National Comstruction Magazine Issue 101 by SNS Publishing

ISSUE 101

EDITORS NOTE This month has been extremely exciting in the NC Magazine office as we have had the chance to work with leading companies in the industry, including Kier, Farrans Construction and Globe Scaffolding. July is a special month for the construction industry with the Olympics coming to London. A large number of contractors have worked hard to ensure the event is a success, and according to a survey done by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the construction of the Olympic Park has raised the profile of the industry. However, with government restrictions on marketing in place, many companies feel they are losing out. Also at the beginning of this month was the opening of the Shard, currently Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tallest building. The project has included a number of contractors, including Mace, who played a pivotal role in its completion. With these momentous achievements, there is hope that the industry can come out of recession and start making a substantial profit once again. The first week of July also played host to the Government Construction Summit, which saw new updates, policies and guidance issued to an industry still struggling to get out of the recession. Twelve new projects worth a total of over ÂŁ300m of government spending were announced, and brings some reassurance, but perhaps not enough, as competition is high with many companies just not making it through.

Manager Steve Rushworth

Despite this, all of the companies featured this month are surviving these difficult economic times, with many seeing an improvement over the last few months. For many, there is some light at the end of this tunnel.

Features Manager Darren Stevens

Sabeeha Coates Editor

Features Manager Andy Rushworth Features Manager Nathan Dixon Features Manager Katie Smith

Features Manager Tom Javens Editor Sabeeha Coates Design and Artwork Mark Alsop Admin Rachel Denton Publisher Mohammed Faraz

S&S Publishing Ltd T/A National Construction Magazine UK 5 Huddersfield Road Liversedge West Yorkshire WF15 7EN Tel: 01924 560 566 Fax: 01924 910 484 Email: editor@snspublishing.co.uk Web: www.ncmagazine.co.uk Hours of business: Mon-Thursday Friday

9am - 5pm 9am - 4pm

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CONTENTS NEWS PG4

ALPHA CONSTRUCTION PG6

G&J STEELE

PG5

ALPHA CONSTRUCTION

PG6

YOUNG PLANT SALES

PG12

HIRE STATION

PG16

FORMULA ONE AUTO

PG20

MOUNTJOY PG23 FARRANS PG25 MARSHALLS CLADDING & ROOFING

PG30

NT RIX

PG32

GRIFFIN SCAFFOLDING

PG34

AB2000 PG35

HIRE STATION PG16 GLOBE SCAFFOLDING

PG36

RICHMOND PLANT HIRE

PG38

KENT DEMOLITION

PG42

KIER PG46

FORMULA ONE AUTO PG20 3

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NEWS

COMBISAFE’S SAFETY MEASURES ON THE RIGHT TRACK AT BLACKFRIARS STATION

THE SHARD : EUROPES TALLEST BUILDING

The redevelopment of London’s Blackfriars Station represents one of the most challenging civil engineering projects of the last decade, with the project team faced with the logistical challenges of being on a city centre bridge spanning a major river and featuring live railway lines and four busy lanes of road.

THE tallest building in the UK was opened in a ceremony on 5 July that saw British and Qatari royals come together. The Shard was unveiled in London by the prime minister of foreign affairs of the State of Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabor Al Thani, and HRH the Duke of York ahead of the Olympic Games set to begin later this month. The inauguration included a spectacular laser show that lit London up, and was accompanied by carefully selected classical music that included Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and the Finale from Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite performed live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The entire event was streamed online.

The structure was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, and developed by Sellar Properties, and has 11,000 panes of glass, ensuring that it further stands out in the capital. Despite being the tallest in Europe, it ranks 59 on the gloabal scale of tall buildings, with Dubai’s Burj Khalifah taking the lead at 2717ft.One of the company’s biggest projects at the moment is the extension of the Nestle factory, which is part of the expansion plan for the production of coffee.

Standing at 310m high, with 95 stories, the building houses a public viewing gallery, The View from the Shard, expected to open in February 2013. The gallery will offer a 360 degree view that will stretch for more than 40 miles.

“Working for Nestle commands respect within the industry and has helped get on new tender lists for contracts that would have been previously been more difficult,” reveals Ken.

LIME TECHNOLOGY WINS 2012 GREEN APPLE AWARD

Designed by Rees Pryor Architects for client Cambridgeshire County Council and built by contractor SEH French, the project involved the creation of a waiting room and associated facilities for park and ride users, as well as an exhibition space which showcases renewable and low carbon technologies.

A new low carbon public exhibition centre in Cambridgeshire is on track to collect the 2012 Green Apple award in the Built Environment Small Businesses category. In the first major application of Lime Technology’s thermally efficient Precast Wall System Hembuild®, this award recognises Longstanton Park & Ride as an energy efficient facility which has set a benchmark for green development in the county. Established in 1994, The Green Apple Awards campaign is run by The Green Organisation, an independent, nonpolitical, non-profit organisation that recognises, rewards and promotes environmental best practice around the world.

This innovative and thermally efficient new building is a learning resource that showcases the very latest in green technologies and is targeted to achieve a BREEAM “Excellent” rating, the first in Cambridgeshire. The high level of thermal efficiency is testament to the technologies used in the construction and operation of this building which include photovoltaics, a ground source heat pump, green roof and 220m2 of Hembuild®.

With the safety of the large number of site operatives plus pedestrians and river users a priority throughout the project, leading safety at height solution provider, Combisafe International was called upon. On track to becoming one of Network Rail’s flagship stations and a new London landmark, the new £350 million Blackfriars Station, once completed, will be the first railway station to span the River Thames. A vital part of the £5.5 billion government funded Thameslink programme, the project is being delivered by lead contractor Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering. For a construction and engineering project on this massive scale, Combisafe have provided a range of innovative solutions to tackle the different site safety challenges. This included their Safety Net Fan and their Steel Mesh Barrier system, with the latter proving to be such a versatile edge protection solution that it has been specified by three separate contractors on the project. Combisafe has supplied 184 units of its lightweight and versatile Steel Mesh Barrier to Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering. The forerunner in edge protection for over a decade, this temporary fall prevention system is being used for edge protection along the trackside with blue barriers being specified to comply with rail regulations. There are also the logistical challenges of bringing materials in and out of this congested site which resulted in Balfour Beatty leasing a number of barges which have red Steel Mesh Barriers fixed to the sides to enable the safe loading and unloading of supplies and equipment.

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FAMILY VALUES... PROVIDING excellent Customer service is at the heart of the business for G&J Steele Plant Hire, a family-run company that aims to make customers feel comfortable. Established at the end of 2002, Graham Steele and his son Jamie started the company with just one machine, a Komatsu PC210-6 excavator, driven and operated by Graham himself. But almost ten years on, the company is now a thriving plant hire business.

FAMILY VALUES The company offers a family feel to it, and this is one of the reasons they have survived the worst of the economic recession. G&J Steele have always tried to remain family based, and even when it comes to their staff, joining the company means joining the family. With these values at the core, the company is able to thrive, gaining more customers and maintaining current ones. As a family run business, G&J Steele

manages to get the balance between personal service and professionalism just right. Customers can call and speak directly to key personnel without any problem, and the same applies for the plant fitters. In addition to providing an excellent telephone service, the company ensures that they deal with any problems as soon as possible, giving clients the comfort of knowing that in the unlikely event that the machines do give them problems, it will not delay their work significantly.

