NORTHERN IRELAND’S No.1 CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE SPECIFY is the official publication for the Construction Employers Federation
JAN/FEB 2017
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INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ATTENTION O’HARE & MCGOVERN SCORE TWICE! PAT BURNS BURNS PAT Editor Editor PAUL BRADWELL BRADWELL PAUL Sales Manager Manager Sales SUBSCRIPTIONS: SUBSCRIPTIONS: (UK £18.00 £18.00 Outside Outside UK UK £27.50) £27.50) (UK PUBLISHERS: PUBLISHERS: James & & Gladys Gladys Greer Greer James
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Thethe York Roadyear in For second interchange was in a row, Newry-based the headlines at the construction company start of December, with the estimated O’Hare & McGovern cost of £160million have taken the ‘Overall being discussed as CEF Award’ at the Specify prohibitively expensive Construction Excellence for what is Northern Awards. Ireland’s biggest traffic
headache. The project is designed toEvening alleviate The Awards Gala saw thefirm bottleneck where the win the award for thework M1/M2/M3 and its on the National Westlink all IFA meet Football Stadium at Windsor and puts Belfast as Park. The superb 18,000 the third worstnew city in seater stadium receivedjam its official the UK for traffic delays.theInfrastructure opening day after the awards Minister Chris Hazzard took place at the Culloden Hotel. announced anthe‘intention It was built within confines to proceed’ though of the existing Windsor Park where the funding will which remained fully operational come from remains throughout the 98 week to be seen. The EU originally phase, would have construction facilitating paid200,000 40 per cent ofatthe over spectators cost but withand Brexit that 63 international domestic appears fixtures. Theunlikely. work involved the demolition of the south and Then came the Renewable Heat east stands, refurbishment anda Incentive (RHI) fiasco which saw extension of the north west figure of £400million beingand talked about going up in smoke in grants stands. over the next twenty years. The
OHMG designed curved steel
York Road interchange was quickly
work at the interface of the forgotten about as the RHI scheme North North West put the East wholeand future of Stormont stands to form a Quadrant. This in jeopardy. The early days of 2017 still haven’t givenhelped us a definitive curved design to create a answer ontoeither scheme. this stadium enhance the In viewing issue, John Simpson at the experience of the looks speactators Infrastructure plans in the Programme while at the same time for Government (PfG) and remains mitigating theYou impact of noise unimpressed. can read John’s on neighbouring houses outside thoughts on pages 26 and 27. the stadium. House Sales Improvement Our congratulations go to the There at was some good news success. as 2016 team OHMG on their was brought to a some close. cheer House from sales There was also activity in Northern Ireland rose at the latest RICS report. the fastest rate in over two years, Building is still rising accordingactivity to the latest RICS (Royal despite the Institutionuncertainty of CharteredinSurveyors) economy, according to the and Ulster Bank Residential Market Survey.RICS (Royal Institution latest of Chartered Surveyors) and Sales activity droppedIreland in May Tughans Northern following changes to stamp duty Construction Market Survey. for second homes and again in the Workloads were still rising aftermath of June’s Brexit vote. in the third there quarter thea year, However, has of been pick-up since September, accordingIreland to the according to Northern survey, with with November surveyors, only arecording very the most widespread rise in in activity sales since modest slowdown August 2014. relative to Q2. Prices also continued to edge
Housebuilding remained a key upwards in November, according source of workload growth, to respondents, whilst new buyerwith private housebuilding activity rising particularly strongly (a
enquiries remained relatively robust –
net of +48). Private new balance buyer enquiries had also fallen in Commercial activity the aftermath of stamp was duty also changes rising robustly and therelatively EU Referendum but(+23), started to pick up again in September. according to the survey. Encouragingly, there was also a rise in In contrast however, the number of new homes coming infrastructure workload onto the market in November. Supply growth remained weak constraints have been a key(+5), issue in and significantly below the market UK the Northern Ireland housing average during the(+17). last couple of years. Looking ahead, Northern Ireland Looking ahead, for the sales surveyors are expectations upbeat about and price growth softened slightly, prospects for growth, with a but surveyors still expect both to rise net balance of +50% expecting over the coming months. workloads to be higher in a 12-month horizon. RICS Residential Property Spokesman, Samuel Dickey, commented: “A key
issue for the housing market Infrastructure spending is has stillbeen the impact on transaction activity relatively low in Northern since theand spring. there are signs Ireland theBut, latest that the numbers have been edging developments in months, the ongoing upwards in recent particularly York Road Interchange does to not in November, and may continue inspire confidence for the big do so into the New Year. However, the combination of macroprojects. uncertainty, government spending the on-goingJohn supplySimpson shortfall looks - albeitat Economist there was a rise in instructions in the Programme for Government November - and the myriad of tax Strategic Investment Boards changes impacting on buyers, suggest aspirations for pick-up next year and that any further in activity beyond… see pages 36 and 37. will be relatively modest in the shortterm.”
Pat Burns Editor
PRINTED BY BY PRINTED W& &G G Baird, Baird, Antrim Antrim W Tel: (028) (028) 9446 9446 3911 3911 Tel: www.specifymagazine.co.uk www.specifymagazine.co.uk
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Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard with Chris Conway, CEO of Translink at a recent announcemet of £10 million funding for 45 new buses, but will NI get the road upgrades it so badly needs?
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JANUARY 2017
contents...
6
DIGEST
CDE in Cookstown secures a multi million pound quarry contract in Australia
7
DIGEST
8
DIGEST
9
DIGEST
Springfarm Architectural Mouldings Ltd (SAM) has announced that it has acquired Lincolnshire based Select Timber Products
The new Chairman of Construction Industry Group (NICG) Professionals Council says next two years are a bigger challenge than the recession
Twenty local apprentices representing the Built Environment travelled to NEC Birmingham recently to compete at the WorldSkills UK Show and brought home 7 medals.
14 ENERGY
Invest NI gives timely advice on cutting back on heating costs
19 SIKA ADVICE
Sika looks at hot works on roofing projects, managing risk and complying with CDM 2016
26 JOHN SIMPSON
The infrastructure details in the Programme for Government leaves John unimpressed
37 CEF NEWS
CEF’s John Armstrong gives a positive response to the Autumn statement from the Chancellor
41 ANNON HOUSE
Mascott refurbishes the old Maxol HQ for Mount charles
46 FLEET FINANCIAL
Fleet Financial has donated £31,000 to Hope for Youth NI as part of the ongoing celebrations and major fundraising effort by the company to mark two decades in business
58 INTERVIEW
Specify talks to Alex Longridge, Commercial Sales Manager, Acheson and Glover Ireland
• Tailored energy solution • Full design service • Technical support and guidance • 24-hour emergency call out We provide CPD courses. TO FIND OUT MORE Visit calorgas.ie • Email cpd@calorgas.ie • Contact: 028 9045 5588
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contents |05
08 DIGEST
The new Chairman of Construction Industry Group (NICG) Professionals Council says next two years are a bigger challenge than the recession
ANNON HOUSE PAGE 41
26 JOHN SIMPSON
The infrastructure details in the Programme for Government leaves John unimpressed
58 Interview
Specify talks to Alex Longridge, Commercial Sales Manager, Acheson and Glover Ireland
• Tailored energy solution • Full design service • Technical support and guidance • 24-hour emergency call out We provide CPD courses. TO FIND OUT MORE Visit calorgas.ie • Email cpd@calorgas.ie • Contact: 028 9045 5588
calorgas.ie
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CDE GLOBAL POUND Harvey GroupSECURES acquires MULTI-MILLION Solmatix as part of 5 year AUSTRALIAN growth plan inCONTRACT UK and Ireland.
