The Gelder Group was originally established in 1988 as a two man operation trading as SP Gelder Builders. In 1993, the firm incorporated to Gelder Ltd and traded as Gelder Construction. The following year, the company embarked on its largest housing development, consisting of 47 new homes, for which it would later be presented with an award at the British House Builder of the Year awards at the Park Lane Hilton hotel in London.
The company moved into the renovated offices on Tillbridge Lane, Sturton by Stow in the Spring of 1997 and had a formal opening in October 1997. A year later, the company was awarded with the Rural Development Commission's "Redundant Building" award for the quality of the renovation.
Within two years turnover had doubled to £10m and the number of Gelder employees had increased by 50% to 120. To reflect the significant growth in the company and the diversity of the building works undertaken, in January 2004, it changed its principle trading name to Gelder Group.
By the end of 2005 turnover had grown to over £16 million and staff numbers increased to over 160. Demand from several clients for it to increase its trading area led to the first regional office in January 2006 at Barlborough, Chesterfield close to Junction 30 of the M1.
2007 also saw the Group purchase a 17,500 square foot former RAF warehouse and office complex on a new 2.5 acre site at Dunholme for its Greentech operation. (Please see environmental pages) Tasked with the responsibility of dealing with all waste produced by the Group a waste transfer licence was obtained and the Group's first skip lorry was purchased. (By 2008 80% of all waste produced by the Group was being recycled.)
The total staff numbers had increased to 270 and turnover had risen to £25 million with the company opening its 2nd regional office located at Kettering.
In August 2008 we opened our new Training Academy “River Cottage” adjacent to our main Head Quarters. The Academy offers a variety of in-house and external courses working in partnership with other major training providers such as Lincoln College and Construction Skills (CITB). We have now been awarded an approved PASMA Training Centre certificate. We were both very pleased and honoured to be awarded the first licence to provide training for the British Damage Management Association in September.
In January of 2009, the Group formally opened its Aisthorpe premises, to accommodate its two new businesses, Century Plumbing and Redline Building Supplies & Services. In June 2009 the Redline showroom was completed.