TODAY “It is important to us that our customers know they can rely on us,” declares Jacqui. Providing reliable and friendly customer service is high on the priority list at G&J Steele. In order to achieve this goal, the company provides a personal service as well as well trained machine operators, ensuring maximum customer satisfaction. “There is no point having a highly competent operator but a faulty

machine, and likewise, a great machine but a poor operator. We aim to provide our customers with both, all the time. And if there is a problem with the machine, our customers know they can contact our fitters and we deal with problems as soon as we can”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Currently based in a rented yard in Sheerness, North Kent, the company is hoping to buy their own yard in the future. Despite doing well in their current location, they have plans to move to Maidstone, near the motorway. All that remains is to find the right location at the right price. Other plans include expanding into the civil sector, which they have already started making progress towards. They aim to extend their services beyond plant hire, and have start doing tenders. They won a contract to work on roads, and are planning to bid for bigger projects further down the line.

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IN their 30 years of operation, Alpha construction has grown from strength to strength, picking up 4 ROSPA awards over the previous 4 years. They won the 2012 ROSPA Gold Award recently, and are aiming for a fifth, according to Ken Durham, Contracts Director at Alpha.

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They won the 2012 ROSPA Gold Award recently, and are aiming for a fifth, according to Ken Durham, Contracts Director at Alpha. “Receiving the award is praise indeed. It shows that the company recognises the importance of safety,” says Ken, who is responsible for a department of 50 office and site staff. His main focus is to continue to meet client expectations whilst maintaining high standards of health and safety, environmental management and quality of service. While this is his main objective, it is a target for everyone in the company, and it is very important for each individual to know how they can achieve these goals and contribute to the success of the business. The company boasts a dedicated staff and workforce, which has proven to be a great benefit to them and will continue to be in the future.

GOING BACK Alpha Construction began as a subsidiary to the Derby based GF Tomlinson group in the early 1980s. Initially they concentrated on the design and construction of structures for the storage, treatment and pumping of potable water and waste water for public and private water companies. However in the late 1990s the company decided to diversify and take a new direction. They saw potential in the electrical sector, and despite being a

very challenging project, they managed to break into this sector of work. Since 2001 they have developed a good relationship with National Grid working on the 400kv high voltage substation network throughout England. They have been a part of the development of the John Wood Substation in Central London, as well as substation extensions in the North West to feed power to the rail network. “Working with the National Grid ultimately led to other relationships, such as with Western Power, EDF, Scottish & Southern YEDL and NEDL,” comments Ken. Alpha has undergone two management changes, one in 1995 and the other in 2007, and according to Ken each occasion the diversification and strength of the company has grown. The current management team consists of MD Rob Smith, Commercial Director Mark Clarke, Senior Contracts Manager, John Cassidy, Commercial Team Leader, Tony Bamford and Ken himself. All the members of the team have the same goal in ensuring Alpha maintains stability while striving for planned growth.

TODAY Having expanded immensely since their inception, Alpha currently employs 75 staff members and approximately 75 subcontractors at any one time. Currently, their main aim is to work hard

to provide good quality services to their current clients. Repeat business is very important as it ensures a valuable share of the market and continuity in these tough economic times. The company has done well despite the recession meaning that prices for tenders have been incredibly competitive. This year they are expected to increase their current turnover of £12.5million. “The fact that we have done well is a credit to all our staff for their dedication and hard work, as we are all aiming to improve the business,” says Ken. Safety is taken very seriously at Alpha, and their ROSPA Gold award is a testament to the fact that their staff and subcontractors understand and operate safe working practices. The company have always encouraged their subcontractors to participate in health and safety training and to embrace the Alpha safety culture, and thus all employees and subcontractors have contributed towards winning the award. One of the company’s biggest projects at the moment is the extension of the Nestle factory, which is part of the expansion plan for the production of coffee. “Working for Nestle commands respect within the industry and has helped get on new tender lists for contracts that would have been previously been more difficult,” reveals Ken.

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LOOKING AHEAD With their contract with Nestle bringing in more opportunity for business, Alpha aims to maintain current clients and expand further. “We are keen to develop into the energy and waste sectors,” reveals Ken. Alpha have already been involved in a number of waste and energy products, including anaerobic digestion and waste wood to energy plants and they are currently constructing a brown waste composting plant. Furthermore, they intend to be a part of energy renewable initiatives, and they have constructed a substation to receive power from an offshore windfarm that will feed into the National Grid system. The environment features highly on their list of priorities, and by expanding into the aforementioned sectors, Alpha hopes to become more environmentally friendly while maintaining their high safety standards. Celebrating their 30th anniversary is indeed a milestone for Alpha, and they are proud to have maintained their market share and to have evolved into a multi-million pound business.

“This is a credit to everyone who works for Alpha Construction and who have been and will continue to be a valuable asset to the company,” concludes Ken.

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Midland Reinforced Concrete Limited, based on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, is a formwork, reinforcement and concrete sub-contractor whom are pleased to be associated with Alpha Construction Limited. We have worked with Alpha Construction on numerous projects, including sub-stations, water treatment works including environment agency works and various structures within Nestle UK.

• Bridges • Water Treatment Works • Retaining Walls • Concrete Frames • Power Stations Our entire workforce is registered under the construction skills certification scheme... For further information please contact our commercial manager, Brian on 07812 647454 or email b.henesy@midlandrc.co.uk

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plant. Furthermore, they intend to be a part of energy renewable initiatives, and they have constructed a substation to receive power from an offshore windfarm that will feed into the National Grid system. The environment features highly on their list of priorities, and by expanding into the aforementioned sectors, Alpha hopes to become more environmentally friendly while maintaining their high safety standards. Celebrating their 30th anniversary is indeed a milestone for Alpha, and they

are proud to have maintained their market share and to have evolved into a multi-million pound business. “This is a credit to everyone who works for Alpha Construction and who have been and will continue to be a valuable asset to the company,” concludes Ken.

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QUALITY SERVICE is at the top of the agenda for Scotland based company Young Plant Sales.

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Formed in 1978 by the late Tom Young, who had previously had 27 years experience in the plant industry, Young Plant Sales spent their first year in premises in Airdrie. In 1979 YPS moved to their current offices near Doune, Stirling. Over the years they have bought premises on either side of their own to allow for expansion and development. The business is now run by Tom’s son Brian, whose mother was also a director of the company, only retiring at the age of 85 in 2010. It is very much a family run business, and Brian’s wife and son (who is still at school) also work in the business on a part time basis.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Young Plant is one of a few businesses who concentrate solely on selling plant as opposed to hiring it. They are Main dealers and stockists for a number of industry leading brands, with one of their largest being Kubota Construction Equipment. In fact, they were one of the first two companies to become main Dealers for Kubota mini excavators when they were first introduced in the UK, the other no longer survives making them the longest serving dealers for any make of mini excavator in Britain. Furthermore, they pride themselves on being one of the largest mini excavator distributors in the world. They are also Main Dealers for Bomag Compaction

Equipment, and were delighted when they were awarded as dealer of the year for Bomag UK. In addition to Kubota and Bomag, Young Plant Sales are also Scotland’s Main Dealer for Hyundai Heavy Equipment, including Loaders and Excavators, who are developing their business very quickly and aim to be among the top 3 manufacturers of Construction Plant in the world. As a result, the company has received some significant orders from leading Scottish Hirers and Civil Engineering Businesses. Other leading brands for which YPS are Main Dealers include Hydrema Dump Trucks, Merlo Telescopic Handlers, Probst safe lifting and laying equipment, NC Site Dumpers, CompAir Compressors, Socomec boom mounted breakers and attachments as well as theft prevention and recovery aids. As well as supplying new equipment, the company also sells second hand equipment at home and abroad. They offer warranty on all used equipment retailed by the business after servicing and reconditioning. Not only do they stock spare parts, but Young Plant Sales are also stockists of accessories, attachments, and specialised replacement parts via their busy Parts Department.

trained and certified to the highest industry standards and carry out repairs on site and in the company’s own workshop. Their tools are calibrated and guaranteed by external examiners annually, and any equipment that does not measure up is replaced with new.

