Construction & Civil Engineering Issue 206 December 2022

Growing online, together

Digitisation

Sustainability

Why the UK needs to change its wasteful attitude to water

CEO Andrew Schofield

Group COO Joe Woolsgrove

Creative Consultant Tom Vince

Data & Insights Director Jaione Soga

Editor Libbie Hammond

Assistant Editor Mary Floate

Content Editors Alex Caesari, Danielle Champ, Steven Dobinson

Editorial Administrator Amy Gilks

Managing Art Editor Fleur Daniels

Art Editors Paul Gillings, David Howard, Charlie Protheroe, Lee Protheroe

Artwork Administrator Rochelle Broderick-White

Sales Director Alasdair Gamble

Project Director Philip Monument Head of Content Management Adam Blanch

Head of Global Media Programs Mark Cawston

Project Managers Lewis Bush, Jo-Ann Jeffery, Natalie Griffiths, Ben Richell, Laura Thompson

Content Managers Mark Cowles, Jeff Goldenberg, Melanie Joyce, Tarjinder Kaur de Silva, James Page, Wendy Russell, Richard Saunders, Kieran Shukri

Media Sales Executives

Jessica Eglington, Will Gwyther, Sam Surrell

Social Media Co-ordinator Rosie Clegg

IT Support Iain Kidd

Administration Natalie Fletcher, Rory Gallacher, Ibby Mundhir

Hello and welcome to the December issue of Construction & Civil Engineering. In our last magazine of 2022, we take a look at digital twin technology and Spinview’s Arturo Leon reveals how, when delivered in a visually intelligent way, it can super-charge sustainability strategies in the built environment. Given the everincreasing focus on the green agenda, these kinds of solutions will not only become more popular across the industry, but also more important. Is it time to look into it, if you don’t want to get left behind?

I also just wanted to let you know that our plans for next year include the launch of a newsletter that will bring the latest news and features straight into your inbox. Get in touch if you would like to subscribe!

lh@finelightmediagroup.com

© 2022 Finelight Media Group

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An intelligent approach

The technology propelling the built environment to Net Zero.

By Arturo Leon

With regulation tightening across every industry, a solid Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy isn’t just about reputation, it makes commercial sense too. While building a strong ESG track record is difficult in any industry, in few is the task more demanding than in the built environment (buildings, roads and rail).

In this article, I will explore how digital twin technology, when delivered in a visually intelligent way, can super-charge sustainability strategies in the built environment.

Buildings are responsible for up to 40 per cent of global energy consumption and 33 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Cement production is not only the largest contributor to carbon in the built environment, but its manufacture also accounts for some seven per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions.

After notable successes in reducing the operational energy of built spaces, decision-makers

now face a different challenge: reducing the carbon generated by the built asset itself, also known as embodied carbon. This includes emissions caused by extraction, manufacture, processing, transportation and assembly of every product and element in that asset. Embodied carbon is expected to make up nearly 50 per cent of the overall carbon footprint of new construction between now and 2050.

As urgent as the case for sustainable spaces may be, it is quite difficult to assemble an aligned environmental strategy for your built environment. Collecting the complex web of environmental data in one place can be an uphill battle, to say nothing of mining it for insights. The reason is thatin many organisations - most data is ‘dark data’ existing in disparate formats and siloed systems that decision-makers can’t holistically access, much less interpret. And then there is data on emissions and other invisible particulate matters that you may not have even captured yet.

Mastering the ‘E’ of ESG with technology

Now, however, with a new suite of technologies, things are changing. Decisionmakers have more ways to collect, connect and communicate their data than ever before.

In the domain of sustainability, perhaps the most powerful of these is the digital twin, a 3D construction of your space that, when connected to various data sets from the real world, serves as a living, breathing recreation of your building or asset. Because it responds and behaves like its real-world counterpart, a digital twin allows decisionmakers to manage anything in their space remotely. From insight and management of environmental emissions to forecasting the future performance of any asset or space, digital twins are fast becoming indispensable.

For sustainability planners, one of the most critical data sets for an effective digital

twin comes from environmental and health-based sensors. Monitoring ‘invisibles’ such as emissions, pollutants, humidity and noise, such devices generate a steady stream of environmental data that delivers powerful insights into how your asset is performing against an agreed set of criteria. But collecting and connecting this information within a digital twin is only part of the challenge. People must be empowered to act on these insights. For this, an advanced level of communication is needed – something that constantly communicates, that provides dynamic guidance and actionable intelligence to the people that really need it.

This advanced level of communication is called Visual Intelligence (VQ). VQ is rapidly improving our ability to understand, communicate and, most importantly, respond to what the data in your digital twin is telling us. It is the practice of translating data from mere information into a dynamic source of visual and actionable intelligence for everyone involved in the operation of your built environment.

How does VQ help you to manage your carbon footprint?

Once sensor-based environmental data is overlaid with a 2D or 3D digital twin, VQ creates a golden thread of rich visual insight that allows you to see your data in situ and to observe how changes impact the space and environment either in a moment, in recurring time slices or as a predictor of future states.

Thus, VQ is good news for companies that are currently striving towards net zero targets with little or no idea of what their carbon footprint is today. Assisted by a VQpowered digital twin, planners can establish a factual baseline of their assets and assess how far shy they are of their net-zero ambitions. In addition, a VQ powered digital twin allows decision makers to visualise, assess and resource future scenarios. This helps in the setting of realistic targets and roadmaps, shedding light on which levers to pull for an effective decarbonisation strategy.

Digital twins have broken new ground for decision-makers. But now, augmented by VQ, the insights needed for every stakeholder in your operation to manage their day-to-day actions are never more than a touch - or visual cue - away. VQ empowers everyone who needs a holistic view of the environmental footprint and who needs to act with real-time, pinpoint accuracy to manage its impact.

That’s real progress along the path to Net Zero.

For a list of the sources used in this article, please contact the editor.

Spinview https://spinview.io/

Arturo Leon is BIM Sustainability Manager at Spinview. Spinview creates measurement accurate volumetric digital twins of buildings and infrastructure to deliver insights on both the health and structure of any building or space. Combining IoT, BIM, Scanning and advanced visualisation, data is processed into one simple to use visual model of the asset, and its AI translates and automates this data into usable information for all the employees in a business.

Making every drop count

Creating resilient urban environments.

By Martin Lambley

Rising global temperatures are making weather patterns more extreme, and the recent summer of major droughts in the UK and across Europe raised questions of how our urban environments will cope with the effects of a rapidly changing climate. So, why is closing the water loop crucial to creating more resilient urban environments?

