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About Us
Our Story
With over 40 years of experience, we deliver carefully planned construction projects for clients who expect clarity, quality, and a team they can trust.
Alan Bender Ltd was founded in 1982 by Alan Bender, a carpenter by trade with a passion for quality workmanship and a determination to build a business that clients could trust.
Starting from his home in Marks Tey with a blue Ford Transit tipper and a growing reputation, Alan built the company one project at a time. Through hard work, attention to detail and word-of-mouth recommendations, he established himself as a trusted local builder. As demand grew, so did the business, taking on increasingly larger and more complex projects whilst maintaining the personal service that clients valued.
After completing what Alan would describe as “too many extensions to count” around the local area, he moved his family to Cherry Tree Lane, where he built his own home and continued to expand the business. Even as the company grew, Alan remained committed to quality over quantity, rarely undertaking more than two projects at any one time to ensure every client received the attention their project deserved.
Building sites were a familiar place for the Bender family. Alan’s son, Oliver, and daughter, Natalie, could often be found helping out, learning about the industry long before they considered careers within it. Those early experiences laid the foundations for what would eventually become the next chapter of the business.
Whilst studying Business Studies at Essex University, Oliver joined the company as a labourer during his spare time. Over the following years, he gained hands-on experience across all aspects of construction whilst also developing a strong understanding of business management. After joining the company full-time, Oliver continued to help grow the business before becoming sole owner and director in 2012 when Alan took early retirement.
The business itself has mirrored that journey of growth. Operations were once managed from a spare bedroom before expanding into a converted garage office. Five years later, the company moved to its current headquarters at Fiddlers Farm in Fordham Heath, a location with strong family connections and home to a number of thriving local businesses. Today, the office provides a central hub for a dedicated management team supporting projects across Essex and Suffolk.
Although the company has grown considerably, family values remain at the heart of everything we do. Oliver’s wife, Stephanie, remains a trusted sounding board for both Oliver and Graham, while family connections continue throughout the wider team. Our Site Supervisor Adam is now joined on site by his stepson Freddy, who supports the team across a wide range of tasks. Decorator Leigh works alongside his father Tony, while brothers Darren and Paul form part of our groundworks team. Jake, the son of Site Manager Dave, joined us in July 2022 as an apprentice bricklayer and has since qualified and moved on to continue his career on large housing developments. These relationships reflect the culture we have built, one based on trust, loyalty, teamwork and pride in our work.
Today, Alan Bender Ltd has a trusted team of over 30 skilled site operatives supported by 7 office-based professionals, alongside a fleet of 12 company vehicles. Together, we carefully select and deliver around 50 projects each year, ranging from small works and structural investigations through to extensive renovations, extensions, bespoke homes and commercial projects.
Under Oliver’s leadership, the company has continued to evolve, including the successful delivery of more than 50 new homes alongside countless renovations and extensions throughout the region. We have also completed a wide variety of commercial projects for schools, colleges and local organisations.
We are incredibly proud of the reputation we have built over the last four decades. While the scale of the business has changed significantly since 1982, the principles remain exactly the same: quality workmanship, honest communication, careful planning and a genuine commitment to delivering projects that clients can be proud of.
We believe our local knowledge, experienced team and proven track record provide our clients with confidence from the very first conversation through to project completion.
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