SERVICE STANDARDS Young Plant Sales have an admirable customer service track record, and this has helped them get through the difficult economic times. “The business has had a tough time during the recession as the industry curtailed buying new equipment, so most of our business came from maintenance of clients’ equipment and parts sales. This ensured our survival, and we are now on the road to recovery. We aim to return to our turnover of 2007 by the autumn of 2013, and are aiming for £10million turnover this year.” says Managing Director, Brian. For Young Plant, good customer service is not only limited to giving the customer what they want. Often a client requires equipment by a certain date, and if the company know that they will not receive it by that time, they operate a policy of complete honesty.

In terms of repairs, all engineers employed by the company are factory

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As a result, customers know they can trust the company, and if they are told they will receive their purchase within six weeks, they will most likely receive it within six weeks. The company’s main aim over the coming months is to achieve zero complaints and 100 per cent customer satisfaction. This, as Brian put it, will lead to a good working environment and a “healthy bottom line”.

THE TEAM AS MD of the company, Brian oversees all operations and holds regular managers meetings to review and discuss all the issues within the business. Financial meetings are held monthly with the company’s accountant . However Brian also enjoys getting involved in the Sales side of the business and this is the area where he is most active along with Sales Director Bob Lyttle who joined the business in 2001. Bob’s sales results as well as his humour and industry knowledge and contacts have helped the business grow and prosper over the years and bode well for the future. As a family run business, Young Plant encourages loyalty from their customers, staff and suppliers. “Everyone knows Bob, mine and Stuart’s ( YPS Service Manager) mobiles are on 24/7 and my door is always open. If anyone has an issue they can come directly to us at any time to flag it up and get it quickly resolved” says Brian. Being a family business also provides a good working atmosphere and has lead to good staff retention, with one member of the team Olive Kerr Company Secretary being at Young Plant Sales for over 30 years and Helen in admin being with us over 20 years both directly from school. The staff are all highly motivated, well trained and loyal, and this according to Brian this is the foundation of a good business. Brian’s key aims are to ensure continued growth and survival, so that he has a good business to pass on to the next generation. He also wants to continuously develop the after sales system whereby customers are given the best support in the industry.

RECENT AWARDS In addition to the Bomag award, the company has received a number of other awards from their suppliers including Gold level Service Award from Kubota. Kubota also recently held a competition on their top salesman in the UK and Ireland to attract new customers to the brand. Young Plant were awarded three out of the top ten positions, and were invited on a trip to Paris as a result. Both compare and Wacker Neuson have also awarded the business with Best Dealer awards in recent years.

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INNOVATORS IN TOOL HIRE As winners of the Hire Association Europe’s website of the year 2012, Hire Station has much to be proud of. The business, one of six companies within the Vp Plc group of companies (formerly Vibroplant), supplies tools to businesses and individuals alike, and have a modern, innovative method of ensuring customers are able to hire the equipment they need from the comfort of their home, at any time that suits them.

online hire As one of the first full online hire facilities in the UK, Hire Station’s e-commerce system means that clients are able to choose their tools from the website and book them 24 hours a day, seven days

a week. After customers order their equipment, they can have it delivered to their door, again at a time that suits them. Mark Moody, Director of Virtual Hire and E-commerce said, “As an online business we are able to reach a large number of

customers, but we are hoping we can attract more business users”. Mark’s role includes networking with companies like Argos and Homebase, as well as managing the e-commerce, which means looking after the day to day activity of the main Hire Station website.

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SURVIVING THE RECESSION As a company, Hire Station have been and are involved in a number of major projects, and they aim to continue into the core construction market. The Vp group has done very well in the recession, and Mark puts this down to the fact that the six companies headed by it have a diverse range of services, which offers stability. However he admits that as a business, Hire Station is adapting to changing conditions in the market. “We have like everyone else seen a decline in the core construction hires but we expect it to return and we are investing in new products and markets”.

service standards The company provide a very high standard of customer service, and their annual turnover of more than £60m reflects this. They provide ongoing training for employees in health and safety and customer service, and this has ensured that not only do their staff know how to be safe, they can take care of customers and ultimately assist the smooth running of the business.

Customers are given support from the beginning, when choosing the right equipment for their job. As well as being able to order online, they have the option of going into a branch located in many areas of the country, and hire over the counter, with the assistance of trained staff.

AWARD “We were delighted to win the website of the year award as we have invested heavily across the board,” says Mark. The Hire Awards of Excellence are the industry’s most sought after accolade, and are designed to recognise excellence throughout the Hire Industry. The award ensures that the successes of the hirers and suppliers as well as those successful individuals who truly set the standard are acknowledged.

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FURTHER EXPANSION PLANS... An ever expanding business, Formula One Autocentres has been in business since 1974, but trading under the Formula One banner since 1985. It began as, and still is a family run business, but due to the immense growth it has seen over the years, the company is very spread out geographically, and is therefore divided into regions with a manager responsible for each region. As one of the largest independently owned autocentres in the UK, it boasts 60 state of the art centres across the South, South East and Midlands, and employs more than 450 highly trained staff offering services seven days a week. The furthest north they go is Doncaster in South Yorkshire, and they also service extreme southern areas including Portsmouth, Southampton, Poole and Bristol.

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Initially, the company Chairman Phil Glencross, together with his father Stan established a petrol filling station, but they soon realised that they were selling tires as well as petrol and it made for better business. As a result, they decided to focus solely on selling tires, but now the business offers a wide array of services including MOT testing, servicing, tires, exhausts, brakes and wheel alignments, among others.

expansion Formula One Autocentres have an extensive and ongoing plan to grow, and are continuously looking for new sites across the country. Ian Barrett, the company’s Property Director explained that through the current expansion plan the company is opening four new sites in Oxford, Kings Lynn, Telford and Milton Keynes. The site in Oxford is set to open on 4 August, and the other three are expected to be ready within the next four or five months. The company has 50 towns on their preferred locations list, and the current focus is the South East, however they are willing to consider any opportunity within the existing area of coverage. In their search for new sites, it is

company policy to only acquire high visibility roadside sites that are in densely populated areas, and expect to have a good flow of traffic. It also needs to be big enough to physically accommodate the services offered and have adequate parking space for staff and customers alike. As well as working on finding sites, Ian’s job role includes maintaining the 60 outlets and all the legal work that comes with it, including rent and lease agreements. Expanding the company, however, has provided Formula One with a regular set of milestones.

service The company’s expansion programme has not negatively affected their service standards. In contrast, it has ensured that they maintain and improve their customer service. With their aim being business expansion, they have realised that the only way to fulfil this is to ensure that they continue to improve the quality of service and products to their customers. “We strive hard to ensure that the service we offer our customers is very high, as without customers the business cannot prosper,” says Ian, “By continually

improving and offering the highest level of service to our customers, it enables us to build on our past achievements and invest in the future”.

staff The management team consists of Chairman, Phil Glencross and his sons Paul and Leon. His wife also works as the company secretary. Despite their rapid growth, Formula One has aimed and succeeded at remaining a family run business. This, according to Ian, has been very beneficial, particularly because of the size of the company. “Sometimes in a business of this scale it can take an awfully long time to get a board approval of any decisions. In this business the management team are all available. Although we do have formal meetings, if a decision needs to be made quickly it can get done. It is a lot more informal and generally better for the business in more ways than one,” declares Ian. As a leading company in their field, Formula One Autocentres have provided a safe and reliable environment not just for their customers, but also their staff, and hope to continue improving in both areas as their business grows.