The summer of 2022 was clear evidence that the weather effects of climate change have arrived in the UK, and that our cities are ill-equipped to cope with extreme droughts or the flash floods that often follow. Without significant changes to our infrastructure, these events will continue to be a danger to our towns and cities.

As demand for water increases and supplies of safe drinking water are under threat around the world, urban environments will soon find their resources squeezed. It is estimated that it will take just 20 years for parts of England to begin running short of water, shifting the emphasis firmly onto making the best use of what we have at our disposal. All of this demonstrates the need to urgently start upgrading current infrastructure. Currently, these are large-scale, long-term changes that cannot be achieved overnight.

Closing the loop

Any updates to infrastructure need to include a fundamental change in our attitude towards water. The UK has long benefitted from an

abundance of rainwater to the point that our drainage systems are built to quickly divert water out of our cities to prevent flooding. As water becomes scarcer and drought more frequent, we can no longer afford to be so wasteful. Drainage systems that collect, store and re-distribute water are crucial to urban environments remaining resilient in the face of ever more extreme weather patterns.

Alongside civil engineering projects that are designed to increase the capacity of ageing public drainage and water supply systems, strategies should also focus on more varied stormwater management plans, rather than simply getting it out of town. We need to champion cyclical water management systems, where rainwater can be filtered, stored, and fed back into systems for use when it’s needed most.

This was one of the challenges Wavin set for the next generation of young civil engineers and engineering students as part of the Water Futures Challenge, run in collaboration with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). One of the shortlisted entries came from Naomi Betts, a civil engineering student at the University of Warwick, which answered the question: ‘How can we make use of existing rainfall?’. Her proposal suggested using vertical storage tanks for domestic roof water harvesting, an innovative solution that could relieve the strain on water supply systems by providing nonpotable water during periods of drought.

Although Naomi’s idea faces several challenges before it is suitable on a wide scale, it is an example of the type of forward thinking needed to boost urban resilience into the future. As an industry, we need to look proactively at renovating and retrofitting existing buildings, as well as applying a forward-thinking approach to water on new developments.

Liveable, loveable cities

Forging a better relationship between urban environments and water is at the heart of Wavin’s vision and purpose: to build healthy, sustainable environments. A sustainable city, for example, is one that not only minimises its own impact on the climate, but also effectively manages the impact that a changing climate has on it.

Last summer was a stark reminder that we can no longer take water for granted, and that we are not prepared for the vicious cycle of drought and flash flooding that is set to continue. However, it also presents an opportunity to work collaboratively towards a circular-first mindset, that can be applied to the different disciplines, partners, technologies, designs, and solutions needed to build resilient, futureproof infrastructure. Civil engineers have their own crucial role to play in this transition, by beginning to consider the long-term impact of population growth and climate change on the projects they are working on.

Bringing more stakeholders to the table broadens the scope of possible intervention and helps to create connections between systems which have traditionally been viewed as independent. Waste-, rain- and tap water should all be integrated into larger circular water cycles that can be applied at building, neighbourhood, and city-level.

The role of manufacturers

In this context, manufacturers have a major role to play. Sustainable Drainage

Systems (SuDS) are crucial in improving the resilience of new builds and renovations, with the latest technology designed to do just that in urban environments. Wavin’s AquaCell NG is an attenuation tank that is optimised for efficiency and ease of installation, making it a more viable option on projects with tight deadlines. Its lightweight and compact shape is also a great example of how the latest technology is designed specifically to address the unique challenges of urban water management.

Given the specialist nature of SuDS, manufacturers also have a responsibility to support in the installation of these types of systems. End-to-end product journeys such as Wavin’s StormForce take this one step further though, helping specifiers and developers throughout the whole process, accounting for regulations, site conditions, and co-ordinating on design and installation to ensure the optimum water management solution is delivered. Drainage cannot be an afterthought, which is where the latest technology, combined with design expertise, has a vital role to play in improving urban resilience.

With experts suggesting that British rivers could lose more than half of their water by 2050, the cost of not acting will dwarf that of building for the future. Effective action will transform our cities, ensuring we can use the water we have during drought events. Rather than saving for a rainy day, it’s the rainy days that we need to save. ■

Wavin North West Europe www.wavin.com/en-gb/stormwater

Martin Lambley is Product Manager, Urban Climate Resilience for Wavin North West Europe. Wavin is an innovative solution provider for the building and infrastructure industry across multiple continents. Backed up by 60 plus years of expertise, it is geared up to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges around water supply, sanitation, climate-resilient cities and building performance.

What’s the cost?

A million construction workers say they need a side-hustle says Simon Harris

Over a million construction workers will have a second job or ‘side hustle’ if the cost of living does not fall, according to our research. A poll we undertook revealed that 55 per cent of workers said they would consider taking on a second job if the economy continued along its current trajectory.

A few years ago, if you did have a second or third job, it was about improving your life financially - paying down an old credit card balance or saving for a deposit for a first home, perhaps. It might even have

been something you did to fill the time or if you were bored in your current role. Even as recently as the summer, only one in five of us had a side hustle.

Well, not any more.

The cost of almost everything has gone up, while pay has not been increasing; in real terms pay for most people has been declining. This gives people an incentive to develop extra income. Increasingly, the cost of living crisis means a side hustle is about keeping your head above water and people are relying on second and third jobs to survive. The worrying

thing is that such a huge swathe of the industry thinks they’re going to need one in the near future.

But side hustles aren’t without their costs, specifically, they impact on time to relax, socialise and unwind. These are all key to good mental health in the workplace.

Most people cannot realistically fit in another 15 hours of work every week without it impacting on their lives significantly - whether that’s driving customers, delivering takeaways or walking other people’s dogs. While we’re past the peak of the post pandemic hiring spree, the demand for construction workers is still there. Over two million people are employed in construction in the United Kingdom currently, and there are 1481 construction and property jobs on our website right nowthere is an acute labour shortage.

The worst option for construction bosses is people taking on night work, closely followed by weekend labouring. Mark Sherman, chief executive of construction firm Crondall Builders says anyone working nights will quickly find themselves ejected from their day job: most people will get burnt out pretty quickly without a day of rest. This could contribute to the increased number of construction businesses reporting an outbreak of ‘quiet quitting’. Sherman has noticed a difference between the generations, too. He says Millennial workers are more likely to moonlight with tech-focused white-collar work - typically dropshipping businesses - while older workers look at more manual work. He’s happy for entrepreneurial workers to set up online shops as a side

hustle given the limited impact he sees on his employees’ productivity and the cost of living crisis.

This is an interesting take. Workers tell us they want more support from employers and government to help them manage the cost of living crisis - that’s according to a multi-national survey we undertook recently. Indeed, half of British workers (53 per cent) place primary responsibility on governmentwhile a third of Australians (37 per cent) and only a fifth (21 per cent) of US workers think the same.