CDE Global has secured a multi-million pound NI M&E services contract to deliver two new waste processing Newtownabbey-based plants for Arrium Mining M&E services company, inHarvey Australia. Group, has acquired Northern Ireland renewable The value of the contract has not energy specialists, been disclosed but it is Solmatix the company’s Renewables a movetothe biggest project ininAustralia date companies sayGlobal will transform and will see CDE extending renewable energy sector itsthe reach in one of its key export markets. in Northern Ireland and act as a springboard for further The Cookstown-based expansion into the company multi- will work with Arrium Mining to process million pound UK and Ireland almost 17 million tons of low grade renewable energy iron ore fines which willmarkets. be converted acquisition, for anproduct. into The a high value saleable undisclosed sum, will bring to 110 thefirst number people The new of plant is to employed be located atdirectly Arriumby Mining’s Iron Knob mining the Harvey Group in location processing the substantive Northern Ireland and Great Britain. stockpiles low grade that With aofturnover of iron £30 ore million have of and accumulated over 80 staff,during Harveyyears Group mining the Iron Monarch and Iron has over 30 years’ experience Princess deposits. Mining of the Iron in the design, installation and Monarch first commenced in 1899. maintenance of building services within every conceivable kind of at The second plant will be installed the Iron Baron mining location and building type throughout NI, GB and RoI, including Pharmaceutical/ Cleanrooms, Laboratories, Education, Government and Healthcare . Richard and NorahAnne Bell founded Solmatix Renewables in 2008, and since then
will also process low grade iron ore stockpiled since mining started in 1930. It will then progress into the Iron Empress and Iron Baroness Scree the company has grown to achieve a ore deposits in this region. turnover of £6 million, with 30 staff operating from its Nutt’s CDE Global designs and Corner manufactures premises. materials washing and classification equipment with in a As a result of applications the deal, Solmatix variety of sectors: sand and aggregates, will continue to operate as an construction and waste recycling, mining, autonomous independent specialist industrial sands and company within Harvey Group environmental. The regional office Brian Harvey, managing director network has a presence in Kolkata of Harvey there (India), SaoGroup, Paulo said (Brazil) andwas Cary a(North perfectAmerica). fit between the two organisations. “We have represents been planning to niche The project a new for CDE the large scale recovery of grow our in renewables involvement valuable from mining waste for some resources time, either organically materials. or through the acquisition of an established player. Having worked Chris McKeown, Technical Manager with Renewables with Solmatix CDE Global said: “Thisonis a very asignificant number of contracts, we’d project win for CDE as we always been continue to impressed embark onwith an accelerated their engineering rigour growth programme overand the course of the next five Inyears. professionalism. fact,The theremodular seemed nature our equipment has a to be a of natural synergy between number of benefits in which have our two companies terms of been recognised clients andit.this what we doby andour how we do I has approached Richard Bell about a year ago to float the idea of our companies coming together, but only if there was a good fit. After careful consideration we both agreed that this would indeed be mutually
company acquires renewable energy specialists
Celebrating the acquisition (from left) Norah-Anne Bell, Richard Bell, Brian Harvey, Gareth Booth (Financial Controller, Harvey Group).
beneficial. From my perspective, having Solmatix as part of Harvey Group us a level of expertise openedgives up great opportunities for us that would have taken us years to in Australia. ” acquire otherwise. Gavin Hobart, General Manager “Harvey Group and Solmatix Development with Arrium share similar values, by whichMining I mean said. “We visited several CDE our commitment to professionalism, projects in Australia, Norway, the UK our our services anddesire Brazil to anddeliver observed how theirto the very highest the AggMax machinestandards, had beenand applied importance we place on treating our customers, our suppliers and our staff with courtesy and consideration.” Richard Bell, the founder and managing director of Solmatix Renewables described the acquisition
as great news for Solmatix, its customers, suppliers and staff. “In many on respects, a case This successfully similarit’s projects. of ‘business as usual’.that However, in an gave us confidence it provided innovative way topart tackle clay larger bound real terms, being of this materials. Wewill were impressed organisation givealso us access to by the facttechnical that the skills, time financial required enhanced for installation and commissioning resources and purchasing power. of the plant is reduced as a result of Ultimately I believe this willprocessing lead the integration of several to greater growth and investment phases onto one machine. ” within our operations, as well as more jobs and job security. It’s a win-win relationship that’s good for our whole organisation, as well as the economy of Northern Ireland. “
OVER 140 JOBS TO BE CREATED WITH £8.4M BELFAST HEALTHCARE PROJECT An £8.4million specialist healthcare facility currently under construction on the outskirts of Belfast is set to create at least 140 new jobs.
Lisburn firm TAL awarded the first major construction contract at Randox Science Park
Supported by Ulster Bank, the 80-bed healthcare centre on a five-and-ahalf-acre site off the Knockbracken Road, in the Castlereagh hills is being developed by Maryland Healthcare. It will cater for the needs of vulnerable adults living with dementia, a learning disability, or physical disability, is expectedfor to be WItH aand reputation completed by June 2017. excellence in constructing high In addition to the 140 permanent quality projects, tAL Limited jobs, over 100 construction jobs are has been awarded a significant being supported during construction. contract (£3.1m) by global County Down building contractor medicalContracts diagnostics company Killowen is undertaking construction Randox. work, and Maurice McGivern, Director says: “This This initial contract is for theis a truly significant healthcare scheme, construction of a new facility for with over 100 construction jobs
production of Randox’s pioneering this contract with Randox, one of Director at Randox commented: “The medical diagnostic products and will Northern Ireland’s most dynamic development of Randox Science also include associated administrative and exciting businesses on a local Park is core to our plans to create functions. The works are the first and global level. Through the quality innovative diagnostics, to improve phase of a major capital expenditure of our work and the dedication and manufacturing efficiency to export project by Randox to develop the professionalism of our team TAL has high-value healthcare capabilities to former Massereene Army Barracks steadily grown over the last 34 years world markets. This state-of-the-art into ‘Randox Science Park’ – a and this contract award reinforces premises will become a centre of futuristic R&D and manufacturing the strength of our expertise in the cutting-edge research, development facility. The award-winning, healthcare sector.” and diagnostic manufacture, covering international biotechnology firm, The project will be delivered conditions such as cancer, stroke and unveiled its plans for an innovative to BIM level 2 in partnership heart disease. We will also provide a hub on the 43 acre site earlier this with the design team Ostick and significant boost to the local economy year. Williams Architects, Rainey & Best, through new job creation. We very Chairperson of Maryland Healthcare, Audrey Lockhead (centre) on site at Maryland Healthcare Welcoming the announcement, Doran Consulting, Delap & Waller much look forward to working with with Kenton Hilman and Lisa Allen of Ulster Bank. Damien Hughes, Director of TAL Consulting Engineers and Charles TAL on this initial contract to deliver Limited commented: “We are Hutchison Consulting. the high we sustained during the development, pride and care in our work, and are hand the quality schemeinfrastructure over to Maryland peaking 200. We take great very to be on schedule Healthcare delightedattoaround have been awarded Drpleased Peter FitzGerald, Managingto require.” on time and on budget.”
