Keith Bell
Keith Bell, the man at the company’s helm for the last four decades, is content with his role as Group Chairman, safe in the knowledge that the company and its future is secure in the hands of two further generations of the Bell family.
A deep desire to breakaway from early employment as a coal-miner saw Keith become a hod-carrier and a pupil keen to learn every aspect of the building trade.
From humble beginnings in 1967 working for the then Westbury Estates later to become Westbury Homes building up the size of company from one gang of bricklayers to two and so on. Keith was joined early on by his brothers John and Colin and also his sister Jean Beddington who kept the finances in order. The company grew steadily until in 1986, capitalising on his newly found skills, Keith created the house building arm of K W Bell & Son and set to work on the construction of 25 homes in the village of Westbury-upon-Severn.
Twenty years on, the company has built in excess of 500 homes and has an annual turnover of £15 million.
Seven years later Bell Contracting was conceived, and a proud Keith saw his eldest son Peter take the helm as Managing Director. The original role as major contractor to Westbury Estates has blossomed and today sees the company as one of the largest privately owned contractors in the West Midlands and South Wales, undertaking infrastructure and house construction for the very best of the UK’s house builders.
With a Group turnover in excess of £40 million things look good and the future secure for KW Bell Group.
It would be easy for Keith Bell to sit back and bask in the glory of his long journey from coal-miner to one of the counties leading business man, but as they say, you just can’t keep a good man down. Keith still plays a day to day role in the group’s activities – steering and shaping the company towards the future. In the cut and thrust business of construction this is a real success story, perhaps due in part to Keith’s home grown philosophy ‘never forget your roots’ which has seen KW Bell Group firmly established as champions of The Royal Forest of Dean.