About us
Positively impacting our community since 1977
M.B. Roche & Sons Ltd is a family-run civil engineering and groundworks contractor in Hessle. Malcolm Roche founded the business, and his sons Matthew and Daniel lead it today.
Our story
M.B. Roche & Sons Ltd has served Hull and the Humber since 1977. Founded by Malcolm Roche and now led by his sons Matthew and Daniel, we remain rooted in the same values that shaped the business from day one: honesty, quality and a commitment to the region we call home.
Over the years, our reputation has been built on good work, fair pricing and looking after the best interests of our clients. We deliver groundworks and minor civils, but our purpose goes deeper. We exist to positively impact our local community.
Why a swan?
When Malcolm set up the family business back in 1977, he chose the swan as our logo. Dan didn't find out the reason until he was in his twenties.
“Calm and serene on the surface, paddling like mad underneath.”
Our mission, vision and values
Our mission
The minor civils contractor of choice in Hull and the Humber.
Our vision
Repeat business cemented by delivering exceptional client satisfaction through consistently high quality projects, using well-trained local people.
- Quality
- Delivering high standards, top quality and excellent results in all our projects. Being right first time, on time and to budget. Continually improving our construction practices and training our staff.
- Safety
- Believing that safety starts and ends with each Roche employee. Following policies and procedures, and speaking up if safety is compromised. Continually building employee health and wellbeing into our approach to safety.
- Local
- Hull is where our heart is. Taking pride in giving back to the local community and economy by championing the 'Hull Pound'.
- People focused
- Developing local people by employing and training them, and reducing the skills gap in construction. Keeping a workplace that is respectful, supportive, fun yet challenging, and where success is celebrated.
- Trustworthy
- Being known as reputable, honest, reliable and an easy to deal with, approachable team. Small enough to listen, big enough to deliver.
A responsible local employer
As a company rooted firmly in Hull and East Yorkshire, all of our management and operatives live locally and are directly employed. That connection to the region isn't just good practice. It is central to who we are.
We are passionate about supporting local talent and narrowing the skills gap in construction. That became even more important through the Covid-19 pandemic, which deepened unemployment and limited opportunities for young people. By investing in training at all levels, we help people build lasting careers while strengthening the business itself.
- Every manager and operative lives locally
- All directly employed by Roche
- 100% CSCS-registered workforce since 2010
A trailblazer for social value in construction
We aspire to be more than a contractor. We aim to be a model for how the construction sector can lift local communities, by engaging with low-income and disadvantaged groups and showing them the varied and rewarding careers on offer in civil engineering.
That work, from apprenticeships to helping veterans into the industry, is what The King's Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity recognised in 2026.
Accreditations and memberships
On the approved contractor lists of Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Awards
Seven awards since 2015, most of them for how we train and look after our people.
Winner 2026
The King's Award for Enterprise
Promoting Opportunity
The King's Awards for Enterprise are the UK's most prestigious business awards. Promoting Opportunity recognises firms that open up careers to people who might otherwise miss out. For us that means recruiting locally, training apprentices, and bringing veterans and people facing barriers to work into civil engineering.
- 2025Partner of the Year for Promoting EnterpriseHull City Council
- 2023Going the Extra Mile AwardCivil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)
- 2023Innovate Awards: TalentUniversity of Hull
- 2021National Inspiring Change AwardCivil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)
- 2020National People Development AwardConstructing Excellence
2015SME of the YearConstructing Excellence Yorkshire & Humber
Milestones
Taken from our own news archive.
2010
Whole workforce CSCS-registered
We registered 100% of our workforce under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme and were shortlisted in the Yorkshire and Humber Construction Best Practice Awards.
2011
YORcivil framework and the Wakefield gullies
Placed on the four-year YORcivil Contractors Framework for the North and East areas. Wakefield Council appointed us to reinstate more than 250 stolen gully lids. We signed the Halving Waste to Landfill commitment.
2012
Best Site Safety Performance
First place for Best Site Safety Performance at the Hull Building Safety Group awards, and our first YORcivil contract: property-level flood protection at Bilton.
2014
BIM and workforce wellbeing
Signed up to the BIM Champion programme and pledged to improve workforce health and wellbeing. Shortlisted at the CITB Pride of Construction Awards.
2015
SME of the Year
Winners of SME of the Year at the Constructing Excellence Yorkshire and Humber Awards.
2017
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
Accepted onto the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK growth programme, delivered with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Want to work with us?
We're always glad to hear from councils, developers and contractors with work coming up.