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SAM ANNOUNCES Harvey Group acquires ACQUISITION Solmatix as part of 5 year OF SELECT growth plan inTIMBER UK and Ireland. Manufacturing company NI M&E services Springfarm Architectural Newtownabbey-based Mouldings Ltd (SAM) has announced M&Etoday services company, that it has acquired Harvey Group, has acquired Lincolnshire based Northern Ireland renewable Select Products, energyTimber specialists, Solmatix inRenewables a deal which will see in a move the turnover at the Northern companies say will transform Irish firm increase by 20 the renewable energy sector per cent. in Northern Ireland and act as a springboard further Founded in 1990, SAMfor manufactures expansion into the multihigh quality MDF mouldings, including skirting andpound architrave, useIreland across million UK for and the UK, Irelandenergy and Europe. The renewable markets. Antrim Theheadquartered acquisition, forfamily an run business embarked on an ambitious undisclosed sum, will bring to 110 Vision 2020 business strategy early the number of people employed in 2016 in which it is targeting a 100 directly by the Harvey Group in per cent increase in turnover within Northern five years. Ireland and Great Britain. a turnover £30 million SelectWith Timber, which isofbased in Spalding, has80been quality and over staff,supplying Harvey Group interior mouldings to the has over 30 years’products experience construction industry sinceand 1989. All in the design, installation 25maintenance employees from Select services Timber will of building remain in their roles following the within every conceivable kind of acquisition, bringing the headcount at building type throughout NI, GB and RoI, including Pharmaceutical/ Cleanrooms, Laboratories, Education, Government and Healthcare . Richard and NorahAnne Bell founded Solmatix Renewables in 2008, and since then
SAM to more than 200. company acquires renewable energy specialists SAM will now operate with a
distribution in thetosouth the companycentre has grown achieve a east of England, an areawith which turnover of £6 million, 30 the staff company has identified as a key operating from its Nutt’s Corner driver for the UK economy and a premises. hub of activity for the construction As aThe result of the deal, Solmatix sector. company will use the will continue to operate as an facility to target further expansion autonomous independent in its export and markets, including company Europe. within Harvey Group TheBrian acquisition was not Harvey,figure managing director disclosed. of Harvey Group, said there was Lavery, commercial aPaul perfect fit between thedirector two at SAM and managing director at organisations. Select Timber, said: “The past two “We have been planning to years have been a particularly grow ourtime renewables exciting for SAMinvolvement as we have for some intime, organically doubled size.either We are keen to or through acquisitionand of an build on thisthe momentum we are looking player. ahead Having to the next established worked five years withRenewables a focused and with Solmatix on goal orientated strategy in place. a number of contracts, we’d “In linebeen with impressed our strategy the always with addition of Select Timber to the their engineering rigour and SAM family will enable us to professionalism. In fact, there seemed continue as market leader and to be a natural synergy demand between maintain the increasing our twounrivalled companiesrange in terms of for our of standard and value added mouldings. what we do and how we doThe it. I approached Richard Bell about a year ago to float the idea of our companies coming together, but only if there was a good fit. After careful consideration we both agreed that this would indeed be mutually
Celebrating the acquisition (from left) Norah-Anne Bell, Richard Bell, Brian Harvey, Gareth Booth (Financial Controller, Harvey Group).
as great news for Solmatix, its beneficial. From my perspective, customers, suppliers and staff. having Solmatix as part of Harvey “In many respects, it’s a case Group gives us a level of expertise of ‘business as usual’. However, in that would have taken us years to Pictured (L-R) is Sam McCrea, founder and chief executive of SAM and Paul Lavery, real terms, being part of this larger acquire otherwise. commercial director at SAM and managing director at Select Timber. organisation will give us access to “Harvey Group and Solmatix enhanced technical skills, financial share similar values, by which I mean resources and purchasing power. our commitment to professionalism, presence of a manufacturing and opportunity to enhance the SAM Ultimately I believe will our desire to deliver our services to distribution facility in the heart of product and servicethis offer. ” lead to greater growth and investment the very provides highest standards, the England us with a and fantastic within our operations, as well as importance we place on treating our more jobs and job security. It’s a customers, our suppliers and our staff win-win relationship that’s good with courtesy and consideration.” for our whole organisation, as Richard Bell, the founder and well as the economy of Northern managing director of Solmatix Matthew McLaughlin, Senior Asset Management Ireland. “ Officer, Shane O’Neill and Renewables describedChoice the acquisition
CONTRACTOR APPOINTED FOR £3 MILLION ROCK MILLS REFURBISHMENT Choice Housing has appointed a DerryLondonderry based contractor to complete a major overhaul of its Rock Mills scheme on the Strand Road in the city.
Gerry Dinghy from AMSON and Michael McDonnell, ChoiceGroup Chief Executive.
Michael McDonnell, Chief Executive of
Choice said: Lisburn firm TAL awarded the first major construction “Rock Mills is in great need of renovation and refurbishment to enable contract at Randox Park it to help addressScience the urgent local
The newly formed AMSON Consortium – a joint venture between local construction firm AMS Ltd and Omagh-based O’Neill Electrics Ltd – commenced the first phase of the 14-month refurbishment programme in October. WItH a reputation for The series of works will reconfigure excellence constructing the Rock Millsinsite to provide 96high quality self-contained projects, tALunits Limited modern with the has been a significant three largestawarded each accommodating families of four. The refurbishment contract (£3.1m) by global will include an diagnostics overhaul of allcompany electrics and medical plumbing within the building and the Randox. fitting of new kitchens and bathrooms This initialascontract for the of throughout, well as isa number construction of to a new facility for other upgrades the building.
housing need. We engaged in a rigorous production Randox’s pioneering search to findofthe best contractors and diagnostic products and will itmedical is pleasing to appoint organisations that theassociated skills, experience also have include administrative and resources a job are of this functions. Theforworks the size. first We believe in investing in the local phase of a major capital expenditure communities where we operate and project by Randox to develop the it is an added bonus to support local former Massereene Army businesses with projects like Barracks this. into ‘Randox Science Park’ – a futuristic and new manufacturing “This is anR&D exciting chapter for Rock reconfiguration of facility.Mills. TheThe award-winning, the building increases the number international biotechnology firm, of homes we can provide and unveiled its plans for an innovative incorporates the very best standards hub on the 43 acre site earlier this and the latest in energy saving year. technology. It will enable tenants to Welcoming announcement, make the mostthe of quality, affordable Damien Hughes, TAL and secure homesDirector rights inofthe heart of the city. ” Limited commented: “We are Gerry Donaghy AMSON delighted to havefrom been awardedsaid:
this contract with Randox, one of Northern Ireland’s most dynamic and exciting businesses on a local and global level. Through the quality of our work and the dedication and professionalism of our team TAL has steadily grown over the last 34 years “We believe people deserve well-built and whatever and comfortable this contract homes, award reinforces their circumstances. whyinour the strength of our That’s expertise the social housing projects benefit from healthcare sector. ” the same expertise, attention to detail, Theand project be delivered build finish will quality that we apply to BIM level 2 in partnership to commercial developments. with the design team Ostick and “This is anArchitects, exciting and timely Williams Rainey & Best, project for us to beDelap involved in. Doran Consulting, & Waller The first phase of works already Consulting Engineers andhas Charles started and we look forward to Hutchison Consulting. seeing the first new tenants take up Dr Peternext FitzGerald, Managing occupancy year. I believe our
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Director at Randox commented: “The development of Randox Science Park is core to our plans to create innovative diagnostics, to improve manufacturing efficiency to export high-value healthcare capabilities to world markets. This our state-of-the-art appointment reflects successful record of will delivering ambitious premises become a centrehousing of refurbishment and regeneration cutting-edge research, development programmes in manufacture, the region.” covering and diagnostic conditions suchfirst as cancer, Rock Mills was openedstroke by and heart disease. We will also SHAC Housing Association inprovide the a significant to the late 1980s boost to serve the local city’s economy student population andjob a number single through new creation.ofWe very people. Approval forto theworking upgradewith was much look forward granted of Derry City TAL on at thisa meeting initial contract to deliver and Strabane District Council Planning the high quality infrastructure we Committee at the start of October. require.”
