Meet the Team at Southern Piling

We’d like to introduce you to the team at Southern Piling. Above all, we are proud to be a family-owned company. Why? Because we share common values. That’s not all though. Altogether, we have a sound commitment to working together.

We deliver piling services of the very highest quality to our customers.

Southern Piling believes that it’s this family-style aspect of our business that marks us apart . Our professional pride means everything to us. And, we hope, to you.

Standing Apart in a Close-Knit Sector

Equally importantly, here at Southern Piling we’re realists. We know that piling is a busy and often competitive sector. Obviously, everyone knows each other and we understand that. Given this point, we are very aware that our reputation is everything.

Therefore, we work hard to ensure that we’re the market leader in terms of quality and value for money. Of course, we never forget the importance of customer service.

The team at Southern Piling is looking forward to working with you. We have 50 highly motivated and dedicated people in our business. Even though piling is a demanding industry, many of our staff our long standing. Some even started with us when we became Southern Piling.

We thought that you might like to meet our management team:

Ray Francis and Anne FrancisManaging Director / Company Secretary

Ray Francis and his wife Anne acquired a 50% acquisition in the company in 2004. Since that time, they have been the key drivers in the success of the company.

Formerly Jones Foundations, they purchased the remaining shares, enabling them to own the business completely. And, of course, give us a new name. Southern Piling.

With our name now well known in the trade, Ray and Anne still take a keen interest in the business.

Richard FrancisProduction Director

Richard joined the company in 2004. He has worked hard to succeed and now holds the senior position of Production Director. Essentially, his main role is to oversee the day-to-day running of Southern Piling.

Indeed, his skills and knowledge have meant that he has added enormous value to the business. Richard ensures that the team completes all our projects to consistently high standards.

It’s no surprise then, that our clients, suppliers and even many of our competitors consider us to be one of the best piling companies in this sector.

James WoodcockContracts and Design Manager

James joined us in 2022 and brings a wealth of piling experience. He, with Richard leads the team in work procurement and pile design.

Sarah ClarkeTechnical Manager

Sarah joined us in 2022 and continues to make a great contribution to our technical abilities.

James SimporisContracts Manager

Prior to joining us in 2013, James had five years’ experience in the construction industry.

With his skills, he is a key part of our team. His technical acumen and expertise enables him to manage our piling works assignments from start to finish. That’s not all, though. James also looks after the procurement of our production materials.

Stuart JacksonEstimating Manager

Stuart joined the company in 2017 and is fully up to speed with the company’s values and desires. Stuart is mainly focused on estimating and client negotiations; he has revolutionised our IT system and is extremely valued.

Derek SullivanFinance Manager

Derek has joined us in November 2019 and is responsible for our accounting system which works brilliantly under his guidance.

Keith TaylorOperations Manager

With over 40 years’ industry experience, Keith is the person who will greet you on-site.
His role is to guide you through the key aspects of your piling project and to trouble-shoot any issues that arise.

Based in London, and with an encyclopaedic knowledge of health safety and construction processes, Keith has been with Southern Piling since 2014.

Chris WoodcockQuality Control Manager

Nothing escapes Chris and his team’s beady eye. Chris’ attention to detail ensures that all our reporting is up to date and 100% accurate.

He ensures that our concrete cubes are manufactured to the highest safety standards and that integrity testing is carried out correctly.

Maggie NichollsAdministrator

The Team at Southern Piling couldn’t do without Maggie. Amongst her many duties, you’ll hear her voice when you call us.

Maggie has excellent organisation skills and looks after a myriad of essential services. One of her key responsibilities is to administrate our estimates.