Despite this, 81 per cent have told us that they haven’t received any monetary perks from their employer to assist with the cost of living crisis. The volume of workers in the construction industry looking at taking on a side-hustle of some kind suggests this isn’t driven by a lack of self-reliance, however. There is a big opportunity for employers to step up and those who are offering an above-average salary along with an impressive benefits package and flexible work policies are going to attract interest from top talent. It is key that companies review their benefits to reflect the current market. From monthly cost of living pay boosts to one-off payments and subsidies for daily costs like travel and energy, candidates want employers to counter rising costs with attractive offers that will help them to navigate the choppy waters ahead.

I’d recommend that anyone thinking of taking on another job, should evaluate their current role first. While you could launch a dropshipping business, for example, fairly quickly and without having to invest too much of your own

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money, it’ll be time-consuming and it’s unlikely you’ll see instant results. I’d suggest asking yourself if you think you are getting paid enough to cover the rise in living costs? If not, can you increase your salary through pay negotiations, upskilling or, ultimately, looking for a new job with a pay rise? It’s important to consider your current job before you start trying to squeeze in another. Working too hard for too long is going to have a negative impact on your work-life balance, your wellbeing and your mental health. And I would suggest that this is not great news for workplace health and safety either. If you are absolutely shattered when you start your week, you could well end up making mistakes. Imagine the consequences on a building site. ■

Randstad UK www.randstad.co.uk

Simon Harris is Director of Construction and Property at Randstad UK. Randstad is the world’s largest provider of recruitment and HR services (by revenue, gross profit and market share), employing more than 40000 people in 5,000 locations. In 2021, it generated revenue of almost €25 billion across 38 markets. Last year, Randstad helped two million people find a job.

Workers tell us they want more support from employers and government to help them manage the cost of living crisis

Growing online, together

Why a full fibre future means the best online experience, with no frustrating dropouts, buffering, or endless waiting, according to KCOM

KCOM was not always known as such. As one of the oldest communications companies in the UK, it has been part of an ongoing evolution. Founded in 1904, the company was originally called the Hull Telephone Department. It was then bought by Hull City Council ten years later and became increasingly recognisable as a corporate entity thanks to its now-iconic white telephone boxes.

The evolution continued in 1987 with the company becoming Kingston Communications. Under that name, the telecommunications expert would roll out Europe’s first commercially available ‘fast internet’ using ADSL technology in 1998.

Though it would ultimately rebrand as KCOM in 2007, the company’s reputation continued to grow, unhampered by the various changes in name, as it went on to accumulate a greater market share,

while also bolstering an already strong customer base. Since then, the company has become a leader in the UK communications services niche, connecting businesses and residential customers, and investing in better digital solutions for all.

In 2012, KCOM began to roll out Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) broadband connectivity, enabling more than 95 per cent of households in the area to be passed by FTTP technology. This was a massive step for Hull. Thanks to KCOM, the city became the UK’s leading area for broadband, boasting the fastest and highest FTTP coverage across the country.

KCOM carried out its first major network expansion in 2020, bringing full fibre broadband to homes in East Riding of Yorkshire and – for the first time in the firm’s history – over Humber Bridge and into North Lincolnshire.

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“Across these areas, we currently pass around 300,000 homes,” begins Neil Bartholomew, Managing Director at KCOM, which is owned by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 6, a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), the world’s largest infrastructure manager.

“There are three major differentiators that set KCOM apart from the competition,” he goes on. “First and foremost, we have a unique passion for progress and innovation, which has been proven by our commitment to driving the industry forward. This brings us to the company’s most recent announcement: Hull will be the first mainland region of the UK to completely upgrade to full fibre.

“To achieve this feat, we will be upgrading

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our legacy telephone network from aging copper, which is generally 40-plus years old, to future-proof fibre that can keep up with demands of our modern, digital age.

“The second thing that sets us apart is our network. We invest significantly each year to make sure our network performance stays ahead of the annual 20-to-30 per cent increase in data usage from customers.

“Finally, we invest in and partner with the communities we serve, either through our charity work, grants to local charities, staff volunteering schemes, or support of grass roots organisations, which was recognised with the national award for Commitment to the Local Community at the 2022 Better Society Awards.”

...we invest in and partner with the communities we serve

But how does full fibre provision and ever-faster speeds serve to benefit the common household? In this age of instant communication, Spotify, Amazon, and Netflix, more and more services are following suit and moving online.

Digital entertainment such as gaming and on-demand media require more and more data bandwidth each year. Soon, no doubt, 4K will appear rudimentary at best.

Speeds are going up, too. By meeting this growing demand, network providers such as KCOM seek to stimulate further economic growth by providing businesses with the bandwidth they need to enable flexible working and meet everincreasing connectivity requirements.

“By upping our capacity for highspeed internet, health and wellbeing devices and services can begin to utilise remote health monitoring and online GP

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services,” explains Neil. “Further, education provision will improve through the system’s enhanced ability to move schooling to the home dining table, which was particularly highlighted during the pandemic. Another instance is the rise of online university.

“Full fibre can also improve sustainability credentials for organisations by encouraging remote working and supporting the massive increase in connected energy management devices, including smart metres and lighting,” he adds. “In addition, when we upgrade our voice network from copper to full fibre, our own company’s carbon footprint will decrease. Finally, but probably most importantly, our full fibre network will enable digital inclusion, ensuring no one is left behind in the new, digitally enabled way of life.”

And KCOM is putting its money where its mouth is. In 2020, the company announced a £100 million expansion of its full fibre

infrastructure. Neil updates us on the progress.

“Our mammoth investment consisted of a further expansion of our full fibre network across more of East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, which will bring full fibre broadband to a further 50,000 premises,” he reveals. “This is in the planning and scaling stage where we design detailed street-by-street plans, and our build partners begin to scale.

“We are also looking to upgrade the final five per cent of homes that are not yet full fibre,” notes Neil. “This is still a workin-progress, but we are already seeing homes being released for upgrade from copper-provided broadband services. We are now working on network solutions in our laboratories to facilitate even higher internet speeds. This will enable symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to ten Gigabits per Second (Gbps). Though this

may sound like a lot – who actually needs those speeds, especially domestically? –as online demands grow, it is quite easy to envisage a time when such speeds will not only be necessary but essential.”

KCOM is also investing £500,000 with the aim of improving digital inclusion across its operating region, creating a social broadband tariff for those on certain benefits. This saw the introduction of a no-contract, low-priced broadband connection to get them online and included. It is estimated that around 4,800,000 people in the UK will never get online, while 11,300,000 people lack the basic digital skills to use the internet effectively, which underscores the importance of inclusivity in the communications space.

