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When tragedy strikes in the construction industry, it's rarely just business. With the highest insolvency rates of any UK sector, construction failures devastate families, destroy homes, and break marriages. Every working day, two construction workers take their own lives—a rate four times the national average.

Behind these statistics lies a broken payment culture that systematically forces companies into financial distress. After hearing about an electrical subcontractor whose business collapse led to family devastation despite doing quality work and following the rules, Jarvie Moss knew something had to change. That story sparked the creation of Sable, a fintech solution transforming how money flows through construction projects.

Sable's approach combines dedicated project bank accounts with legal trust structures and a revolutionary parallel payment system. Rather than money moving sequentially through the supply chain—creating vulnerability at every step—their system ensures simultaneous payments to all parties. This eliminates the incentive for payment disputes and protects subcontractors when companies higher in the chain experience difficulties.

The conversation extends beyond payment solutions to explore broader industry challenges. With over 90% of construction businesses being SMEs, they face extraordinary pressures from uncertain planning systems, constantly shifting regulations, and high-risk development processes. The dramatic decline in SME developers over recent decades highlights how challenging the environment has become, threatening the diversity and resilience of the housing market.

What becomes clear is that while government policy matters, commercial solutions that align incentives and reward ethical behavior can drive immediate positive change. By protecting cash flow and ensuring fair payment practices, innovations like project bank accounts could help reverse the industry's troubling insolvency statistics and save countless livelihoods.

Ready to explore how project bank accounts could transform your construction project's financial health? Visit sable.co.uk to learn more about this revolutionary approach to secure payments.

E37 Beyond Insolvency: Transforming Construction Payment Culture