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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLACE A FEATURE IN THIS MAGAZINE OR PLACE AN ADVERT PLEASE CALL STEVE RUSHWORTH AT S&S PUBLISHING ON 07807 492398 OR SEND AN EMAIL TO STEVE@SNSPUBLISHING.CO.UK

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CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY - KEY TO SUCCESS FOUNDED in 1992 by Chris Howells, Managing Director of the Quarr Group, Mountjoy Building and Maintenance is the leading service provider of building and maintenance support across southern Engand. The company has an excellent reputation for delivering flexible, tailored services, including new builds, major and minor refurbishments, alterations, extensions and rolling programmes of works across all building types. Clients include Portsmouth City Council, Southern Housing Group, University of Southampton and Isle of Wight Council.

SERVICES Incorporated in 2006 as a limited company, Mountjoy offer a variety of

different services within both the private and public sector. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range of core services includes responsive maintenance, building and refurbishment, planned maintenance and facilities management. Currently, the company provide maintenance services doer 11,000 homes and university halls of residence.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY Corporate responsibility and sustainability factors high on Mountjoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of priorities. The company pride themselves on their caring nature towards their staff, supply chain partners and customers.

The company maintains high standards of professionalism, integrity, honesty and diligence, which is driven by their comprehensive human resources strategy

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and Code of Conduct. Employees are given ongoing training in customer care to ensure they are able to deliver to the highest standards. They have also recently introduced an apprenticeship scheme in order to demonstrate their commitment to help and support their staff in developing their knowledge and skillsets.

As well as commitment to people, the business is committed to the environment. They work closely with their suppliers and clients to mitigate any negative impact their work may have on the environment. They use environmentally friendly materials, undertake waste segregation, recycling and maximising energy efficiency. They also pay close attention to reducing their carbon footprint.

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HEALTH, SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 2011 ROSPA GOLD award winners, Farrans (Construction) Ltd is an established building and civil engineering contractor with headquarters in Northern Ireland and with operational interests throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe. Established during WWII, the business began as a small civil engineering company, and has now grown into one of the largest building and civil engineering contractors in Northern Ireland. After the war, Farrans played a significant role in

the rebuilding efforts, and as a result was able to acquire subsidiary companies that specialised in very specific areas of the reconstruction plan. Farrans is an operating division within Northstone (NI) Limited, who activities also include aggregate production, manufacture and supply of quality building materials and utility access chambers. Northstone is a wholly owned subsidiary of CRH plc. Headquartered in Ireland and with a turnover of over 18billion Euros, CRH operates in 35

countries, employs approximately 75,000 people and is focused on three closely related core businesses: Primary materials, Value-added building products and Specialist building materials distribution. Farrans has a number of divisions, which consist of Civil Engineering, Utilities, Commercial Building, Farrans Homes and Farrans Healthcare, and employs approximately 500 people.

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Richard Guy, the company’s Health and Safety advisor said, “The origins of Farrans during the war underscore the commitment of the company to provide quality service, throughout our history and continuing into today”.

HEALTH AND SAFETY The company has a model for health and safety, which is a key part of Richard’s job along with carrying out site audits, internal health and safety training, attending employee consultation meetings and engaging with subcontractors and staff with regard to safety procedures. Farrans takes the issues surrounding health and safety very seriously, and are accredited to a number of health and safety initiatives including BS OHSAS 18001 and Safe T Cert, and according to Richard these are essential tools for the company to meet their commitment to safety standards. Farrans boast Investors in People status, and part of achieving this has been their attitude towards health and safety training. As well as tool box talks, staff are given formal training from approved bodies. All staff and subcontractors are required to complete a specified amount of training every year, and this forms a huge part of maintaining competence levels. “We consider ourselves innovators in health and safety”, declares Richard, referring to Farrans ‘Safety Sam’ programme, which has been part of their initiative to educate and protect local communities within which they work. The ‘Safety Sam’ programme is delivered to children in schools local to the projects they are working on, and warns children about the dangers of entering construction sites. ‘Safety

Sam’s’ motto is ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’, and is an innovative method to raise safety awareness amongst children. As winners of the RoSPA Gold award for 2012, the company aims to continue keeping their health and safety standards high and provide training to their employees, subcontractors and the local communities they work in. In the coming months and years Farrans hopes to improve their health and safety standards providing health surveillance to all their employees and subcontractors. Furthermore, the company is aiming to achieve a minimum of 12 hours of health and safety training per year? amongst their employees and subcontractor. Additionally, they are working on rolling out a behavioural safety program, which will be in practice in the very near future.

CARBON FOOTPRINT The environment factor is high on Farrans’ list of policies, and the company has worked very hard trying to reduce their carbon footprint in recent years. “We comply with pertinent environmental regulations while delivering quality work that has minimum disruption to the environment,” shares Richard. In 2011, the company reduced their waste at their head office and they aim to half waste they send to landfill sites by the end of this year. Currently they are reducing their carbon footprint at a rate of approximately 10 per cent year on year, and they will continue doing so beyond the time that they reach their target reduction. They also use power from renewable sources, and regional offices are encouraged to ensure they are energy efficient. Every year the company runs a competition

in which they ask for the best idea to improve the energy efficiency within the company. This has ensured that all staff are actively involved in the initiative. They have also communicated their policies to all employees, providing them with the relevant training in order to ensure they practice upon the policy.

PROJECTS Farrans are working on a number of large projects at the moment, including a partnership with Scottish Water which has seen the company working on water and sewage treatment plants as well as infrastructure. Additionally they continue to work with ScottishPower to develop windfarms, keeping in line with their energy efficiency goals. Farrans are now focussing on maintaining current business and expanding in Scotland, England and further afield.

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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLACE A FEATURE IN THIS MAGAZINE OR PLACE AN ADVERT PLEASE CALL STEVE RUSHWORTH AT S&S PUBLISHING ON 07807 492398 OR SEND AN EMAIL TO STEVE@SNSPUBLISHING.CO.UK

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SURVIVING THE RECESSION AS a major approved contractor for various councils, and particularly Middlesbrough City Council, Marshalls roofing and cladding is a leading company in their field. Formed in 2001 by Stuart Marshall after many years of working as a sole trader for some of the largest companies in the UK, the company carries out all aspects of roofing and cladding, within the UK and some parts of Europe. Based in Middlesbrough, Marshalls service all areas within the city and surrounding areas. The company is constantly growing, and hope to increase their current staff of five to approximately 20 people in the next few months, which will enable them to take on bigger projects.

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PROJECTS The company has taken on a number of projects with significant clients, including Heathrow Airport T5, Manchester International Airport, James Cook Hospital and various schools and prisons. With some of their projects they have only supplied the labour, and with others they have been required to provide a full package. As a result the workforce varies from as little as three people and as many as 25 people, and in some instances more. The company has contracted for companies such as Bovis Lend, Skanska, Shepherds and Shaws Group UK. They are CITB registered and are members of the National Federation of Roofing Construction Ltd.

RELIABLE SERVICE “Hard work and success is our main ambition,” says Stuart, who is very much a part of the company’s day to day operations. He regularly meets with clients throughout the progress of their projects to ensure that everything is on track.

Once contracts have been finished, he is a part of the inspection team that ensures everything is complete and decides if there is any further work that needs doing. This process ensures that customers are always satisfied and the company has rarely ever got complaints. When carrying out Local Authority work, the company aim to do inspections on the same day to maintain their efficiency rates.

HEALTH AND SAFETY Keeping up to Health and Safety standards is very important for employees and subcontractors at Marshalls, and the company provides ongoing training to ensure their workforce are aware of and carry out safe working practice. They were awarded ISO9001 Investors in People in 2005, which was reviewed in 2008.