Recently, the company has been working on a particularly interesting project, with the aim of expanding its full fibre network in a very rural community in East Yorkshire. As Neil details: “By working with local community champions, we were able to understand the demand for faster broadband in the rural community and then deploy a network build to 350 properties in the village to increase speeds from around 20 Megabits per Second (Mpbs) to 900 Mpbs.

“We did this while supporting community initiatives, such as providing a digital hub in the local village hall,” he adds. “This provided a remote working facility for the local community, which was a necessary space during the pandemic and remains so as we get used to our new era of hybrid working.”

KCOM’s community work does not stop there. Indeed, as mentioned previously, the company was thrilled to be given the national award for Commitment to the Local Community at the Better Society Awards earlier this year.

“The award recognised our work in the communities we serve across a whole range of initiatives,” reflects Neil. “These include our KCOM Kits scheme, in partnership with Hull City, which donates a full Umbro team strip to a local youth football club every time the Tigers football team scores at home in the Championship.

“This has been phenomenally popular and during the past three years we have donated more than 100 kits to local football clubs. The accolade also recognised our staff volunteering schemes, which in the past six months have donated over 900 staff hours to 18 local charities, including foodbanks, tree planting schemes and beach clean-up initiatives.”

The need for faster, reliable connectivity is only going to grow over time. There is going to be a continued explosion in connected devices and services for both businesses and consumers. The KCOM full fibre network, as Neil has made clear, is all about futureproofing telecommunications technology so that we will – in five or 50 years – have the capability and core infrastructure to meet ever-advancing requirements.

“We will be the first mainland UK region to upgrade the aging copper telephony network to full fibre over the next two years

and this will enable even more digital voice services,” Neil concludes. “It is a powerful mission to be involved in. The government has recognised the need for such connectivity, investing over £5 billion in Project Gigabit, a programme that will bring lightning-fast broadband to hard-to-reach communities.

“Our Full Fibre Strategy is a three-year program and when it is finished, we will have a 100 per cent full fibre network, expanded to 350,000 homes and businesses, and a continued investment in digital inclusion. In six months’ time, we will see substantial progress against all these goals. We are determined to stay ahead of the pack and to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve, delivering the best online experiences for our growing number of customers.” ■

www.kcom.com

Maintaining excellence

From humble beginnings as an electrical contractor in 1948, Gratte Brothers has been committed to providing outstanding service delivery from the very beginning. As such, it is proud of the longterm relationships it builds and maintains as a business. Now in its third generation of family ownership, the Group comprises five companies: Gratte Brothers Limited (GBL), Gratte Brothers Security Management (GBSM), Gratte Brothers Catering Equipment Ltd (GBCEL), Gratte Brothers Technical Services (GBTS) and Gratte Brothers Specialist Services (GBSS). The Group-wide approach combines engineering excellence, constant innovation, and dynamic responses to market shifts with an authentic care for clients and staff alike.

As a family business, the company has incomparable industry knowledge that has been passed down for generations and benefits from a long-term shared vision, unaffected by clashing egos or agendas. The unified leadership of the family board prioritises nurturing, developing, and retaining team members. The Group champions honesty and authenticity in its approach to business and when advising customers. This is no different in the Specialist Services division. Gratte Brothers Specialist Services delivers planned and reactive MEP maintenance services to commercial and mixed-use premises.

Barney Whiting, Managing Director of GBSS, says, “It’s a commonly heard phrase around the office that ‘we do not throw a £100 solution at a £10 problem’.

How Gratte Brothers Specialist Services protects its reputation for excellence in building services maintenance

This is how we build loyalty, trust and respect in our working relationships, and ultimately win contracts.” Barney credits the success of the business to his brilliant team, saying: “Our people are at the heart of everything we do; through their commitment, skills, and constant drive for improvement they are primarily to credit for our high levels of client satisfaction. As such, we invest in and reward our team members as individuals. Equally, we respond to challenges collaboratively, always with the health, safety and wellbeing of our people in mind”.

The GBSS division delivers expert building services maintenance and has access to the wider in-house resources of the Group, providing a unique and integrated building services offering, should the client need it. In providing both planned and reactive maintenance, the division’s overall scope covers the repair and replacement of all existing systems (including Mechanical, Electrical and Public health (MEP) requirements). Unlike other competitors, the company benefits from being large enough to handle bigger projects but small enough to retain the agility needed to offer customers a truly tailored service. Based in King’s Cross, these services cover London and the Southeast, ranging from mobile maintenance arrangements through to multi-resident site contracts. Contract customers also have peace of mind in the form of an emergency call-out service which operates 24/7, 365 days per year.

Barney comments that: “Our reputation has been built on our continued excellence, and our services are accredited to ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental) and ISO 45001 (health and safety) standards.” On the structures and processes that shape GBSS’ service delivery, he continues: “We

allocate a mobilisation manager to each project who is responsible for driving the contract forward. Starting with an introduction to key external stakeholders, they will then coordinate a kick-off meeting with internal stakeholders. During this initial kick-off internally, tasks are allocated, progress meetings are scheduled and timelines to completion are established. We utilise a tailored questionnaire containing 24 key performance indicators in our face-to-face interviews with clients alongside a report that captures qualitative information provided by the client. We have developed and retained our reputation for the delivery of topquality results with this attention to detail and personalised approach.”

A recent example of GBSS’ quality delivery is the Ilona Rose House project in London’s Soho. The property was developed on the site of the former Foyles’ book shop and employed digital construction techniques, smart building technologies and sustainable materials in its build. The 300,000 square-foot structure combines a nightclub, retail outlets, restaurants, an art gallery, education centre, and eight luxury apartments – with each of the 13 floors and the rooftop featuring garden terraces. In alignment with the client’s sustainability objectives, GBSS maintains the building’s solar panels, rainwater harvesting technology and ground-source heat pump systems, as well as the general 24/7 emergency call-out cover via its resident technicians.

This service also covers the building management system,

landlord HV and LV power, standby power, heating, ventilation and airconditioning equipment, fire services, water hygiene and drainage, and the building’s energy management system too. The main build reached completion in May 2021, with Gratte Brothers Limited (GBL) employed as the electrical services installer. It was during post-construction planning that the landlord reached out to GBSS to prepare a list of maintenance support proposals, which were then revised collaboratively by both parties. Barney details further: “With all our projects, BNP Paribas, Helix, IG Group and Soho Estates included, we aim to be involved as early as possible, and ideally, on a new-build site it would be ahead of the base-build completion to ensure a soft landing prior to occupation. This allows us to not only highlight any potential issues prior to the commencement of our contract, but to also add value to our working relationship in the early days. That’s the foundation of all the robust relationships we build and maintain.”

