contractor, Safety Excellence and Social Value Contribution.” 

The turnout itself demonstrated the strength of those partnerships.

Sara Barnes:
“We had such a positive response to the event, and that’s really a testament to the relationships our team has built with the supply chain over the years.

It gave people the opportunity to speak openly with the wider Interclass team and get a better sense of the direction we’re heading as a business.”

Q: How has company culture influenced Interclass’s journey towards being recognised as a leading contractor?

Des O’Neill:

“You have to create a culture where people genuinely want to succeed – you can’t force that. If people feel trusted and empowered to do their jobs properly, you tend to get much better results. They take pride in what they’re doing and take ownership of their work.”

Sara Barnes: 

“People enjoy having the ability to make decisions. I think that level of trust really motivates people and helps build their confidence. They know that, to a large extent, they’re in control of their own workload.”

O’Neill says the culture of openness also allows the organisation to learn from challenges and continuously improve.

Des O’Neill:

“We talk a lot about continuous improvement, but you can only really achieve that if people feel comfortable speaking up when something hasn’t gone to plan and don’t feel like they’re going to be chastised for getting it wrong.

It’s about encouraging people to raise issues so we can draw on the knowledge and experience we have across the business to find solutions.”

Q: Sustainability, safety and social value are increasingly central to construction projects. How are these priorities reflected in your work?

Des O’Neill:

“Safety will always come first for us. We’ve got a legal obligation, but more importantly, we’ve got a moral obligation to make sure that people that interface with Interclass go home safely.

Beyond safety, O’Neill believes the industry also has a responsibility to promote the opportunities it offers.

Des O’Neill:

“Construction is an exciting industry to be part of. The career opportunities today are stronger than ever, and salaries now that are far higher than they have ever been before!

It’s important that we keep communicating that to young people. As an industry, we need to do more to show students what those pathways look like and how they can build a long-term career for themselves.”

Q: What role does training and workforce development play in maintaining high standards across projects?

Des O’Neill:

“It plays a huge role. We engage with people from a very young age. We’ve got T level students working in the business that start at 16 and we mentor them through their T levels. We then support them through their degrees and give them real site experience along the way. 

Education is important, but there’s nothing quite like being on site and seeing how projects actually come together and also the challenges that arise on site.”

The company also places strong emphasis on professional development. 

“We engage with the National Federation of Builders, the CITB and other organisations where we sit in rooms with other construction professionals and share best practice.

We’ve also introduced a CPD environment into the business where everybody is expected to complete between 10 and 15 CPD credits a year.

It’s important that everybody gets that opportunity to look through the window of best practice in construction.”

Q: Finally, what advice would you give to contractors striving for excellence and industry recognition, such as an award at the Construction Awards of Excellence 

Des O’Neill:

“Be proud of what you do, strive to be the best, engage with all stakeholders honestly and openly and shout about what you do.

Sometimes we’re so focused on the next project that we don’t take the time to reflect on what we’ve achieved. The awards application process actually forces you to step back and do this.” 

Barnes also encourages companies to learn from others across the industry.

Sara Barnes:

“It’s important to collaborate with others in the industry and not just operate within your own little bubble. There’s so much knowledge across the industry, and there’s a lot you can learn by speaking to people outside your own organisation.

At the same time, understand what your company does well and focus on building on those strengths.”