SURVIVAL Like many companies, Marshalls, or M.C.R as they are also known, were affected by the economic recession. Before the recession hit they had a turnover of around £450, 000, but more currently this stands at £160, 000. However, unlike most companies, the business has not only managed to survive, but they also are expecting to improve their turnover for this year. The recession did see a slowdown in business at the beginning of this year, but due to their excellent customer service and hard work, the company is growing and rising above, seeing an increase in business and bigger contracts.

All operatives that work for Marshalls carry CSCS cards, and some have safety passports, which is usually dependent on the conditions of the site they are working on. A large number of the workforce holds NVL2 or 3 in their relevant trade and there are a number of trained supervisors and first aiders.

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NT RIX SCAFFOLDING The company was founded in 1987. I slowly built the company up over the years and improved the company turnover each year.

recessions the company built itself up, however it was only through the latter recession that we are emerging from now that the company has slightly faltered.

I was previously a foreman scaffolder for one of the major scaffold companies within the country. I had a good reputation and I found it quite easy for people to entrust in me to carry out bigger projects for myself.

The company has been through a change of management. Between us we have over 120 years of experience within the scaffolding industry.

I have always found it difficult to turn work away, the company has run through 3 national recessions. Through the 1st 2

We are back on track now, having accreditations such as Chas, Safe Contractor, British Safety Council and link up. We are working towards becoming a member of the NASC which we are very

positive we will conquer by the end of 2012. For 25 years we have always worked for major contractors.

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OUR STAFF As well as employing new people, there are employees that have been with the company from the start. My team now consists of 6 parts: London Division operatives, Kent Division operatives, yard staff, administration team, Vehicle mechanics, and Management team, Brett Whiting runs & over looks the London division projects and is currently looking after some fantastic projects offshore for me including large domestic and commercial projects in the heart of London city, Ricky Mackintosh is the company’s Business Development Manager and is in charge of gaining medium to large work with an ability to survey the projects from start to finish, ensuring all our clients are happy with the service provided. Gary Wesley is our in house Safety Advisor & Contracts Supervisor making sure the operatives at all times are following the clients & the N.T.Rix company policy.

Angela Pentecost is our Office Manager & Company Secretary and has been with me from the beginning of the company. Sarah Fuller is Assistant Office Manager and Jo Simmons is Personal Assistant to myself, the Managing Director. We currently today employ a total of 55 people & we are looking to hit 100 if our success continues. My Vehicle fleet is now 1x artic unit and a number of trailers, 2 x 26T lorry, 1 x18t lorry, 6 x 7.5t Lorries & a host of vans & company cars.

My present plans are to ensure that the company is moving forward in these hard times, and to grow each year we trade, we struggled like all companies through the recession but are now fully back on track and are again growing year on year. I want to ensure that we are currently keeping up to date with the Health & Safety requirements that I expect all my employees to adhere to. We also use an external consultant, Prime Safety Ltd who advise and consult on matters of Health and Safety. My future plans are to grow into a major scaffolding company and become a market leader. The company has always specialised in marine scaffolding and we are now currently working on 3 off shore wind farms and 3 very large marine projects, we employ a full time safety pilot and we own our own safety rib boats, we currently own over 5000m2 of walkway mesh for these projects. The products that we offer are traditional tube and fitting scaffolds but we also have a large amount of stock of system scaffolding which we frequently use as an alternative means of access. We offer all services from small house fronts to one million pound plus contracts. We specialise in marine and off shore projects locally and nationwide. We have also erected scaffolding projects in Europe (France), being close to Dover port is a great advantage for this. We use Ubix Temporary roof systems and offer an encapsulation and shrink wrapping service, contract scaffolding projects, labour only projects, off shore projects, Marine projects, commercial projects and a small works division for the domestic client.

We are celebrating our 25th Year Anniversary this year. My suppliers include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

DSL Gilray plant Supplies Tubular techniques 3DTubular techniques TRAD Hire and Sales Beaver 84 AFIX (Belgium) Nottingham Tools and Fixings VJ Technology CombiSafe East Kent Components Jewsons Parker Steel Sharp and Enright (shipping chandlers) R & B Engineering Prime Safety UK ltd

My clients include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Hollandia Balfour Beatty Kier group BAM Mclaren ISG Mansells Galliford try Mitie plc Dunulm national Projects London array Cwind Jenner Contractors Shepway Building Contractors Dover Harbour Board Morrisons Utilities Sandersons Contractors Astra UK Redec

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GRIFFIN SCAFFOLDING LONDON based Griffin Scaffolding is a privately owned company with over 50 years experience providing scaffolding across London and South London. Their customers include private homeowners, businesses and local authorities, and customer service is at the top of their agenda.

SERVICES The company offers an all round service that includes planning, design, erection, site attendance, and dismantling.

Their range of scaffolding services include scaffolding planning and design, scaffolding erection, on site support, scaffolding dismantling, scaffold hire, streetwork, shoring up and propping up, towers and formwork, pro-active safety support and professional scaffolders. They carry out a number of different types of scaffolding erections working with a few local authorities, which include Camden Council and Hackney Council. The business also works with commercial clients including Quinn London and United House, as well as building contractors and the local public. Griffin Scaffolding works out of three strategically placed depots throughout London, and this ensures clients can be assured of quick supply and a very efficient call-out response in the event of an emergency.

TEAM With a large and directly employed team who are all CITB trained and qualified, Griffin Scaffolding have an annual turnover that is more than ÂŁ2m, and are one of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading scaffolding specialists. The company boast their own specialists including their own surveyor and RCO officer. The team are highly skilled and experienced, and have an enviable safety record.

HEALTH AND SAFETY Griffin operate a very strict health and safety policy which includes checks for firm and level foundations, time planning to avoid construction during busy periods, avoidance of power lines, safety barriers at all heights, and British Standards equipment.

Site Security Services prides itself on professionalism and has a reputation for services and value. With engineers located in and around London, we can respond quickly to our clients needs both frequently and at very short notice. Site Security Services are both SSAIB and ISO 9002. This enables us to certificate every installation.

Tel: 0845 880 2690 Fax: 0845 880 269 Email: info @site-security.co.uk

Site Sec urity Serv lead the way in te ices mporary security systems

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AB2000 was established in 1995 by Adam Bruce in Glasgow, and has seen steady growth over the years. In 2002, the company acquired specialist rail plant assets from G Plant Rail Ltd, which assisted in continuing the expansion of their existing rail division. Later, in 2003, the business had grown to such an extent that they needed to move to new, bigger premises, and as a result they bought a renovated cable factory in Cambuslang, Glasgow, where they remain today. Gerry Miller, Executive Operations Manager at the company explained how the company has had continual growth over the years, and how the business is now perfectly situated, “Where we are now provides easy access to the motorway, which has allowed us to keep up with the growth of the fleet”.

SERVICES As one of the largest independently owned plant hire companies in Scotland, AB2000 boast a large variety of fleet, which include but are not limited to mobile cranes, bulldozers, and excavators. Additionally, they provide rail

and road machinery, an ever expanding division in the company. They have a total of approximately 250 machines, with 12 support vehicles.

moving the rock which is being quarried. This has made it the largest quarry in Scotland, and the largest windfarm which is in construction in Europe.

The company prides itself on giving excellent customer service, and try to ensure that all their equipment is in good working order.

The company has also worked with Scottish Power, moving ash from power stations, and constructing ash lagoons and haul roads. They are well known and well trusted in Scotland, and their commitment to service is what helps them maintain their growing client base.

