LDC Top 50 2026
David Dickson
CEO
Miller Knight
Miller Knight was losing money when David Dickson took the helm in 2016. A trained quantity surveyor, he took charge of the construction company’s finances, tightened up contracts and took the business from £750,000 in revenue to a projected £50 million next year.
“I remortgaged my house and put cash into the business to keep it going.” Miller Knight carries out fire safety remedial work and David has also diversified into refurbishment, working for clients like Center Parcs. “In three years, we’ll reach £100 million in turnover,” he says. “This business is a juggernaut.”
In three years, we’ll reach £100 million in turnover.”
Q&A
How has the company grown with you as a leader?
The company was started in 2011 and, when I joined, there was just the founder, me and two others in the office. Now we have 135 people. I knew half of those people before and brought them into the business and the other half I have trained up – many through apprenticeships. No one else does what we do in fire safety so winning the work isn’t a problem, I’m focused on controlling growth, maintaining our culture, and delivering great work.
What are your ambitions for the business?
We want to turn Miller Knight into an ecosystem and we’re already building that. We have mechanical and electrical divisions. The aim is to have lots of divisions all feeding each other. We also started a property consultancy three years ago and the aim is to find fire-stressed assets that companies want off their portfolio, to do the work ourselves and then refinance or find an operator to run them for us. That’s the path we’re going down right now.
What drives you?
My dad was a coal miner and my mum worked in Debenhams. Dad is Scottish and very old school. He always taught me it’s not about how much money you have in the bank, it’s about how you conduct yourself as a person. I don’t care about money, I care about people. I always have to be building and moving forwards. I’m motivated to be the best we can and to bring people on the journey with me.