The right job can transform a person’s life and the right person can transform an organisation, we’re experts at matching both in construction management. Find out more at hays.co.uk/ni
20/08/2014 16:45
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DERRY ARCHITECT BUILDSasON Harvey Group acquires Solmatix part of 5 year PORTFOLIO growth plan in WITH UK andFOUR Ireland.LONDON PROJECTS NI M&E services company acquires renewable energy specialists
Invest Northern Ireland, from which the company has secured grown tojust achieve Gradon recently over a turnover of £6 million, with 30 staff £30,000 in funding. operating from itsunderway Nutt’s Corner Work is already on the £2 premises. million renovation, which marks the exclusive aesthetic chain’s As a result of themedicine deal, Solmatix firstcontinue venture into the UKasand will to operate anwill create a stateand of the art surgery. autonomous independent companies say will transform The surgery design combines the Gradon Architecture, which sector is based company within Harvey Group the renewable energy unique demands of a cosmetic inin Derry, as well as having studios in Brian Harvey, managing director Northern Ireland and act procedure practice, including the East of England and Ulan of Harveylighting, Group,flooring said there was asNorth a springboard for further specialist and medical Bator, Mongolia, has the beenmultiappointed aequipment, perfect fit with between the two expansion into detailed design by Dubai-based cosmetic surgery organisations. million pound UK and on Ireland features that create a calming yet clinic CosmeSurge to work its contemporary environment for “We have been planning to renewable energy markets. flagship London premises in Harley patients. grow our renewables involvement The acquisition, for an Street. Architectural Sean Furey for some time,Director either organically undisclosed bring 110 The move intosum, the will capital hastobeen of through Gradon Architecture, has made possible of with the support of or the acquisitionwho of an the number people employed managed the project on site, said: established player. Having worked directly by the Harvey Group in “This project with Solmatix Renewables Northern Ireland and Great Britain. markson a hugely a number of contracts, we’d time With a turnover of £30 million exciting always been impressed and over 80 staff, Harvey Group forwith Gradon Architecture. Not their engineering rigour and has over 30 years’ experience only is itseemed one of professionalism. In fact, there in the design, installation and ourbetween first projects to be a natural synergy maintenance of building services in London, our two companies in terms of it is within every conceivable kind of a flagship space what we do and how we do it. I building type throughout NI, GB on one of the approached Richard Bell about a and RoI, including Pharmaceutical/ capital’s most year ago to float the famous idea of our Cleanrooms, Laboratories, streets. companies coming together, butthe only Education, Government and “Through if there was a good fit. After careful Healthcare . Richard and Norahrenovation L-R Sean Graham McDarby, Liam Nelis process consideration we both agreedwe have Anne Bell Furey, founded Solmatix that this would indeed be mutually Renewables in 2008, and since then
An ambitious Newtownabbey-based architecture practice M&E services company, has taken its first steps Harvey Group, has acquired into London, securing renewable aNorthern numberIreland of new and energy specialists, varied projects Solmatix across Renewables the capitalin a move the
listed building, which faces created a functional, contemporary on to St James’s Park, will medical practice complete with all the be reworked into a flexible high-spec equipment required of the office and meeting space. business. At the same time as creating Gradon has gone from a practical workspace, we have brought in creative design elements to strength to strength since opening in Ryton, Gateshead, create an environment that patients in 2009, picking up largeand practitioners alike will enjoy scale contracts in Mongolia spending time in.” as well as opening a studio CosmeSurge’s Alison Harvey, Chief of in Derry, Northern Ireland. Quality/Risk/Compliance at Emirates Recent recruitment in the Hospital Group, said: “We have been Derry studio has seen the delighted to have Gradon join us on team increase to 22 people this challenging refurbishment project. across all locations, with The work has required a number of Celebrating the acquisition (from left) Norah-Anne Bell, Richard Bell, Brian Harvey, Gareth further recruitment planned. mechanical and engineering bespoke Booth (Financial Controller, Harvey Group). The four London projects solutions to ensure this facility meets as great for Solmatix, its capital beneficial. From perspective, mark thenews first venture into the the required highmy standards for the for the practice. healthcare industry, whilst customers, suppliers and staff. having Solmatix as part of enabling Harvey Graham McDarby, founder and lovely purposeful finishes within an “In many respects, it’s a case Group gives us a level of expertise Managing Director of Gradon entity that is fit for purpose. of ‘business as usual’. However, in that would have taken us years to Architecture, said: “Securing these four “Gradon’s professional approach real terms, being part of this larger acquire otherwise. London projects shows just how far and ability to work with the team to organisation willover give the us access “Harvey Group Solmatix we have come last fewtoyears. create solutions hasand been a critical in enhanced technical skills, financial share similar values, by which I mean We’re delighted at the achievement creating the optimum redesign of this resources and power.of our commitment to professionalism, and excited topurchasing bring our brand facility. ” personal and hands this on approach Thedesire practice alsoour secured another Ultimately I believe will lead to our to has deliver services to architecture to projects in the capital. twovery additional in Harrow, to greater growth and investment the highestprojects standards, and the “In these increasingly difficult North West London, redeveloping within our operations, as well times as importance we place on treating our for the industry, a few have cited two apartment blocks in the region’s more jobs and job security. It’s a customers, our suppliers and our staff Brexit as a downturn in their fortunes. St John’s Road area. win-win that’s good with courtesy andfor consideration. ” From ourrelationship perspective, there are huge A fourth project the firm in the for our whole organisation, as had.” Richard Bell, the founder and opportunities out there to be capital is the reworking of an office well as the economy of Northern space in the heart of of Solmatix Piccadilly. The managing director Ireland. “ Renewables described the acquisition
BIGGER CHALLENGE THAN RECESSION SAYS NEW
Lisburn firm TAL the first major construction CHAIRMAN OF awarded CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY GROUP contract atofRandox allows construction Architect and a Science Director in McAdam Park The new Chairman the umbrella group representing 18 different professional bodies within the NI construction sector has said that emerging from recession and the next two years are possibly a greater challenge than dealing with the constant effects of a WItH a reputation for suppressed construction excellence in constructing high market for the last eight quality years.projects, tAL Limited
has been awarded a significant Martin Hare is the new Chairman contract (£3.1m) by global of the Construction Industry Group medical diagnostics company Professionals Council which represents Randox. the interests of construction industry This initial contract is for the and professionals with government construction a new facility for policy-makers.ofHe is a Chartered
Design. Commenting on his priorities production ofhe Randox’s pioneering as Chairman, said, “Although medical diagnostic productsthat and will the Council is encouraged also include associated administrative opportunities, commissions and actual on-site construction on the the first rise functions. The worksisare we also believe the recovery process phase of a major capital expenditure requiresbycareful management. project Randox to developThe the focus of the Professionals Council former Massereene Army Barracks will be to ensure public sector into ‘Randox Science – a value procurement extractsPark’ the best futuristic R&D andbymanufacturing for NI customers focusing on buildingThe a quality environment which facility. award-winning, supports economic recovery. Having international biotechnology firm, worked through recent austerity unveiled its plans for an innovative measures we believe it is time for hub on the 43 acre site earlier this collaboration and shared ideas.” year. “We wish to ensure that payment theprofessionals announcement, forWelcoming construction Damien Hughes, of TAL accurately reflectsDirector the challenges ahead. This includes appropriate Limited commented: “We are fees, reasonabletopayment schedules delighted have been awardedand fair apportionment of risk which
professional to add this Director at Randox commented: “The real contract value. Wewith haveRandox, the one of Northern development of Randox Science professionalIreland’s capacitymost to dynamic and businesses on a local Park is core to our plans to create meetexciting emerging demands. We global represent and level.theThrough the quality innovative diagnostics, to improve widest grouping of our work and of theNIdedication and manufacturing efficiency to export construction professionals professionalism of our team TAL has high-value healthcare capabilities to with the majority steadily over the last 34 years world markets. This state-of-the-art educatedgrown & trained and this contract award reinforces premises will become a centre of locally.” the strength of our expertise in the cutting-edge research, development From this unique position, Mr Hare believes healthcare sector.”that and diagnostic manufacture, covering theThe Council canwill provide project be delivered conditions such as cancer, stroke and insight current & to BIM on level 2 in partnership heart disease. We will also provide a emerging trends. “The with the design team Ostick and significant boost to the local economy Professional Council Williams Architects, & Best, through new job creation. We very has a strong record Rainey of Doran Consulting, Delap & Waller much look forward to working with pro-active and effective Consulting TAL on this initial contract to deliver engagementEngineers with localand Charles Martin Hare the high quality infrastructure we governmentConsulting. and I look Hutchison forward to building on Managing its Dr Peter FitzGerald, require.” past achievements.”