“We have a continual fleet renewal process, so machines are with us an average of five years,” explains Gerry. This ensures that customers get only the most up-to-date equipment to complete their job. Also offered is an on-site servicing and repair service if anything does go wrong, ensuring that clients are able to meet their work deadlines without any concern.

CONTRACTS AB2000 have worked on a number of exciting and innovative projects, including Whitelees Windfarm in Eaglesham Moor. This particular project started in February 2007 and is still ongoing, with the company providing heavy earthworks plant, helping to construct 90km of access track and

FUTURE PLANS With a total workforce of 195 staff and an estimated annual turnover of £15.5m, the Scottish company is not planning any major expansion unless there is a demand. However, they are looking into extending their services into Northern Scotland, some areas of which they already currently work in. Despite being based mainly in Glasgow, AB2000 do provide services in other parts of the country if and when required.

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Being leaders in health and safety innovations is a key ambition of Globe Scaffolding, which was formed in 1972 in Mitcham, South London. 36

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In 1976 the company became a limited entity, and in 2000 they moved to Wimbledon, where they remained for 10 years, and saw immense growth. The head office is now based in Croydon, where they acquired premises in 2010. The company also have a new site in Greenwich, which is ideally situated to cover the areas they serve, London and the South East. Steve White, Director of Safety, Training and Transport explained how the company had begun to improve their safety profile within the last two to three years.

LEADERS IN SAFETY Globe place a lot of importance in ensuring their health and safety policies are up to and beyond industry standards, and they have recently won a the 2011/2012 NASC National Safety Award, in the category for a company of up to 100 employees. Only two awards are given every other year, so the company is very proud of its achievement. This is a prestigious award and is only awarded after a fully audited examination of the company’s performance over the whole range of health and safety management and performance criteria, which includes record keeping, accident statistics and risk assessment, as well as the actual implementation and control of their policy.

PRESENT AND FUTURE PLANS Currently the company is working hard to increase their profile with current clients by improving their standards of service and health and safety. They are achieving this by providing ongoing training for their Scaffolders and members of staff. Looking forward, Globe hope that they can continue being leading innovators in safety standards, and increase their client base in order for the company to grow. They already provide excellent customer service, and as well as being full members of the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation, (NASC), they are accredited by Achilles Building Confidence, and the Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme (Chas). All their operatives are registered with the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme. Globe Scaffolding is proud to be one of the few smaller scaffolding companies nationally to employ a dedicated, full time safety professional as Director of Safety to lead their SHE obligations. Steve is also a member of the NASC Safety committee who are responsible for producing safety information and systems for the scaffolding industry nationally.

Furthermore they are one of the only scaffolding firms to bring all their subcontractors aboard to be fully employed by the company. Altogether the company employs 45 Scaffolders and 15 directors, managers, supervisors and admin staff, bringing their total to 60 staff. They boast an annual turnover of £3.2m, and this is a testament to their excellent staff, who work hard to achieve this. Despite the economic recession, Globe has done extremely well, and Steve puts this down to their attitude to health & Safety, and the ability to maintain the size of their workforce. It is only in the last six months that they have increased their operative level by 15. Steve concludes by saying, “we look forward to increasing our profile over the coming months and years and becoming a safe, successful company that we can be proud of”.

“We get very good reviews from our main contractors, including Kier Construction,” says Steve. Globe has been contracted to work for a large project that Kier is a part of in North West London, where they are required to work to very high standards of safety. The company has shown a keen interest in investigating and trying out new innovations where safety is concerned, and have invested in a variety of different systems and training in order to ensure they remain leaders in safety. Health and safety is high on the agenda at Globe Scaffolding, and it is because of this attitude that Globe was able to win prestigious contracts with the likes of National Grid, and the National Gallery, for who they provided a large temporary roof during their multi-million pound facelift.

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Richmond Plant Hire, based in Fulbeck, Linconshire, has made great advancements in the few short years since its establishment in March 2007. The business has grown rapidly from an initial order of just ten Bobcat excavators to what is now the largest small excavator hire company in the East Midlands. They boast a fleet of more than 50 machines, the smallest being 0.8 tonne and the largest being 9 tonne, fully rubber tracked and piped for various attachments.

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In 2001, the company moved to new premises that were purpose built in order to ensure the highest levels of efficiency. They are located next to the A1 at Long Benington between Newark and Grantham, which gives them easy access to the road networks in and around Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS Lee Panton, Hire Controller at the company is adamant that they will continue to grow while maintaining the highest standard of both service and equipment to customers, despite tough economic circumstances: “With job budgets being cut so tight and deadlines shortened, our aim is to assist in each and every way possible to ensure our clientele stay happy and above all, working.” For Lee and his colleagues, assisting clients is not limited to providing the right equipment. After climbing Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain in 2009 for Cancer Research UK, a good customer approached them to do more after losing his brother to prostate cancer. Although they had to pull out of the Great North Run due to injury, Lee and his friend were determined to complete it the following year.

Moving forward to Christmas 2011, the same client approached them again, eager to begin another fundraising campaign. The company decided to arrange a trip up to the Scottish Highlands to climb Ben Nevis. Within days, a 15 strong team consisting not only of staff, but also customers and suppliers who got together wanting to do their part and assist the fight against cancer. The group climbed the mountain on Easter Sunday so they could all have the time off work together. The trip was a huge success, raising over £4500.00 for Cancer Research UK. Talk has already started of their next challenge as the company has agreed to hold an annual fundraising event.

SERVICES The company hire out a wide variety of plant and tools, from ladders, generators and heaters to excavators and dumpers. Their customer service is exemplary, and they aim to ensure 100 per cent customer satisfaction.

In addition to hiring out plant and tools, the company also sell a selection of equipment for interested buyers at very competitive prices. Along with this, customers are able to purchase clothing and footwear suitable for working with plant and tools, and ensuring safety standards are adhered to. Richmond currently operate from two depots, one in Mansfield and the other in Newark, and this enables them to service a majority of the East Midlands and surrounding areas, including Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. With ten staff who have over 50 years combined experience, Lee emphasises that they are always on hand to offer expert advice on finding the right tool for job, “we appreciate our customers’ demands, that’s why our equipment is delivered on time and above all ready to work. We set ourselves high standards and we pride ourselves in the quality and appearance of our equipment”.

They have procedures in place to ensure that all equipment is in good working order and safe to use. Richmond also operate a policy to ensure that their deliveries are always on time.

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BEN NEVIS 9.4.12 06.00 The alarm sounds to the call of a descending submarine, disoriented & groggy but ever cautious not to disturb the strangers on the next bunk. You must be thinking we’re aboard HMS Conqueror but no! It’s actually Alan Slater’s alarm & we’re staying at back packer’s hostel Fort William Scotland waking up to conquer Britain’s highest mountain – Ben Nevis which majestically rises to 1334 metres above sea level. As we look through the window the outside world is not looking very welcoming, the surrounding hills are looking very uncompromising and the weather is very grey & unforgiving. What we need is body fuel to keep us going through the day, our answer to this: Bacon, Sausage & free range eggs laid on Alan Cairnie’s back garden complimented by a soft bread roll (a breakfast fit for kings we all agree) So after a frantic rush in the kitchen resulting in waking the majority of guests in the hostel including the owner who was a dead ringer of Worzel Gummidge. It’s time for a final check of our rucksacks. Waterproofs – check, Lucozade – check, Food – check, Head torch – check, Gloves, Hat & snood – check, Boots – check, Map – check, & finally the most important item to travel with me - A hip flask filled with the dew of Ben Nevis a 10 Years Old single west highland malt whisky. The time is now 08.00 and we’re all scrambling onboard the mini bus to make our way to the foot of the mountain. Before we set off we need to plug the gaps on the mini bus which was