When considering social values, the Group stands on the three pillars of People, Planet and Places, which is adopted by all divisions, GBSS included. ‘People’ refers to continually improving the support of staff (both present and future) through the championing of equality, opportunities, and development. This includes addressing the gender pay gap, in which the Group has achieved a 5.4 percent reduction in the last year alone. Environmental initiatives and the company’s current journey to net zero are covered within the pillar of ‘Planet’. Finally, ‘Places’ is focused on the communities in which the business maintains

a presence, including both site and office locations, and involves regular fundraisers for local charities and community engagement.

As Barney explains further: “We are committed to sustainability in both our office and site operations – for instance, we have ongoing initiatives to improve the efficiency of our fleet and energy consumption in the office. All our staff are trained in on-site environmental management and provided with the appropriate means to dispose of waste responsibly. This is all recorded by our waste management tracker and removed by a registered company. In furthering our reduction of waste to landfill, we have partnered with a nationwide social enterprise network called Community Wood Recycling, with whom we have saved 79 tonnes of wood waste so far this year. We are equally as committed to providing the safest possible working environment for our staff. Health, safety and wellbeing are an integral element of our core values –especially as an employer of so many sitebased workers. We remain ever aware of the shocking statistics surrounding suicide rates among construction workers. We value each team member as an individual and feel a responsibility to ensure they return home from work every day as safe and happy as possible. Our teams are truly an extension of the family,” he concludes.

▲ Barney Whiting, Managing Director of GBSS

▲ David Gratte, Group Managing Director

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As a result of its values, collaborative approach and authenticity, GBSS has gone from strength to strength over recent years, securing new contracts and continuing to receive repeat business from existing customers. Group Managing Director and member of the Gratte family’s third generation, David Gratte offered the following comment: “As a Group, we are simultaneously proud of our heritage and looking forward to the future. Our long history hints at our commitment to quality, while our dedication to continual improvement ensures we remain at the forefront of innovation. Under the stewardship of Managing Director, Barney Whiting, Specialist Services upholds the Group standard and continues to deliver industry-renowned quality.” ■ Contact Gratte Brothers Specialist Services to see how they can help you with your building services maintenance requirements: https://www.gratte.com/contact

Partnering in social housing

The UK is suffering a severe housing crisis. It needs to build around 300,000 homes a year, across all strata. The definition of ‘affordable,’ however, may have been stretched somewhat, with some sources suggesting that once Help to Buy, shared ownership and rental schemes have been considered, it can apply to houses costing up to £600,000.

That said, Registered Providers (RPs), of whom the most widely established are Housing Associations, are at the forefront of providing affordable social housing, usually on shared ownership and rental bases.

Research published by Homes for the North (which represents the 17 largest housing associations in the North of England) found that the region needs a net growth of

Lane End Group is a construction company specialising in social housing and affordable homes

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two million homes by 2050. The target is to build around 50,000 a year to 2027 and 70,000 annually thereafter.

It’s quite a challenge: achieving it requires a more progressive approach to building homes and communities than the traditional.

Richard Harrison, Managing Director of Warrington-headquartered Lane End Developments, is setting trends and standards to help get there. The company was founded only six years ago, in 2016, but has already grown to become one of the leading housebuilders in its sector.

It has completed projects in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales, in sensitive rural settings such as Delamere Forest, Cheshire, and on industrial brownfield sites like Bromborough in the Wirral, Merseyside. It has built and delivered over 1100 homes in 14 locations, with another 1700 in development. Turnover to the end of May 2021 was nearly £80 million; payroll was around 100. Both are reported to have risen subsequently.

Richard believes in a true partnership approach, in both directions on the value chain. He volunteers the following insights in a series of blogs on the Lane End website. “SME construction

Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than seeing a family enjoy one of the properties we spent a great deal of time, care and expert skill in building

companies like Lane End can move light-footedly across the sector in land procurement, working with a solid supply chain base to deploy all the disciplines that housing associations themselves don’t have internally,” he says. “We have a purpose-built vehicle for procurement of land, which works from initial and detailed appraisal to the diligence needed to administer any risk and enable the safe delivery of government grant-funded housing.”

While being ready and willing to provide additional support services to customers, Lane End is, primarily, a building company – one with a laser focus on quality. This approach enabled it to grow so fast and to reach a leadership role so quickly. Richard maintains that traditional housebuilders are not the organisations that can deliver the homes the country and the region desperately need, for commercial and cultural reasons. The profit-driven mindset is not the same as the partnership approach.

“Strong collaboration, working shoulder to shoulder, allows both RPs and SME building companies visibility and transparency,” he continues. “They know each other’s strengths and attributes and can focus together to make a positive difference, to come together and merge skill sets to deliver the numbers needed. It is only through the RP sector that this will happen.”

Richard sounds positively evangelical in his enthusiasm for social and affordable housing: he clearly is committed to the cause and the sector.

“Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than seeing a family enjoy one of the properties we spent a great deal of time, care and expert skill in building,” he says. He emphasises that Lane End takes the same approach across all homes, from a one-bed apartment to a huge extra care unit. “The location and build may be different but the standards are the same.”

For Richard and Lane End, the commitment does not end when the keys are handed over. In June 2017, it launched New Beginnings, a Community Interest Company (CIC), as a means of giving back to the communities it serves and builds.

“Although we may only be on site for a relatively short period of time in each area, we like to provide sustainable support and make contributions to the surrounding area that have a lasting, positive effect,” says Kate Harrison, CEO of New Beginnings CIC, in a recent newsletter. “Our approach sees us not just contributing monetarily but also investing time in helping not for profit and community organisations in our areas to understand how to truly create a lasting and sustainable positive change, through mentoring or sponsorship, to investments of time or resources. We are involved in tackling social problems, improving local people’s life chances, providing training and employment opportunities, supporting communities and helping the environment.”

But even the most honourable intentions can only be successful if they are built on a solid foundation.

“As Managing Director, it’s my responsibility not just to be fully immersed in the short term and what sites we have today – my focus is also on long-term planning and securing the business for the next seven years and beyond,” says Richard. Working closely with and knowing the supply chain is crucial. “We can tailor the supply chain more efficiently and hand over jobs to them that suit them best. Not every subcontractor we use can move towards a large scheme, so allocation and deployment depends on resources they have themselves.”

Lane End is creating a culture where suppliers consider themselves to be embedded with the team and its values. It recently held two engagement days with the supply chain and will be continuing with that approach.