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The right job can transform a person’s life and the right person can transform an organisation, we’re experts at matching both in construction management. Find out more at hays.co.uk/ni
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LOCAL SHINE AT Harvey APPRENTICES Group acquires Solmatix as SKILLS part of 5SHOW year Highly commended in their growth plan in UK and Ireland. categories were Christopher
20 local apprentices representing the Built Environment travelled toNI NECM&E Birmingham last services week to compete at the Newtownabbey-based WorldSkills UK Show and M&E services company, successfully brought Harveyseven Group,medals. has acquired home Northern The SkillsIreland Showrenewable is the UK’s largest skills and energy specialists, Solmatix careers event Renewables in a and move is the designed companies to sayreward will transform talent and drive upsector the renewable energy levels of expertise in in Northern Ireland and act further education. as a springboard for further expansion the young multi-people More than 500into talented million pound UK and Ireland took part in competitions covering energy markets. 61renewable different skills over three days at Birmingham’s NECfor in an front of The acquisition, thousands of visitors. undisclosed sum, will bring to 110 From Regional College, the South numberEastern of people employed Jemual Chamos Gold inin directly by theachieved Harvey Group bricklaying, William Campbell, Gold Northern Ireland and Great Britain. in carpentry and Luke Courtney and turnover of £30 million ChrisWith Hoy aGold and Silver respectively over 80 staff, Harvey in and refrigeration. From SouthGroup West has over 30 years’ experience College, Stuart Graham achieved in the design, installation and Gold in electrical installation, Gareth Elliott Bronze inofjoinery and Daniel maintenance building services McAteer Bronze in plastering andofdry within every conceivable kind wall systems. building type throughout NI, GB and RoI, including Pharmaceutical/ Cleanrooms, Laboratories, Education, Government and Healthcare . Richard and NorahAnne Bell founded Solmatix Renewables in 2008, and since then
Jeffery, cabinet making, Richard Shannon, joinery from Southern Regional College and Jamie Howe, the company has Regional grown toCollege. achieve a joinery Southern turnover of £6 the million, with 30 staff Congratulating Northern Ireland winners, Economy Minister operating from its Nutt’s Corner Simon Hamilton said: “Northern premises. Ireland’s success UKSolmatix As a result of at thethis deal, competition the will continue istotestament operate astoan impressive talent, hard work and autonomous independent commitment and of our young people company within Harvey Group coupled with the high standards Brian Harvey, director of training in our managing colleges. Our of Harvey Group, said there competitors have once againwas they have the the skillstwo to ashown perfect fit between succeed and excel against the UK’s organisations. most talented apprentices “We have been planningand to Pictured is Jemual Chamos Gold medal winner in Bricklaying from South Celebrating the acquisition (from left) Norah-Anne Bell, Richard Bell, Brian Harvey, Gareth learners. ” grow our renewables involvement Eastern College Harvey with Oliver BoothRegional (Financial Controller, Group).Farrell CITB GB Barry Neilson, Chief Executive for some time, either organically CITB NI said, “I would like to as great news for Solmatix, its beneficial. From my perspective, or through the acquisition of an extend my congratulations once customers, suppliers and staff. having Solmatix as part of Harvey these competitors are already winners record of achievement” established player. Having worked again to all of those who were “In many respects, it’sWorldSkills a case Group gives us a level of expertise of local skills competitions, many of Those who excel in the with Solmatix Renewables on2016. competing at the Skills Show of ‘business as usual’. However, that would have taken us years to whom have come through our own UK Show competitions may beininvited aThe number of contracts, fact that Northernwe’d Ireland Skillbuild NI regional competition to the training programme to realjoin terms, being part of this larger acquire otherwise. has excelled again especially always been impressed with in the in order to qualify for this level. represent the UK at the international organisation will give us access to “Harvey Group and Solmatix construction and rigour built environment their engineering and Northern Ireland enjoys an impressive WorldSkills competitions, which take trades reflects the high there standards enhanced technical skills, financial share similar values, by which I mean professionalism. In fact, seemed track record at skills competitions at place every two years in cities around of training in our colleges and resources and purchasing power. our commitment to professionalism, to be a natural synergy between regional, national and world level, and the world. The next WorldSkills the commitment to excellence Ultimately I believe lead our desire to deliver our services to our two companies terms of competitiion will be this heldwill in Abu demonstrated by theincompetitors. All our local competitors’ success at the to greater growth and investment the very highest and the Skills Show buildsstandards, on this outstanding Dhabi in 2017. what we do and how we do it. I within our operations, as well as importance we place on treating our approached Richard Bell about a more jobs and job security. It’s a customers, our suppliers and our staff year ago to float the idea of our win-win relationship that’s good with courtesy and consideration.” companies coming together, but only for our whole organisation, as Richard Bell, the founder and if there was a good fit. After careful well as the economy of Northern managing director of Solmatix consideration we both agreed Ireland. “ Renewables described the acquisition that this would indeed be mutually
company acquires renewable energy specialists
LOCAL FIT-OUT SPECIALIST SCOOPS NATIONAL AWARD FOR HARVEY NICHOLS STORE Belfast-based Portview
overall visual experience.
Our work on the Fit-Out has triumphed Lisburn firm TAL awarded the first major construction Harvey Nichols store at this year’s Retail in Birmingham was no Week Interiors Awards contract at Randox Park exception, withScience each by winning the coveted
Best Department Store title for its work on a Harvey Nichols store in Birmingham.
