NLM Building Consultancy has reported a record year, with turnover rising by 51%, as it launches a dedicated cost consultancy service and strengthens its senior team.
Co-founder Neil MacDougall has been appointed MD and will continue to work alongside fellow co-founder and director Lesley Merritt.
Established in 2020, NLM has offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. The business has built a UK-wide portfolio through its building surveying and project management offering, most recently securing approval as a provider under the Scottish Government’s Single Building Assessment legislation as part of the cladding remediation programme. For the year ended August 2026, turnover increased by 51% and client numbers grew by 12%.
NLM revealed it has now formalised its capabilities across three dedicated service lines: building surveying, project management and cost consultancy.
Gerard Smith has joined as associate director – building surveying, bringing more than 35 years of experience across commercial property and construction. Gerry Bonham has been appointed associate director – project management, with a background in delivering and managing construction projects across a range of sectors. Lee Barton, meanwhile, has joined as surveyor – cost consultancy, bringing quantity surveying and cost management experience to the new service.
Alongside these appointments, NLM added that it continues to invest in future talent. Building surveyor Gianni De Marco joined the consultancy in 2023 after graduating from university. He has since gained ‘substantial’ practical experience and is working towards his final assessment to become a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Neil MacDougall said, “This is an exciting stage in NLM’s development. We have always been a building consultancy with building surveying at the heart of the business, alongside an increasing level of project management work as the practice has grown. Formalising those areas into dedicated service lines, alongside the introduction of cost consultancy, gives us a much stronger platform for the future and allows us to provide complementary expertise across the lifecycle of our clients’ property and construction projects.
“The experience we have added to the team gives us greater depth across the business. Just as importantly, we are committed to supporting Gianni and future graduates as they develop their careers and progress towards chartership. Both are essential in continuing to grow NLM in a considered and sustainable way.”
Lesley Merritt added, “When Neil and I established NLM Building Consultancy six years ago, we wanted to build a sustainable business based on trusted relationships, practical advice and a genuinely personal approach. Those principles remain just as important to us today. Our growing team combines considerable experience with fresh energy and expertise, strengthening both the services we have delivered since the business was established and the new capabilities we are now bringing to clients.
“While our geographical reach and range of services have expanded significantly, the way we want to work has not changed. As NLM continues to grow organically, maintaining the quality of our work, remaining accessible to our clients, and protecting those longstanding relationships will continue to be our priority.”
