Aqua Construction, the Gloucester-based house building specialist, is celebrating 25 years in business and looking to increase turnover to more than £10million in the coming year.

The company has recently been awarded a key contract for the construction of 25 apartments and a retail unit on the former Orchard & Ind site in the £107 million prestigious Kings Quarter regeneration development in Gloucester city centre.

Aqua Construction has a long history of delivering social housing projects throughout the County and in particular Gloucester, but the Kings Quarter development will be their most high-profile City Centre development to date.

Jason Wasley, managing director of Aqua Construction, said: "I'm proud that we are regenerating this important brownfield site in the heart of the city centre. People sometimes don't like to talk about social housing, but regeneration isn't just about providing buildings - it's about providing people with good quality homes that they are proud to live in - and that's where we come in".

The company based in Quedgeley started in 1997 by Jason Wasley, aged just 24, who started in the construction industry working as a labourer on sites at the age of just 14. From there, he went on to train as a bricklayer and was one of the last apprentices trained at the former skills centre on the Bristol Road in Gloucester.

Having completed his training, Jason worked across Europe for several years, the days were long, but it was lucrative work for a young man starting out in the industry.

On his return to the UK, he worked as a bricklayer on housing developments for a number of subcontractors around the country but mainly in Gloucestershire before finally deciding to set up his own business.

Aqua Construction started as a brickwork contractor, sub-contracting to the national housebuilders and general contractors. Over time the company has changed from being a sub-contractor to others to being a main contractor delivering new build housing.

Fast forward 25 years and the company now employs 36 full-time staff, builds between 30 to 50 homes a year and currently has a turnover in excess of £6.5million.

Currently, approximately 60 percent of the houses built by Aqua Construction are for Housing Association clients, in particular Gloucester City Homes and the remainder for the company's own open market development company.

Jason and Aqua Construction have come a long way from the teenage boy labouring on building sites to a building company with a multi-million-pound turnover.

Jason added: "I've always tried to be consistent. I often say that I can build a house with my eyes closed. That might not be entirely true, maybe one eye closed.

"I believe it's best to stick to what you are good at and work on projects with people you love working with - then every day's not really a workday. So, with that in mind, I'm looking forward to the next 25 years!"

For more information about Aqua Construction, please visit https://aquaconstruction.co.uk, call 01452 722212 or email info@aquaconstruction.co.uk.