Working closely with interior design specialist Virgile + Partners, Portview Fit-Out received industry-wide praise for their precision and attention to detail on the Harvey Nichols project, WItH a reputation for which seamlessly integrated excellence constructing high cutting edgein technology with opulentprojects, design. tAL Limited quality Simon Campbell, has been awardedManaging a significant Director (£3.1m) of Portview Fit-Out Ltd, contract by global said: medical diagnostics company “Our passion and experience Randox. lies in crafting beautiful interiors This initial contract for the which captivate theisimagination construction of and a new facility for of audiences enhance the
detail and specification
production of Randox’s carefully thought out pioneering medical diagnostic products and will to create a unique andinclude visceralassociated shoppingadministrative also experience no are other. functions. Thelike works the first “The fact that we have phase of a major capital expenditure been awarded for our project by Randox to develop the efforts on a national former Army scale isMassereene a testament to Barracks into ‘Randox Science Park’ the talented team of fit-– a futuristic R&D and out specialists wemanufacturing have working Portview. facility. Theinaward-winning, From our Estimators international biotechnology firm, to Contract Managers, unveiled its plans for an innovative CAD Designers to Site hub on the 43 acre site earlier this Managers, everyone has year. an equal part to play in Portview’s Welcoming announcement, success and the I would like to Damien Hughes, Director for of TAL thank them personally their commitment and hard work in Limited commented: “We are deliveringtothis project.” delighted haveexceptional been awarded
this contract with Randox, one of Director at Randox commented: “The Northern Ireland’s most dynamic development of Randox Science and exciting businesses on a local Park is core to our plans to create and global level. Through the quality innovative diagnostics, to improve of our work and the dedication and manufacturing efficiency to export professionalism of our team TAL has high-value healthcare capabilities to steadily grown over the last 34 years world markets. This state-of-the-art and this contract award reinforces premises will become a centre of the strength of our expertise in the cutting-edge research, development healthcare sector.” and diagnostic manufacture, covering The project will be delivered conditions such as cancer, stroke and to BIM level 2 in partnership heart disease. We will also provide a with the design team Ostick and significant boost to the local economy Portview Fit-out Limited Managing Director Simon Campbell (second right) pictured Williams Architects, Rainey & Best, through new job creation. We very receiving the Best Department Store trophy at the 2016 Retail Week Interiors Awards Doran Consulting, Delap & Waller much look forward to working with with Ewald Damen, Partner of Virgile + Partners; Carlos Virgile, Director of Virgile + Consulting Engineers and Charles TAL on this initial contract to deliver Partners; Barry Tallintire, Group Property and Facilities Director of Harvey Nichols; and Hutchison Consulting. the high quality infrastructure we Stacey Cartwright, Harvey Nichols CEO. Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing require.”
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INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT Harvey Group acquires Solmatix asFOR part of 5 year INNOVATIVE growth plan inNI UKSTART-UP and Ireland. An innovative Northern NI M&E services Ireland start-up business isNewtownabbey-based set to create ten jobs securing M&Eafter services company,a significant injection of Harvey Group, has acquired capital from local and Northern Irelandinvestors. renewable international energy specialists, Solmatix Renewables in a move the companies sayiswill transform CADshare, which based at the the renewable energy sector Ulster Bank-powered Entrepreneurial in Northern Ireland act Spark Hatchery in Belfast,and has raised over including as a£200,000, springboard forinvestment further from techstartinto NI, private investors expansion the multibased in Northern Ireland the million pound UK andand Ireland US, and support from Invest NI. renewable energy markets. The acquisition, for an Founded by mechanical engineer undisclosed sum, will bringis to Chris Acheson, CADshare a 110 the number of people employed platform that allows manufacturers by the Harvey Group in ofdirectly heavy machinery to bring their aftermarket customer Northern Ireland andservice Great online, Britain. making it faster, more of accurate and With a turnover £30 million more productive. and over 80 staff, Harvey Group has over 30 years’ experience With the support of Entrepreneurial in theChris design, and Spark, hasinstallation been working maintenance of building services with Northern Ireland-based within every conceivable of manufacturing businesses tokind develop building typewhich throughout GB to the product, he nowNI, plans launch fullyincluding to the market in the first and RoI, Pharmaceutical/ half of 2017. Laboratories, Cleanrooms, Education, Government and Healthcare . Richard and NorahAnne Bell founded Solmatix Renewables in 2008, and since then
company acquires renewable energy specialists
He plans to immediately the company has grown to achieve a begin expanding turnover of £6 million, with 30 staff his team and operating from to leverage the its Nutt’s Corner premises. support of his As a result of the deal, Solmatix experienced investors. will continue to operate as an CADshare will autonomous and independent also benefit company within Harvey Group from significant Brian Harvey, managing director support from of Harvey Group, said there was its technology apartners, perfect fit between the two organisations. Autodesk. “We have been planning to Celebrating the acquisition (from left) Norah-Anne Bell, Richard Bell, Brian Harvey, Gareth grow ourthat renewables involvement He says Booth (Financial Controller, Harvey Group). CADshare for some time, either organically as great news for Solmatix, its beneficial. From my perspective, hasthrough significant or the acquisition of an customers, suppliers and staff. having Solmatix as part of Harvey international established player. Having worked “In many respects, it’s a case growth potential: Group gives us a level of expertise with Solmatix Renewables on “Technology is of ‘business as usual’. However, in that would have taken us years to aopening numberup ofnew contracts, we’d Chris Acheson, founder and CEO of CADshare, announces the investment with Lynsey real terms, being part of this larger acquire otherwise. always been impressed Cunningham, with Entrepreneurial Development Manager at Ulster Bank. opportunities organisation will give us access to “Harvey Group and Solmatix their engineering rigour and to transform enhanced technical skills, financial share similar values, by which I mean professionalism. the aftermarketIn fact, there seemed resources and purchasing power. NI our commitment to professionalism, globally.” technology businesses. techstart business, and synergy between to be a natural Ultimately I believe this will lead Established by Invest Northern is part financed by the European our desire to deliver our services to CADshare provides a way to unlock our two companies in terms of Ireland as part of its £170m Access Regional Development Fund under new revenue streams and better to greater growth and investment the very highest standards, and the what we do and how we do it. I to Finance initiative, NI our the EU our Investment for Growth service. It is Richard a platform offers within operations, as well asin Jobs importance we placetechstart on treating approached Bellthat about a provides support for early stage Programme 2014-2020. significant benefits to manufacturers more jobs and job security. It’s a customers, our suppliers and our staff year ago to float the idea of our win-win relationship that’s good with courtesy and consideration.” companies coming together, but only for our whole organisation, as Richard Bell, the founder and if there was a good fit. After careful well as the economy of Northern managing director of Solmatix consideration we both agreed Ireland. “ Renewables described the acquisition that this would indeed be mutually
THORNTON ROOFING ANNOUNCES MAJOR NEW CHARITY ‘DRIVE’ IN SUPPORT OF CANCER CHARITY, CHARIS Speaking about the initiative, Thornton. Toomebridge based Lisburn firm awarded Directors Stephen Thornton and the first major construction specialist roofing and TAL Jenny Neeson were delighted they “The support cladding company, were able to support the charity. we’ve Thornton has announced contract at Randox Science Park Stephen Thornton commented, had from its continued support
to Charis Integrated Cancer Charity with a new charity initiative. Charis - situated at the foothills of the Sperrins - is committed to supporting those living with and families bereaved by cancer.