kindly donated by Andy Sutton of AS Plant, we have now perfected the sealing of drafts using a cool box, a boot bag & a borrowed jacket. Ben Nevis visitors centre & car park off the A82 is where we plan to meet Dave Moore & Shaun Corley to start our journey. What should have taken just a couple us just a few minutes of travel time quickly developed to a detour through the streets of Fort William thanks to some very frantic arm waving & typical bad directions from our 7.5 ton lorry driver Johnny mad hands. As we pull in to the entrance the car park is looking very Spartan, As I look up to the hills I can’t see much further than a few hundred feet because of the low lying clouds swarming just above the Ben Nevis Inn. I’m thinking to myself can we be the only ones foolish enough to attempt the climb in such atrocious weather conditions? Still I was determined I was not going to let mother nature get the better of us, She was threatening snow around 1pm so we all agreed a quick start was necessary. A quick start is exactly what we got and the pace was a little too fast for some members of the group, the morale after around 50 minutes was very low & I feel the adrenaline is wearing thin as the walk up the mountain track to Lochan Meall is a long & daunting one. With a 10 minute stop to take in some food & fluids plus a few choice words of encouragement from the most experienced walker of the group Alan Slater everyone soldiered on bravely. As the rain relentlessly continued to fall the path levelled out for the only flat level part of the ascent, strangely this lifted the already tired members of the group & it was most noticeable that these tough cookies would not crack

easily as they got their second wind. 1 hour 50 minutes elapsed & we’re half way at possibly one of the most beautiful stages of the monotonous mountain track, a huge waterfall which falls from 900 metres. We’ve now ascended to around 675 metres above sea level just about to take on the infamous zig zags. As I announce we’re now around the half way point a few faces sank like the titanic did 100 years ago when it hit the iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean but onwards & upwards is the cry as we tackle the mountains steepest section. As we’re carving our way up the path we hit the first signs of snow which makes the already difficult conditions so much trickier. I’m starting to notice that the group is separating quite rapidly and smaller groups of around 3 people are now forming, the focus on people’s faces as I stop to look down at them is very apparent as I break for a quick snack of Thornton’s chocolate brownies. A quick reminiscence of the bus game from the previous day is a good way to take peoples mind off the task in hand and focus their concentration something else. After a 9 hour journey from Kirkby-InAshfield to Fort William this shopping list will be engrained in everyone’s memory for a very long time... I went to Tesco & I bought: A loaf of bread, Butter, Milk, Chocolate, Cornflakes, Sailor Jerry playing cards, Shampoo, Bog roll, Acer laptop with 4gb ram & 2ghz processor, 25.25 litres of diesel, Stihl MS450 chainsaw, Conditioner, Cuddly toy, Mobile phone, Ironing board, Country life magazine, Sun news paper, Lottery ticket, Taylor Made burner 2.0 irons, & finally a packet of fags.

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I remember chuckling to myself thinking out of the millions of people who have walked this path before I bet none of them have shouted these random items so loudly all in order to raise spirits. This must have worked as I’m now at the top of the zig zags facing nothing but a sheet of white in front of me! The visibility on the most dangerous section was truly shocking, It’s time to take the walking sticks out of the bag & for Matt to attach the ice grips to his boots, As we’re preparing ourselves for the last push towards the summit out of the white murkiness appears the silhouettes of 4 people one of them being Shaun Corley. Little did we know Shaun had made an attempt for the summit himself but because of the poor visibility and fully aware of the five finger gully (a thousand foot sheer rock face which claims the lives of 5 people on average each year) he made a wise judgement to wait for the rest of the team. With him he had three others, two males one of whom was wearing just trainers & a lady, neither of them experienced or prepared for the treacherous conditions we we’re endeavouring. They had waited for us to catch up with them to follow us to the top of Britain. I must admit I was feeling pretty excited at this point about heading into the total unknown relying solely on our wits to safely reach the summit following a compass bearing of 282 degrees. A strange feeling of satisfaction was felt leading the group towards each of the cairns as we grew ever closer to the old observation tower. Ever cautious not to stray onto any of the overhanging cornices we had the end in sight, a very faint silhouette of the old ruined observation tower which now

has a safety shelter. Matt turned to both Craig & I with a Cheshire cat grin on his face and asked “is it a race to the summit stone or are we doing this together” to which I replied “I was ready for the sprint finish if you was to suddenly take off” but we all agreed we had come up as a team so we should finish it as one. 12.05 – We had done it! Successfully climbed to the highest point in the whole of Great Britain in horrendous conditions, the temperature on the summit was 10 degrees below freezing and the sleet / rain was doing its worse to dampen the mood, but on this occasion with a huge sigh of relief - we had prevailed, nothing was going to ruin this moment of elation. We decided it was wise to get ourselves in to the shelter & wait for the others to arrive. All the layers came out of the rucksacks in order to try to keep warm, pocket hand warmers we’re cracked to try to get feeling back in to the numb fingers. The whiskey was now flowing from the hip flasks as I pulled out the crown jewel (not what most of you will be thinking as you read that line) An award winning homemade pork & stilton pie sliced into man sized wedges with the trusty Victorinox Swiss army knife. A short while later the rest of the group came into sight - the first thing I noticed was the huge sigh of relief on these faces, A congratulatory hand shake to everyone who had conquered the mountain & a few quick obligatory photos with our cancer research banners. A friendly Scotsman who had made it to the top with his wife was kind enough to take photos of our group. Very difficult

to even force a smile at this point as the rain was hitting harder than ever I hear “smile ya miserable bastards!” in a thick Scottish accent as the shutter fires – Mission compete! Now we need to find our way safely down, still ever cautious of the conditions we all decide a speedy descent is absolutely necessary. Down we slip slide & glide never really getting a strong footing in to the snow as we meander our way to each of the cairns. Thank god I bought these walking poles I remember saying as they yet again prevent me from falling on my back side. We’ve now reached the bottom of the zig zags & as we look up we notice the group is much divided into smaller groups at this point as everyone is descending at their own pace. The Ben Nevis Inn is firmly on our mind now; a warm welcoming pub is what spurred us down in less than 2 hours. As everyone entered the pub it was warming to see such a huge smile on everyone’s faces, bloody great beaming smiles which could be seen from the top of Ben Nevis I’m sure. Everyone had done so well; they had achieved so much for both themselves and the charity (cancer research UK) we raised sponsorship & awareness for. It was now time to bask in our glory & listen to the individual tales of the struggles and achievements of Ben Nevis. The parting shot & to quote Dave Denby “A group of lots of individual characters who all came together in the end”

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NO DEBT KEY TO SURVIVAL Kent Demolition has been trading as a Limited company for 12 years, supplying quality demolition services in the South East of the country. Managing Director, David Padgett, says the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethos is to provide the best customer service, efficient works and a proactive safety system. This coupled with a no debt or mortgages policy has enabled the company to ride out the current recession, despite many other companies, both smaller and larger, struggling to manage in the difficult economic climate.

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PRESENT AND FUTURE Kent Demolition Company Limited provides safe, efficient and cost effective solutions for the demolition of brick, concrete and steel structures. In addition they offer site surveys, asbestos removals and site rehabilitation services in order to ensure that customers are getting the best solution for their project. Safety and environmental awareness are fundamental to all works. Additionally there are plans to further develop onsite recycling and open a recycling plant in Kent in the Tunbridge Wells area where they are based Although growth is a major factor within the industry, David stated that the company does not have any immediate plans for growth, instead consolidating until the economic situation becomes more positive. “We are happy to stay as we are for now, continuing to improve our levels of service and quality,” said David.

