In today's rapidly evolving world, businesses are increasingly recognising the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But what exactly is CSR?

Corporate social responsibility refers to the conscious efforts an organisation makes to positively influence society, the environment, and the economy.

As part of Shropshire Chamber's ongoing 'Act with Impact' campaign, we've met with members across a wide range of industries to explore how businesses are embracing greener operations and contributing to a more sustainable future. Along the way, we've also gathered valuable insights and practical tips to help others on their own sustainability journey.

This time, we had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Inions from McPhillips, an award-winning civil engineering and construction company based in Telford, a valued Patron of Shropshire Chamber and Shropshire Chamber's Company of the Year.

McPhillips has built a strong reputation for delivering outstanding projects for both public and private sector partners. In this case study, we delve into how McPhillips continues to lead the way in responsible business practices and sustainability.

Putting purpose at the heart of construction

For McPhillips, CSR is no mere box-ticking exercise.

Building better communities is part of the company's DNA; a natural extension of the values that have shaped the construction business since it was founded more than 60 years ago.

In that time, it has delivered success on more than £1billion of contracts but says true success comes from the positive impact it makes on the communities it serves.

For example, the McPhillips Community Fund was created to support local causes that have a real and lasting impact. 

It became the first business in the county to launch such a scheme and in 2025, awarded grants to six organisations working in communities to address mental health challenges.

Hundreds of people will benefit this year from the funding given to Bright Star Boxing, Home-Start Telford, Designs in Mind, The Cube Amber Bee CIC School Project, Community Resource and the 4All Foundation.

To help identify meaningful causes, McPhillips chose to work with the Shropshire Community Foundation.

Paul Inions expressed, "We wanted to reach out to charities that we ordinarily wouldn't see or hear about and Shropshire Community Foundation has enabled us to do that."

Initiatives McPhillips has Introduced to reduce its environmental impact:

  • Developed a carbon reduction plan to realistically measure and reduce its footprint.
  • Adopted alternative fuels like HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) for machinery on certain sites
  • Installed a Solar PV array at its Telford headquarters
  • Transitioned its vehicle fleet to hybrid and electric models
  • Used off-site construction methods and recycled materials to reduce waste

Challenges McPhillips faced

There’s no doubt that the construction industry contributes to pollution, which is why Paul Inions says it’s important for businesses to really investigate and measure its activities.

“Think about your business and what you actually do… capture what you do and maximise the exposure of it. Then look for the gaps, where you’re not quite there but wouldn’t take a great deal of effort to get there.”

One of McPhillip’s sustainability initiatives has been the adoption of HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) in equipment and vehicles on site where possible. While it can be more expensive, it’s a cleaner fuel and choosing to use it reflects its commitment to balancing environmental responsibility.

Paul admits that another challenge can be the sheer scale and complexity of social value, especially aligning it with business operations. However, he says the company is overcoming this challenge by refocusing on what they already do well and identifying areas where small improvements could add meaningful value. McPhillips appointed a social value coordinator in summer 2025 to drive this work forwards.

Writing for tenders and contracts with purpose

The new Procurement Act which came into force this year mandates the consideration of social value in public sector contracts. But McPhillips has always taken a proactive and strategic approach to embedding sustainability into its tendering process, which makes the company stand out.

Rather than waiting for clients to request greener practices, they lead with their values, often proposing initiatives that go beyond the minimum requirements – such as the use of HVO.

Public sector contracts now require businesses to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits and McPhillips has committed to this by writing clear, measurable promises into their bids.

These often include commitments such as:

  • Providing a number of training, mentoring, or work experience hours to school leavers or NEETs (people not in education or employment)
  • Educational talks in local schools
  • Support for biodiversity and community initiatives

Impressive as it is, McPhillips support for its communities extends far beyond its tender commitments and its own community fund.

Over six decades the company has supported more than 100 charities and voluntary groups. It is a corporate partner with Shropshire Wildlife Trust, with staff regularly volunteering to help with charitable projects.

It teamed up with Telford Crisis Support last year to deliver crates of supplies to local food banks and sponsors local sports teams such as Madeley Cricket Club, Wrekin Juniors FC Under 10s Tigers and Wrekin Star Judo Club.

Its success is shared with its local supply chain. Each year the company spends more than £30million with suppliers based within 35 miles of its Telford HQ.

And the company has its own training centre where it develops the builders and engineers of the future and will this year deliver more than 1,500 training days through its annual training plan. 

McPhillips’ story is a powerful example of how businesses in an industry associated with contributing to environmental concerns can still lead the way in sustainable practices. Its proactive approach to greener operations, community engagement and responsible contracting shows that meaningful impact doesn’t have to be complicated – it just needs to be intentional and sincere.

Shropshire Chamber encourages local businesses to share best practice around sustainability, whether it’s tips, tricks, offers, or success stories. If you’ve got something to share with the Shropshire business community, get in touch with our marketing team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..