Thornton has ten Charis branded
WItH a reputation for company vans, to show support excellence in constructing and help raise awareness forhigh the quality charity. projects, tAL Limited has been awarded a significant And the local company contract (£3.1m) by global announced a new charity initiative medical diagnostics company that will see it donating 1p for Randox. every mile driven in the CharisThis initial contract is for the branded vans. construction of a new facility for
“As a localoffamily-owned employer production Randox’s pioneering we are dedicated to giving back to medical products will the localdiagnostic community and and we want also include associated administrative to encourage support for Charis functions. The works are the first because of their overwhelming commitment tocapital helping those phase of a major expenditure effectedbyby cancer. project Randox to” develop the former Massereene Army Barracks Jenny Neeson said, “This initiative into ‘Randox Science Park’ – a has given us the opportunity futuristic and manufacturing to makeR&D a difference to a very facility. The award-winning, important cause. So many people international firm, are affectedbiotechnology by cancer, and we know how important it is to have unveiled its plans for an innovative support in 43 place hub on the acrefor sitefamilies. earlier ”this year. Director of Charis Cancer Care, Welcoming the announcement, Imelda McGucken is delighted Damien Director of TAL with theHughes, continued support Limited commented: “We the charity has receivedare from delighted to have been awarded
Thornton this contract with Randox, one of over the past Northern two yearsIreland’s most dynamic and has exciting helped businesses on a local and global alevel. Through the quality us made difference of our work and the dedication and to people’s of our team TAL has professionalism lives who steadily grown over the last 34 years are going and this contract award reinforces through a the strength difficult time.of our expertise in the healthcare We are a sector.” The local project will be delivered small, charity and 2depend solely on to BIM level in partnership public support to and allow us with thefinancial design team Ostick to give the necessary support Williams Architects, Rainey & Best,for those affected by cancer. To have a Doran Consulting, Delap & Waller company like Thornton behind us, Consulting Engineersdonations, and Charles offering generous is a Hutchison Consulting. huge boost for the charity”. Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing
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Director at Randox commented: “The development of Randox Science Park is core to our plans to create innovative diagnostics, to improve manufacturing efficiency to export high-value healthcare capabilities to world markets. This state-of-the-art premises will become a centre of cutting-edge research, development and diagnostic manufacture, covering conditions such as cancer, stroke and (L-R)disease. Enda McGurk, heart We willOperations also provide a Manager Thornton Roofing, significantofboost to the local Imelda economy McGucken, Director of Charis Cancer through new job creation. We very Care, Director muchJenny look Neeson, forwardFinance to working withof Thornton Roofing Stephen TAL on this initialand contract toThornton, deliver Managing Directorinfrastructure of Thornton Roofing. the high quality we require.”
The right job can transform a person’s life and the right person can transform an organisation, we’re experts at matching both in construction management. Find out more at hays.co.uk/ni
20/08/2014 16:45
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MIVAN WIN TOP AWARD FOR LUXURY TRAIN FIT OUT Mivan Marine have won Hospitality Fit Out Project of the Year at the annual all-island Fit Out Awards 2016 in Dublin. The Antrim-based specialist contractor won the accolade for their work in fitting out ten luxury carriages for the Belmond Grand Hibernian train. Sixty skilled crafts people and 35,000 man hours were dedicated to transforming the former Mark III Irish Rail carriages into elegant cars with interiors reflecting Dublin’s Georgian architecture and the Irish countryside. Inside 7 months, the Mivan team refurbed 5 sleeper cars, 2 restaurant/ pantry cars, 1 observation/bar car, 1 crew car and 1 generator car. Work included the design and installation of metalwork, joinery, painting, fitting and upholstery. Neil Ward, Mivan CEO, said: “We are delighted that our expertise in completing this prestigious project for Belmond has been recognised,
Tomás MacEoin (centre) MD of category sponsor McKeon Group, presents the Hospitality Fit Out Project of the Year Award to Matthew Bott and Grace McCarron of Mivan.
demonstrating yet again the superb skills offered by Northern Ireland trade and craft workers. “Mivan has earned a reputation for delivering superlative results on the
global stage, resulting in a 50% yearon-year growth in 2016, an aspiration to employ 200 skilled staff by the end of 2017, and a strong forward order book stretching into 2018.” More than 850 industry professionals
attended the Fit Out Awards, which celebrate excellence in the executive of world-class fit outs and the people and clients who drive outstanding projects.
EDUCATION MINISTER PRAISES QIH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME WITH ST. MICHAEL’S COLLEGE Education Minister Peter Weir MLA has praised both Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) and St. Michael’s College Enniskillen on a visit to the school. Speaking as he was briefed on the Quinn People School’s Programme with St Michael’s College, the Education Minister said he was delighted to see such a deep connection between a well-established local business and a progressive college. The five-year partnership involves a range of initiatives to support St. Michael’s, and is designed to combat the ‘brain drain’ that exists in the local area. The partnership programme provides a clear pathway for pupils to develop their educational attainment as well as the option to secure sustainable and highly skilled employment at Quinn. This partnership with St Michael’s includes sponsorship of the new Quinn Technology & Design Department with financial assistance towards the department’s capital investment programme, as well as a range of other support initiatives
such as bursary awards for the top GCSE Engineering and top GCSE Technology & Design, paid work placements for year 13 pupils as well as on-site support from the experienced technical team in Quinn. Over the summer the company also launched its apprenticeship and graduate programmes, all part of its overall commitment to developing Fermanagh into a Centre of Excellence for manufacturing and construction.
After meeting the Education Minister, Kevin Lunney, Chief Operating Officer of QIH said that the Minister had encouraged both the school and Quinn to deepen their relationship as an exemplar on a national scale. “The Minister was clearly supportive of what we are trying to do with St. Michael’s and believed that the initiative can have a positive influence on business engagement with educational institutions here in Northern Ireland and beyond.
He encouraged QIH to deepen the relationship and to ensure that we retain connections with the department going forward. We feel that this initiative highlights the deep connection which Quinn has with the local community and reflects our desire to offer high quality careers to young people from the local area. We would like to thank the Minister for his attendance and his encouragement.”
Mascott Delivering Excellence in construction
The lofts at Edenderry
Over the last four decades Mascott have helped deliver many iconic structures which are now part of Northern Ireland’s collective built heritage. The company ethos is built on dedicated professional staff and a commitment to delivering excellence first time every time. In 2011 Mascott became one of the country’s most recognisable construction firms when it successfully delivered the MAC Theatre, the signature project & focal point in the regeneration of Belfast’s now thriving Cathedral Quarter. In August, this year Mascott Construction was acquired by EY Ireland Entrepreneur of the Year finalist Gareth Loye. Gareth also heads up M&M Contractors, a 30-year-old business providing turnkey telecommunication and electrical infrastructures, in civil engineering and construction projects. The multi awarded winning M&M were also recently listed on the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 list. Gareth’s plan was to grow both businesses to a combined turnover of £30m in the next year, and grow his workforce to 220 employees. “It came about as a strategy
from M&M” says Gareth. “Mascott is a wonderful brand with some wonderful projects. We are a growing company and we believe that we could save Mascott and can return it to being the company it once was. We are all now in the same building and follow the same vision. Mascott and M&M have already tendered for joint ventures between the companies, to grow new business. The people of Northern Ireland are resilient and the appetite to do deals is still very much here, however I want to take this same integrated M&M Group approach and roll it out to our offices in Scotland, England & The Republic of Ireland”.
Unrivalled Experience The acquisition means Mascott are now unique within the construction industry to be able to offer the complete construction management solution ‘Build, Fit, Connect & Maintain’ and this has been reflected with five contract wins across both the public & private sector in just four short months. It has also given Mascott the chance to dip their toes in the international market. Plans are still at early concept stage, with financial budgets being approved for building repeater sites but Mascott Construction Canada along with
The new HQ for Cleaver Fulton Rankin
M&M Group Holland remain a very real prospect indeed. Add to this the rich Mascott history which has accumulated millions of man-hours of experience on a wide range of projects and sectors, means there’s virtually no problem they haven’t seen and solved. Mascott’s skilled craftsmen and women work by hand using traditional methods with a modern twist and their knowledge, dedication and passion are part of their vision to be a world-class business generating long-term value by creating successful, sustainable places where people aspire to work and live. It’s clear that Mascott feel a real sense of love and pride for the buildings that they have built over the years and this fervour informs their approach to their projects. They believe in putting together highly skilled delivery teams, which
share this passion & can be ready for the challenges that lie ahead .