“We have become more efficient and we are now attracting different supply chain partners to accommodate the complexities of the contracts we have but more so, it’s about people, processes, and delivery,” Richard says. Lane End is investing in apprenticeships, to attract more youngsters into the industry, and it doesn’t stop there. A major announcement of a new, lightweighted panelised metal system is due in 2023. It will help to greatly improve build speed, while maintaining traditional skills.

Lane End has come a long way in a very short time – and shows no signs of stopping any time soon. ■

www.laneend.org

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...even the most honourable intentions can only be successful if they are built on a solid foundation

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Building a sustainable future

Combining 55 years of experience with a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility, McCann continues to grow as a safe, sustainable and inclusive business

As one of the UK’s leading civil and engineering construction companies, McCann Ltd has been completing work on major road, rail and airport infrastructure projects since 1967. During this time, the company has evolved from its traditional role as a lighting specialist into a civil engineering specialist, acting as a key player in creating and maintaining crucial elements of the country’s infrastructure whilst meeting the business needs of its clients.

With its Nottingham base and strategically positioned regional offices, McCann is well placed to deliver its wide range of specialist contracting services up and down the country.

McCann understands the essential role that good lighting plays in road design, helping to improve visibility for drivers and reduce the risk of road traffic accidents. The company’s wealth of experience in this area, as leading experts in road lighting installation and design, has helped it to secure a series of impressive lighting installation projects, including a four-year, £3.8 million project installing energy efficient LED streetlights in Birmingham as well as completing a series of lighting and improvement works projects for Highways England. In addition to its lighting expertise, the in-house civil engineering team at McCann is able to provide a range of professional, bespoke services, ranging from road and

footpath construction to earthworks and drainage and public realm work. The company is currently undertaking an exciting £8 million contract in York on the old Nestlé site ‘Coca West,’ carrying out drainage installation as well as major earthworks and groundworks for a housing redevelopment project.

McCann also offers high quality practical training opportunities, providing a series of courses within the highway, electrical, construction and allied industries. As a HESA approved training organisation, McCann is able to provide fully compliant training for HESA or

Lantra accredited certification, as well as providing first aid courses, in-house courses in a range of subjects and Driver CPC training.

A key part of the company’s growth strategy focusses on upskilling its staff, looking to broaden its existing services and growth within new sectors so as to expand the company portfolio by attracting more clients. Leading on from the exceptional growth that the company has experienced, McCann aims to increase its turnover to £100 million within the next five years, with a turnover target of £106.5 million by the end of 2023-to-2024. This ties in with the company vision to become the contractor of choice, providing leading services in creating and maintaining UK infrastructure, benefitting communities by providing safe and sustainable solutions and having a positive impact on the environment.

As a values-focussed company, McCann places a huge degree of importance upon its commitment to sustainability and its corporate social responsibility. McCann manages its impact on the environment by maximising recycling and minimising waste, as well as ensuring that its use of natural resources is carefully controlled. McCann’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by its ‘Go Ultra Low’ status, which it achieved by committing to convert the entire company car fleet to electric by 2025. Further, McCann has signed up to ambitious targets for reducing its CO2 emissions and is focussed on creating a safe and sustainable workplace for its employees.

McCann is continually working to strengthen equality and embed diversity and inclusion initiatives within its everyday practice, policy and procedures, striving to contribute towards positive change both internally and externally. The company is passionate about promoting a culture centred around employee wellbeing, as is demonstrated by the training of new mental health champions to support staff in the workplace. The success of this new initiative is shown by McCann being named as a finalist at the 2022 Highways Awards for Excellent Mental Health and Wellbeing. The numerous volunteering activities and outreach programmes that the company is involved in, such as its support for the Canaan Trust and volunteer work with local schools through the STEM Ambassador programme, further exemplifies its commitment to playing a positive role within the community.

A wealth of professional experience alongside McCann’s commitment to being a responsible employer has fuelled the company’s success and resulted in it receiving numerous accolades and commendations for its work. The company was highly commended in the Project of the Year category at CECA Midlands Annual Awards Dinner as well as in the

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McCann is continually working to strengthen equality

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Employer of the Year category at this year’s CIHT Annual Awards Ceremony. Continuing on its journey of providing effective and responsible services to meet the needs of its clients, alongside its role in championing sustainable practice and corporate responsibility, McCann is perfectly positioned to maintain its status as a leading civil and electrical engineering construction company as it continues to evolve and grow. ■

Sustainable construction at pace

Long-established modular building manufacturer, Premier Modular, is investing in technology and processes in its bid to become net zero by 2035

Premier’ is an appropriate name for Premier Modular Ltd (Premier). Founded in 1956 in a small factory in Blackburn, England, as a manufacturer of timber garages, it lays claim to being one of the first modular construction companies in the United Kingdom. It was a good time to get into the business, as the UK had a desperate need for rebuilding after the devastation of WW2.

By the early 1960s it had expanded into building schools and healthcare facilities, to meet the needs of the Baby Boom and growing National Health Service. In 1968 it began manufacturing full-scale modular buildings.

Premier is now based around 120 miles east of its original home, in the village of Brandesburton in East Yorkshire. Its high quality, bespoke,

permanent and temporary solutions are in demand, for customers across public sectors, supporting the UK’s infrastructure projects, alongside working in both private residential and a number of commercial/ industrial areas. Revenues are in the region of £130 million and have been doubling year-on-year since 2018, which is quite an achievement in light of disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic and other events.

“We offer a range of services to our clients, from initial design through project management, completion and aftercare support,” says David Harris, Managing Director. Projects range from single relocatable buildings to large bespoke buildings of up to six storeys.

“The solutions are often incredibly complex and have to be delivered to the highest quality at almost unbelievable pace,” David explains.

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“That takes a blend of skillsets, from design and manufacturing, through construction and installation to Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) and finishing trades.” He goes on to say that Premier focuses on bespoke solutions for its customers’ exact needs, which may seem contradictory to its role as a factory-based producer of modular buildings, but Premier is constantly driving for new and better ways of working. The buildings it makes today are quite different from those being built just five years ago, never mind 50 years ago.

“It’s the skills of our people, including ‘soft’ skills, that lead to a better understanding of clients’ needs and enable Premier to produce individual solutions with the ‘wow’ factor. Modular building is the sustainable, responsible future of construction,” he says and is keen to highlight the company’s focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.

“We’re making huge efforts to be net zero by 2035. We implement low and zero carbon technology, use renewable energy, generate zero waste to landfill in our factories and produce energy-

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efficient buildings,” David says. “While traditional construction is struggling with labour shortages, we have access to the fullest range of skillsets. Our factories are controlled environments, with clearly defined manufacturing processes that deliver high quality solutions, on time, within clients’ budgets.”

