While disputes are often seen as unavoidable, Len Nugent has built something remarkably different: a subcontracting business that’s lasted four decades, weathered recessions and never once needed legal intervention.
His secret? Trust, loyalty and a refusal to play the short game.
Len is the founder of Lenmark, a groundwork subcontractor that has operated across the UK for more than 40 years. He recently joined the Site Story podcast to share how he has scaled a values-led business by ignoring much of the conventional advice.
“We don’t do commercial tenders. We work with developers who’ve got money, values and a plan. That’s it.”
Len started his journey in the trenches. After finishing school, he went straight onto sites, picking up groundworks jobs wherever he could find them. Armed with little more than a barrow and a few hand tools, he laid the foundation for what would become one of the most trusted subcontractors in his region.
In the early days, work came from knocking on doors and dropping leaflets. What kept clients coming back wasn’t price, it was reliability. That principle still guides him today.
“We’ve worked with some of the same clients for 30, 35 years. They know we’ll do what we say, and we know they’ll pay on time. That’s the whole business model.”
It’s not stubbornness. It’s strategy. Len says fixed-price commercial jobs are a fast track to disputes, corner-cutting and strained relationships. Instead, he targets developers with long-term pipelines and strong cash flow, focusing on repeat work where mutual trust grows year after year.
In an industry where construction disputes cost the UK £12 billion annually, Len’s model is refreshingly low-friction.
“We’ve never had to go to court. Never needed a solicitor. If you pick the right people and you’re fair, that’s 90% of it.”
These days, Len runs Lenmark from Florida, where he moved with his family a few years ago. You might think that creates problems, but thanks to a lean digital setup, it hasn’t.
He uses tools like FieldView for QA and site management, real-time dashboards for team oversight and AI-assisted tools to interpret soil reports and track machinery use. His approach is pragmatic, not flashy.
“I don’t need to see everything. I just need the right data at the right time. If you’ve got the right people on site, you don’t need to micromanage them.”
While Len’s tech stack is efficient, it’s his people-first mindset that sets him apart. His team is small, loyal and well-trained and he believes in giving them room to lead.
He’s also addressing the skills shortage head-on through Lenmark’s Next Gen Scheme, a structured development programme that pairs new recruits with experienced mentors. The goal is to grow talent from within rather than chase it on the market.
He also backs profit-related pay (PRP), which aligns site teams with company performance and incentivises smart, safe, quality-first work.
When asked about health and safety, Len doesn’t hold back. He supports it wholeheartedly but warns that excessive paperwork and misapplied rules can create more risk, not less.
“Safety is about common sense. If you’re tick-boxing for the sake of it, you’re not keeping anyone safer. You’re just covering yourself.”
That straight-talking pragmatism has earned him trust across clients, suppliers and his own team. And it's what makes his playbook worth listening to.
🎧 Hear the full story on the Site Story podcast