It’s been an incredible journey for David Mindham, co-Founder of Carnegie Group Ltd, one of the South East’s most prolific commercial construction companies.  A true entrepreneur he went self employed as a farrier at 22 years old and had his own workshop and was training apprentices by the age of 26; shoeing horses led to an extraordinary career driven by the desire to work for himself and combine hard work with nurturing people.

Back in 1986 a young man set about his work shoeing horses, a physically demanding career but one that meant being outdoors and having a degree of freedom.  Driven by the desire to be the master of his own destiny he built his own business, shoeing horses across the Southeast. 

Expanding the farriery business into blacksmithing, starting by making bespoke curtain poles, handmade in his forge that sold in 140 retail outlets.

As he expanded the range from curtain poles, beds, gates etc local builders would occasionally ask him for structural steels. Identifying this as a new commercial venture, he took the business in a new direction as David diverted his focus into structural steel work.

Always the businessman, he knew that steel had a far greater potential in commercial construction and in 2003 David Mindham Ltd. was established.  This business went through a variety of different guises as it grew and developed until Carnegie Steel Buildings was established with his old friend, Simon Barren, whose project management skill and eye for detail complemented David’s ability to envision potential.  In 2024 the business expanded further with the addition of an architectural practice, giving Carnegie the ability to offer full service design and construction.   Carnegie Group Ltd was created to unite the various businesses under one roof.   Initially based on the Kent and Surrey borders the business moved to Crawley in 2025 with bigger premises and room for more growth.

Currently Carnegie Group is on track to becoming a £10m business, which marks an increase of over 1000% in the past 4 years alone.  A true success story for the Southeast.