2022 has seen industry and international recognition of its efforts. In April, it received the first ESG award in Europe for a manufacturing company; two months later, it delivered a new hospital building with audited carbon emissions 48 per cent lower than standard. It’s looking to build on these gains for the future and, in February, launched the Premier Academy; a new training academy that has enabled Premier to triple its annual apprentice intake.

“Modular solutions support the circular economy with highlyefficient manufacture, rigorous quality control and significant reuse of products or even buildings,” he continues. “Our modular buildings are reusable, flexible and reconfigurable, which means clients can adapt them to changing needs and to meet decarbonisation goals.”

While traditional construction is struggling with labour shortages, we have access to the fullest range of skillsets

Additionally, modular solutions offer lower levels of onsite disruption which is an advantage, crucial to sectors such as healthcare and education. Programme times can be halved, massively reducing disruptive site deliveries and labour hours. When Discovery Special Academy in Tees Valley Multi Academy Trust, in North East England, needed modular classrooms for children with special educational needs while their permanent facility was built, it took Premier just eight weeks to design, manufacture and install a fully-serviced single-storey block with five modular classrooms with sensory areas; a hall with offices; cleaning facilities; accessible toilets with motorised sinks; and changing rooms.

“A current project we’re really excited about is Luminate Printworks, a muchneeded city centre education facility. It’s complex, being built on a gantry alongside a protected building. The new 11 classroom space is over 1150 square metres,” says David. Onsite installation was completed in just four days in October 2022; completion is set for January 2023.

The past decade has presented business with major challenges, from Brexit to Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. Energy, raw material and wage inflation have become an everyday reality. David is confident that Premier Modular is fit for the future.

“Whatever happens, the common factor is the ability to adapt – quickly,” he says. ■

www.premiermodular.co.uk

Island of opportunity

Fifty years in business is usually a huge deal for any company no matter what industry you’re in. But for the team at Tulloch Developments the champagne and celebrations are being balanced against an ever-growing workload as they approach their golden trading anniversary in 2023.

Why? Because the Shetland-based civil engineering and construction firm is on a roll in delivering large-scale projects that are making a real difference on the Scottish island.

The family-run business is currently working on a £9 million contract that will ultimately see Shetland hooked up to the national grid with a supply of renewable energy from windfarms. Tulloch Developments has been working with national energy supplier, SSE, to play its part in constructing the necessary infrastructure required for the connection.

And with other important commitments as Shetland’s most-respected large construction company, as well as being the biggest and most versatile civil and marine engineering contractor on the island, the 50th anniversary celebrations are taking a backseat to the demand in the island’s construction sector.

Tulloch Developments’ team are looking forward to celebrating their 50th anniversary

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“The anniversary has quite rightly taken a back seat at the moment simply because Shetland has a micro economy that is extremely buoyant right now with the work that is going around,” says Joe Smith, Director of Tulloch Developments.

“That’s not just the case for us. All the local companies involved in our sector, and probably every other sector, are doing well. When it comes to construction and engineering in particular, there is no shortage of work for any of the local firms – so everybody is focused on maximising their input to that.

“For the next five years or so that doesn’t look like it will slow down. I think that the connection to the national grid opens up the

door for other renewable projects. That will almost certainly provide continued work for a lot of local companies, along with more.”

Tulloch Developments has come a long way from the days when founder Peter Tulloch set up the business to focus on building houses. His two sons, Frank and Alistair, who later took over the company in the 80s, helped steer the business in a new direction towards civil engineering projects.

In 2004, George Smith came on board. From that point on, Tulloch Developments focused heavily on civil and marine engineering and the company continued to go from strength to strength.

It’s become a real family affair since because, after Alistair retired and Frank

WHEN IT COMES TO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY

we know the ropes

As the principal commercial port for Shetland we’re experienced in dealing with a wide range of maritime sectors and are equipped with a host of modern facilities, including 24 hour all-weather access and exceptional deep water quays.

and George stepped down as directors, the next generation has taken control of the ship. George’s sons, Joe and Peter, along with Frank’s sons, Shaun and Stewart, are all now main Directors of the company.

Joe says: “Frank and George are both still actively involved but the day-to-day management of the company is on the four of us. The business is three generations in now.”

With Tulloch Developments expanding over the last few decades, and the firm building a solid reputation, a natural by-product of that has been a steady stream of large-scale projects and lucrative contracts on Shetland.

In 2016, Tulloch won the contract for the new Holmsgarth North Pier Development. This £16 million marine project for the Lerwick Port Authority required the construction of a sheet-piled pier and concrete deck, which meant that a lot of heavy marine and civil engineering was involved.

Two years later, Tulloch Developments was hooked onto making the new Lerwick

Fish Market a reality. The team was awarded an £8 million contract, which involved a large building element, as well as constructing new offices for the agents.

“Marine and civil engineering is our main work scope,” insists Joe. “In 2020, we completed the new fish market in our local town. Being solely based on the island, we can take our company into the direction that suits what Shetland needs. That sets us apart from quite specialised companies that might tender specific jobs from the mainland.

“Our work scope really is quite dynamic and tailored to what is available in Shetland at the time. We solely operate on Shetland as our primary focus and that is what makes us unique.

“We have a core staff of around 50 yearto-year, it sits between 49 and 51 some years, and with minimal staff turnover. The guys that are with us have been with us for a long time. Which shows they appreciate the way the company operates and the diverse jobs that we undertake.”

While civil engineering and construction for the port, marine and fisheries is the bread and butter for Tulloch Developments, the company is also seeing an upturn in demand elsewhere for its specialist expertise. In particular, there has been an increase in work for wind power installations, utilities, and power distribution.

In the major contract currently being undertaken supporting SSE in connecting Shetland to the grid with renewable energy, Tulloch Developments has been tasked with 9km of civils works for the new HVDC link cable. The team have been installing ducting from the shoreline to the new converter station, which involved laying cable ducts along 2km of local roads and the rest through grazing land – after overcoming some environmental constraints.

Tulloch’s part of the contract is nearly finished and then it’s up to SSE to move forward with rest of the works and connect to the grid by the

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end of 2024. Is the implementation of renewable energy sources a direction the company is looking to for the future?

Joe says: “The scale of the project undertaken in Shetland is nothing like we have seen before. Probably any renewables we can look at is a good idea, and the fact we can play a part in delivering some of it is all the better.” ■

www.tullochdev.co.uk

The scale of the project undertaken in Shetland is nothing like we have seen before

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Care, integrity, and excellence

The £227 million extension to Wembley Park –and the construction company behind it

It’s been over 160 years since family-owned business John Sisk & Son (Sisk) was founded in Ireland. Today, the company is active on construction and civil engineering projects across the UK, working for a range of large public and private sector clients, and has developed its presence across Europe, providing construction and fit-out projects in the data centres, life sciences, and retail sectors, among others. The company boasts 1900 employees across a network of regional offices, with premises in St. Albans, Solihull, and Warrington, and has also recently expanded into new locations: in Central London and Leeds city-centre.

