GRAHAM hands over Northland Building to NWRC in Derry as three decade Private Finance Initiative ends
GRAHAM Construction has formally handed back the Northland Building to North West Regional College (NWRC) following the completion of a near three-decade Private Finance Initiative.
The Hillsborough-headquartered construction company marked the successful completion of the 27-year PFI following a final joint inspection and handover meeting between senior representatives from GRAHAM, BBGI and NWRC.
Originally conceived by Andrew Bill, CEO of GRAHAM and the late Brendan Devlin, MD of GRAHAM Facilities Management, in partnership with NWRC, the Northland Building was designed to deliver a modern, future-ready education facility.
Under the agreement, Northwin Limited (GRAHAM/Farrans/McGinnis Group) entered into a long-term Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the College to design, build, finance and operate the building, supported by GRAHAM Facilities Management and GRAHAM Investment Projects Limited.
Mr. Bill, CEO at GRAHAM said: “The Northland Building stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved when vision, collaboration and long-term commitment come together.
"From its inception through ownership transitions, daily operations, continuous enhancement and lifecycle care, this project has been defined by extraordinary teamwork and shared purpose.
"As this partnership draws to a close, we want to thank our partners at NWRC and all those involved for the trust and collaboration shown throughout. It has been a privilege to deliver and maintain a facility that continues to support education, industry and regional growth, and we hope to work together again on future ventures.”
Leo Murphy, NWRC Principal and Chief Executive, commented: “Our purpose at NWRC is to ‘make lives better’ creating a great place for staff and students to work and learn.
"We are delighted with the partnership provided by GRAHAM which has allowed us to strengthen and develop our portfolio of learning, as well as supporting the operational needs of our curriculum faculties, support teams, and students.
“The Northland Building at NWRC has been home to thousands of learners since 2001, and also the College’s Business Support Team who have gone on to support industry both locally and regionally though their innovation centres and skills development courses.
“On behalf of the College, I offer my thanks to GRAHAM and their staff for their work and commitment to NWRC during the past two decades.”
Alison McDonnell, Director of Northwin Limited (BBGI) added: “As we hand back this asset, we do so with genuine pride in what has been achieved together. This journey stands as a textbook example of how a PFI should work in practice.
"From day one, this was never simply a contractual arrangement — it was a long-term collaboration built on trust, professionalism, and a shared commitment to delivering lasting value for the public.
“The smooth, well-prepared transition we are seeing today did not happen by chance. It is the result of decades of consistent stewardship, careful planning, and the dedication of countless individuals across both the public and private partners.
"It demonstrates that when risk, responsibility, and reward are structured thoughtfully — and relationships are managed with integrity — PFIs can deliver not just infrastructure, but long-term resilience, value for money, and strong public outcomes. This handback is not the end of a transaction; it is the successful completion of a shared mission. And it leaves behind not only a well-maintained asset, but also a legacy of partnership that sets a benchmark for other PFI projects.”