Cross Group Aberfeldy is a family firm which has grown from humble beginnings into a multi-faceted construction business, offering a range of services from foundational civils and road construction through to crushing & screening and aggregate supplies. The company has recently diversified and rebranded to include four distinct divisions: Civils & Construction; Developments; Plant Sales; and Haulage. MD and co-founder Kevin Cross answered Project Plant’s questions about the ongoing evolution of the business.
Q) What’s the history of the business and how has it evolved over the years?
A) It was 2018 when I decided to take the leap of faith of setting up my own business. My wife Amanda agreed and together with one digger, we began Cross Civils and Construction. It was hard in the beginning as anyone starting a business will know, but we kept our heads down and here we are seven years later.
We have been very lucky gaining dedicated clients and building strong relationships over the years. This has allowed us the opportunity to evolve and diversify the business into several divisions. We now operate four divisions under the brand name Cross Group Aberfeldy.
We have many of our family working in the business and with 40 staff we hope to continue to grow and bring new and diverse team members in who will help strengthen the business and help us to continue to evolve.
Q) What have been some of the milestone moments and projects you have been involved in?
A) It definitely has to be a combination of the forestry and estate work as it is in my blood. From roads and paths to ground maintenance and quarry work, it has been a life-long example of where we started and continue to grow. I really love this work.
From the first local estate we worked on, to our first new build, to getting our new premises up and running, there are so many that stick with me, and I cherish as another step forward in the business. There have also been various quarry projects including blasting, crushing, and screening rock-based materials to quarrying 150,000 tonnes of sand. We did this for a local golf course and created various materials including sand. That was a standout moment.
Q) What did the recent rebranding exercise consist of and what prompted it?
A) The rebrand came about due to the expansion of the company across the four divisions. The company grew and diversified quickly, and we were really only known as Cross Civils and Construction. We felt it was time for a freshen up and lean more into the marketing world, which we never did before. This allows us to communicate better with our loyal customers but also gain new ones as we tell our story and what we can offer people.
Once we had a fresh logo, we moved onto a website and setting up social media pages to try and ensure we reach as many people as possible. It was a great exercise for us to refresh and reset.
We brought many elements of the original logo and colour palette which is close to our heart, but with an up-to-date feel which represents the next phase for us.
Q) What advantages will customers see following the recent changes?
A) One of the main advantages with the recent changes I feel is our new website. This allows us to showcase everything we offer and will continue to grow with the business. It lets people get closer to us as we have an ‘our story’ section and an ‘our team’ section where you can read about how the business came about and who everyone is and what they bring to the business. It also allows everyone to see what exactly we can offer. We can offer anything from concrete, crushing and screening, to home improvements, selling new and used plant, and haulage. Hopefully the website breaks it all down and is relatable and user-friendly for everyone.
Q) On the plant side, what brands do you work with and what do you look for in the businesses you partner with?
A) Plant sales is one of the latest editions to the Cross Group family at only six-months-old. Within that time, we are really proud to have secured the only Scottish dealership for Bergmann dumpers and OKB attachments. We also gained the AUSA dealership for the territory of Highland Perthshire throughout the north of Scotland and the Islands.
We look for brands that complement each other and ourselves, and align with our vision and values. We want to have the ability to deliver the best equipment solutions to our customers, and we feel these partnerships allow us to do that through offering a wide range of high-performance machinery backed by our expert service team.
Q) What are some of the latest products and innovations on offer?
A) Each of our partners are continuously working on new innovative ideas and products, which is exciting for us to be on the journey with them and get to showcase and sell these brands. Taking AUSA as an example; one of their key competitive advantages is its in-house design and manufacturing of transmissions for its most compact models. This capability enables the company to develop customised solutions, optimising each vehicle’s performance to meet specific market needs. In the electric vehicle range, this advantage allows AUSA to accelerate the development of new products with greater agility.
Q) How would you sum up the company culture/ethos?
A) That is an easy one for me: family comes first. As a company rooted in family business values, our goal is to create an environment where work is not just a job, but a rewarding and meaningful part of our employees’ lives. By supporting our employees’ personal lives, we create a stronger, more resilient, and more successful organisation.
We are also committed to enduring client partnerships and prioritise building long-term relationships with our clients based on trust and mutual respect. We believe in working collaboratively with our clients to achieve their goals and we are dedicated to maintaining a reputation for integrity, honesty, and reliability.
Q) What can you tell us about future plans for the business?
A) We are always evolving and looking for new ways to diversify the business and offer a more rounded approach to our customers. Each of our divisions compliment the other and this is something we want to continue to work with and develop as we go.
I am not known for standing still; I thrive of working and bettering the business.