John Sisk & Son

Despite its history, however, Sisk sits within a rapidly changing industry. Technological advances - combined with a growing push towards sustainable construction methods - are forcing companies to evolve. For Ger Hayes, Managing Director, UK South at Sisk, it’s crucial to be at the forefront of that change.

“We’ve successfully expanded our growth in the UK, Ireland, and Europe across key markets, and that growth is getting stronger, as can be seen in the group’s excellent financial performance in its latest results,” Ger tells us. “Sisk has the track record, scale, and capacity to successfully undertake large, complex, multidisciplinary programmes, aside from residential, and we are recognised by our global customers as world leaders in safe and effective delivery.

▶ Ger Hayes, North Eastern Lands contract signing event Sept 2022

John Sisk

“Now, we want to be at the forefront of transitioning the industry towards becoming a more sustainable, productive, and inclusive industry for all,” he continues. “Our 2030 Sustainability Roadmap targets include employing data apprentices and enhancing data analysis.

Meanwhile, our Digital Twin Whole Project Lifecycle offering allows Sisk, working in collaboration with our supply chain, to provide our clients with an array of tangible benefits that go way beyond the certainty of delivery during the construction phase. We strongly believe in our vision, capability, and commitment to driving this technology forward for the industry with a view to continuing to unlock significant additional value for all our key stakeholders.”

It’s been a turbulent few years for Sisk, and for construction more broadly. Like many, the sector was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with travel rules and restrictions, as well as social distancing measures significantly reshaping ways of working across the country. But for Ger, it was a period that demonstrated Sisk’s “resilience, empathy, and evidencebased leadership” in the face of adversity, and which saw the company continue to hand over projects in line with revised programmes.

The brunt of the pandemic having now passed, Sisk is in good shape. The company boasts a strong pipeline of work, and recently announced the extension of its work on the Wembley Park development in London until 2025. The company has been

▲ Swindon Radiotherapy Centre topping out

involved with the project since 2004, when it struck an agreement with the developer, Quintain. Now, after completing ten projects worth more than £813 million, Sisk has successfully delivered over 2000 homes for the community at the dynamic 85-acre regeneration scheme. Crucially, however, the project is also a testament to Sisk’s capacity for innovation.

“The Wembley project, and the Eastern Lands phase in particular, has been a particular hotbed for new technology for us in the UK,” Ger reflects. “By leveraging 4D and Digital Project Delivery (DPD) with tools such as BIM360, we ensured the sequence and methodology we planned in the virtual world back in 2016, was exactly what we delivered in the build phase. It’s meant that we’ve been able to deliver an array

of complex high-rise residences on-time and to-budget – an even more impressive feat considering that the pandemic struck about 70 percent of the way through the completion.

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“In the next phase, North Eastern Lands, we’ve pushed the limit of design even further, with the largest amount of DFMA off-site that we’ve ever designed into the delivery of a residential project,” he continues. “This approach has led to increased sustainable credentials, driving value through platform design for our client. It has also been a key factor in being able to sign a contract in August 2022 in an incredibly volatile market, coupled with early engagement with our client’s teams, cultivating transparency and a fair allocation of risk.”

The brunt of the pandemic having now passed, Sisk is in good shape

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At £227 million, the extension of the Wembley Park project represents Sisk’s single-largest construction contract to date, and is set to deliver 769 homes across two new residential building plots. “The completion of the two buildings, covering 9593 metres in total, is expected in early 2025, with 74 per cent of the homes to be build-to-rent alongside over 100 affordable homes of mixed tenure,” Ger reveals. “It’s a landmark contract signing, and a credit to our success at Wembley Park alongside Quintain over the past 20 years, as well as our continued momentum.”

Wembley Park isn’t alone in Sisk’s work. The company also recently completed Moda, The Mercian – Birmingham’s tallest residential tower. Designed by Birmingham-based award-winning Glenn Howells Architects, the 42-storey tower was delivered by Sisk at a cost of £260 million, it will be home to 481

John

intergenerational apartments for rent, ranging from studios to three-bed apartments. Sisk has also recently completed the Swindon Radiotherapy Centre – an expansion of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s radiotherapy service, which is set to save over 13,000 journeys to Oxford for treatment every year. The company is now working under PCSA with Great Ormond Street Hospital, as well as being part of the Procure 23 Framework for the NHS.

“We’re clear in our strategic direction, and we are continuing to invest in it with other Sisk Group businesses such as Vision Built and Sensori FM, offering additional elements,” Ger comments. “Our focus on key sectors such as data, healthcare, and life sciences in the UK has been supported by key appointments to bolster our capabilities.”

Underpinning Sisk’s development is the hard work and dedication of the company’s people – its ‘biggest asset’, according to Ger. “Our people always go above and beyond, and they are what sets us apart,” he confirms. “We have some of the most committed and dedicated people in the industry. This is evident in the quality of outstanding projects they have delivered under difficult circumstances over the past couple of years. Our graduate and apprenticeship schemes have attracted some of the brightest, youngest and most diverse talent, who are rising through the ranks, and will be the future of our business.”

It’s faith that Sisk aims to repay. “We live by our values: care, integrity, and excellence,” Ger continues. “This is evident in our engineering

capabilities, and in how Sisk has treated its workforce. It’s to that end that, in 2020, we launched our ‘I Am Here’ evidence-based mental health programme, and we now have over 500 Sisk staff trained as ‘I Am Here’ ambassadors. We also provide our Employee Assistance Programme and digital wellbeing platform, LifeWorks, to all our staff. This offers everything from free 24/7 counselling to health and financial advice. Our approach has been identified as one of excellence at the 2020 Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) Keepwell Awards, where we won the Best in Class – Mental Health award.”

Sisk prides itself on a track-record of sustainable growth, securing places on major UK frameworks, including Highways England £218-million framework to revitalise ageing roads and NHS/SBS Public Works £15-to-35-million framework plus the national Scape Framework for public sector projects at +£75 million. This year, Sisk also secured repeat clients with Moda, Highways England, and Quintain, demonstrating its reliability and reputation.

“We have an incredibly stable business, and our ambition is to uphold our core company values of care, integrity, and excellence, which complement our purpose, vision and mission,” Ger reiterates. “We will continue to futureproof our business by investing in innovative tech to streamline our delivery, blended with MMC, to ensure sustainable delivery for our clients and future growth for the company.” ■ www.johnsiskandson.com