SERVICES The company has a highly trained and efficient team of 13 staff ensuring that customers have a high level of confidence in Kent Demolition Company Ltd, evidenced by the many contractors who regularly place projects in the company’s hands, safe in the knowledge of successful and timely completion.

Kitts Scaffolding Proud to work with Kent Demolition 347 Godstowe Road, Whyteleafe, Surrey CR3 0BE Tel: 07958 306 271 Email: kittsscaffolding@mailauth.co.uk

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KIER WEST - KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE... CUSTOMER SERVICE is priority at Kier, a leading construction, services and property group operating in the UK and abroad. David Mawson, Maintenance Regional Managing Director for the West Region of the UK explains that the company provides its staff with ongoing in house and external training so that they are able to understand customers. Additionally they reward and acknowledge employees who have been recognised as giving excellent customer service, while working with employees who have not reached that level yet, sharing with them good practice. The customer satisfaction for the company currently stands at 99 per cent. The Kier group as a whole employs over 10,000 people worldwide, and they undertake many different contracts and types of work. The company was established in 1928, with the maintenance West region being launched in 2007.

talks to ensure the health and safety policy is strictly adhered to. The health and safety training extends to areas including asbestos removal, working with scaffolding, fire hazards, gas, electric and fleet.

“Our working relationship with our staff is based on mutual trust, and this has enabled us to move forward and achieve a lot. It has also meant that our relationships with our clients are excellent.” explains David.

“Our formula for success is to bring our employees together and talk to them about the highlights of a project, and the areas for improvement,” comments David. Open forums are one of the ways the management communicate with their staff, and it is a good opportunity for them to listen to their employees. This, as David says, has produced only positive results.

Although the company has seen keener pricing have an effect during the economic recession, when pricing of services has become a key factor, the quality of service they have provided has ensured that they did not suffer as much as other businesses. “Kier is a contractor clients can trust,” David declares. They offer a fair price to their customers, and can be trusted to complete the job to a high standard.

REGIONAL SUCCESS The west region has secured a TPAS working together award through their joint venture with Stoke City Council. This venture has also helped them to develop their customer service, and currently they have an innovative approach, completing repairs at their customers’ convenience. This has ensured that customers can call up at any time and can fit the work around their busy schedules. It has paid dividends, as well as producing an outstanding level of customer satisfaction.

The West region covers Cumbria, South Wales, West Midlands, Liverpool, among other cities. There are over 500 staff employed in this region who have a wide variety of roles. A number of staff transferred to Kier from Stoke City Council.

HEALTH AND SAFETY As well as good customer service, health and safety is a major priority at Kier. They take the lead where this is concerned, especially when it comes to working at height. They provide training toolbox

In order to further improve the quality of their service, the company identified that their technicians were spending too much of their time driving, and so came up with a solution that sees materials delivered to their technicians, which has significantly increased productivity and reduced job costs.

TO THE FUTURE The region has two areas which they want to develop upon within the next few years. They want to grow the JV with Stoke City Council, in order to ensure that more people are getting services they require, including council tenants and landlords. They also want to offer services to other clients within Stoke, and other areas within the region. The company wants to grow the business and sustain and develop the workforce. Their other main objective is to continue ensuring that both their excellent customer service and high health and safety standards are maintained. “Keeping people safe drives consistency,” says David, explaining that they will keep working and improving health and safety, ensuring they not only meet, but exceed industry standards.

Holdcroft Heating was established in 1989 and has built up an excellent reputation within the domestic Gas Industry, we are extremely proud of our reputation for delivery of service and customer care. We are market Leaders for our results with many and varied Housing Associations with 98.98% Customer satisfaction and 100% Certification rates. Central Heating Installations, Boiler Changes, serving of all gas appliances, Breakdown and Repairs, Landlords Safety Checks and Installations of renewable energies. Holdcroft Heating are very proud of their Association and commitment to Kier Housing. Head Office Holdcroft Heating & Gas Fitting Ltd, Moorland Road, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. ST6 1EA Telephone: 01782 811102 Fax: 01782 811155 Email: adminholdcrofts@hotmail.com

www.holdcroftheating.com

Contacts: Operational Director: Darren Barrs Office Manager: Sue Hargreves

ISSUE 101

When writing out the tender, make sure you use the pre-formatted documents provided. Follow the instructions given, read and re-read the specifications, ASK the procurement officer if you do not understand part of the requirements and make sure your responses demonstrate how they meet the scope of the given specification. Put yourself in the clients’ shoes. What would you want to find out from a tender document?

By Mariam Bbumba Nalumansi Writing tenders can be a very long, exhausting process if not done the right way. It is no secret that it takes up a lot of time and effort, usually a thing businesses would rather not do but unfortunately have to. Here are the top ten tips for A HUSTLE FREE, PRECISE tender writing experience. 1. Delegate. Before you start the tender writing, you have to delegate the different roles. A tender is not something written by one person, it is a team effort. Figure out who gathers what information, who does the research, who writes the drafts and who checks them. With that entire plan put in place, you still have to keep in mind how the rest of the company work will be done during that period. 2. Follow the instruction and answer all questions. Though it sounds like a given, this is the point that most people struggle with. This is the tender. You MUST answer all the questions. Put none or Not Applicable if you do not have an answer. Your answers should be clear and precise.

we all like something that is easy on the eye so the tender should be no different. A well laid out tender is likely to be paid more attention to as opposed to a scattered one. It has to be visually and easy to read. To add more impact to it, you should use visuals in place of text wherever possible; timetables and project management plans, charts, graphics, photos and diagrams. Do not forget the white space, you do not want it looking over crowded.

3. Short, precise, straight to the point.

8. Cover letter

Given that the client will be looking at not just your proposal, you have to make it quick. You do not want to bore them anymore than they already are. A quick read without waffling about will make your document stand out.

This is a business letter of no more than one page to thank the customer for the opportunity to tender. It should provide assurances from the senior signatory, that the customer’s requirements will be met in an efficient and effective manner.

It is the quality of the information submitted not the quantity!

9. Check legalities.

4. Who are you?

HOW TO COMPLETE A TENDER

7. Make it look good

Summarise your background. A brief company biography stating your past experiences and credentials for this job. Also provide accurate, up to date personal information required like accounts and relevant references. Do not forget to prove what you are saying by backing up with evidence like quotes from happy customers. 5. Why you? What you client is looking to find out is what they gain by selecting you so make sure you stress that. Explain how your expertise will benefit them. Clearly display your team’s skills, experience of similar work and their responsibilities if you win the contract. Elucidate your pricing, project management and any other aftercare arrangements included. Remember, not all that the client requires may be possible so you have to be realistic and identify potential problems. Avoid making promises that you know you will struggle to deliver. 6. Personalise it Use your company name, ‘you’ and ‘your’ as often as possible to keep the reader engaged. This is a definite way to keep the reader interested because they then feel like you having a conversation with them.

You should also be aware that information from your tender may be disclosed in the future under the Freedom of Information Act. This gives anyone, including your competitors, the general right to see information held by public authorities - including the information in your tender. You should clearly indicate which information is commercially confidential. If the information is particularly sensitive, you might want to ask for a nondisclosure agreement. See our guide on non-disclosure agreements. Keep an electronic copy of everything you send! 10. Perfect it! If you do not have someone to proof read it within the firm, you should definitely consider getting a professional to do this. It may seem like an unnecessary expense but you do not want to lose out on a bid because of small mistakes. Have all the words checked, check all questions are answered correctly and in the specified order and check that you have enclosed all the required documentation. Most importantly, send it off in sufficient time giving yourself plenty of leeway before the deadline.

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