Mount Charles
One such recent project has been the successfully delivered Annon House for the Mount Charles Group. Mount Charles are Ireland’s largest indigenous foodservice and they worked with Mascott to bring their vision for their new headquarters to life. The 10,000-square foot Maxol House on Ormeau Road, was the former HQ of Botanic Inns and is now home to about 50 of the company’s 2,000-strong workforce. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, with a focus on creating an open plan environment with shared spaces and break-out areas that will encourage collaboration between various Mount Charles divisions. The building was officially opened
Caterpillar in Larne
in December by First minister Arlene Foster who thanked Mascott Construction Europe and praised Mount Charles as a “huge Northern Ireland success story”. “The company’s strong position in what is a very competitive marketplace is indicative of how well run and innovative the business has become over the last three decades,” she added, “with the opening of these new headquarters, Mount Charles is delivering a statement of intent, a vote of confidence in Northern Ireland, in its workforce and in the future of the business.” Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of Mount Charles said: “We are very excited about this move, which we view as a gamechanger for Mount Charles. Our revenues as of September 2016, totalled £31m and we have recently outlined our ambitious plans for the ‘Road to £50m’ whereby we aim to achieve revenues of that amount by 2020. We conservatively estimate that our employee figures would rise from 2,000 to more than 3,000 when we hit that target.”
Going Forward As fellow Investors in people, Mascott are also committed to the development of a strong and effective team by maximising the potential of each employee. Their recruitment process is designed to ensure the
best candidates are recruited with the current or potential skills and competence to do the job. “We have been fortunate enough that our endeavours over the years have seen us win many awards and this is the measure of success I want our team to deliver on every project we are involved in, which is why I take a personal interest in ensuring our teams are provided with everything they need to deliver to the highest levels” said Gareth. “We want to concentrate not just on technical excellence but also on choosing the right people for the task who are passionate about every project they undertake like our two new Contracts Directors Paul Simpson & Mark Hanna. The acquisition of new business and the real sense of potential in the firm has also seen the business attract new blood from many of its local competitors. The new staff all bring with them years upon years of experience and a genuine excitement to progress both their careers and the business. We also felt a rebrand was important, we haven’t changed the name; however, a fresh identity better represents our purpose and the breadth and depth of work we do. We’re going to introduce a completely new website & social media presence to make it easier to view the impact and variety of
our services and we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we can make a lasting contribution to the landscape and the communities we help create”. Whilst their ethos reflects the company today and the future direction that they are now taking. Mascott remain as committed as
The building for Mencap
The Mac in Belfast
ever to working collaboratively and strengthening their partnerships with clients & supply chain both old and new and anyone looking to work both with or for the company should contact their Business Development Manager Brent MacFarlane at info@mascott.co.uk
14 |Energy Efficiency
Could you be saving money on your energy bills? As Winter closes in and the heating goes on, many businesses are looking at ways to reduce their energy bills. Replacing inefficient lighting, heating, air conditioning units and refrigeration can be one of the best ways to do this, as can replacing older inefficient manufacturing equipment. Upgrading to more efficient equipment can pay back within a relatively short period of time, with the savings achieved on energy bills being used to offset the cost of the upgrade. And over the lifetime of the equipment, businesses can enjoy further year-onyear savings. However, we know that many businesses struggle to come up with the upfront capital needed to pay for new equipment, even when they recognise the opportunity. The good news is that there is a great scheme which can help.
INTEREST-FREE LOANS Interest Free Energy Efficiency Loans are available from the Carbon Trust using funds provided by Invest Northern Ireland. Businesses can borrow between £3,000 and £400,000. These loans are interest-free and unsecured and are also designed such that in most cases the monthly energy savings should exceed the monthly repayments. [1] CASE STUDY: BEVERAGE PLASTICS One business which has taken advantage of the Energy Efficiency Loan Fund to deliver real financial benefits, is Beverage Plastics Limited, which has been manufacturing plastic products in Craigavon for over 30 years. Beverage Plastics uses injection moulding machines on the production line to manufacture carbonated soft drink packaging. Driven by an increase in sales and a company mission to reduce energy use and costs, the business identified an opportunity to replace three older machines with a new generation blowing machine. While being more efficient to run, the new machine also reclaims the high pressure air used to blow the bottles, and uses it to supply the low pressure air required to run the machine in an earlier part of the manufacturing cycle. It also produces bottles at a greater rate, significantly lowering the energy consumption per kilogram processed.
With the support of an Energy Efficiency Loan, the company invested over £500,000 in the new machine but due to the savings on energy, maintenance costs and warehousing, the investment is expected to payback in under three years. Within the first six months, the company reported savings of 55% on energy costs and £12,500 on maintenance costs. It has also led to a reduction in warehousing costs of £28,000. And from an environment perspective, the machinery is expected to save an estimated 700 tonnes of CO2 a year. Peter Larmour, Invest NI’s Development Manager said “Over the course of the last 3 years, Northern Ireland businesses availing of 0% financial support to implement these projects have realised estimated annual savings in excess of £7.2m.” FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHEME, VISIT THE CARBON TRUST WEBSITE AT: WWW.CARBONTRUST.COM/NI
TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND ELIGIBILITY RULES APPLY. The Carbon Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit. The Carbon Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (number 04190230) with its registered office at
4th Floor, Dorset House, 27-45 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NT. Representative example of a 0% APR loan: £12,000 loan over 48 months = monthly repayments of £250. Total repayable £12,000. [1] Note that loans repayments will still need to be made, regardless of whether the projected savings are actually achieved.
Energy Efficiency Loan Fund
Want to save money on your business energy bills? Your out of date lighting, heating or air-conditioning units could be costing you dearly. With an Energy Efficiency Loan from the Carbon Trust, upgrade to more energy efficient equipment or renewable technology to reduce your energy costs considerably.
Loans are available from £3,000 to £400,000* *subject to T&Cs To find out more visit
www.carbontrust.com/ni or contact the Carbon Trust on 028 9073 4398.
Energy Efficiency Loans are provided by the Carbon Trust with funds from Invest Northern Ireland The Carbon Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit. The Carbon Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (number 04190230) with its registered office at 4th Floor, Dorset House, 27-45 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NT. Representative example of a 0% APR loan: £12,000 loan over 48 months = monthly repayments of £250. Total repayable £12,000.
16 | Donnelly Group
Donnelly Group Vauxhall Dungannon & Omagh
Donnelly Vauxhall Omagh. Pictured following the addition of Vauxhall Omagh to the Donnelly Group portfolio are Fianche McCallion, General Manager at Donnelly Vauxhall Omagh, Malcolm Kerr, Managing Director at Donnelly Group, Robert Fitzpatrick, Group HR Director at Donnelly Group, Terence Donnelly, Executive Chairman at Donnelly Group, James Simpson, Sales Executive at Donnelly Vauxhall Omagh, Basil Virtue, Sales Manager at Donnelly Vauxhall Omagh and Dean Martin, Sales Director at Donnelly Group.
Northern Ireland’s largest independent new and used vehicle retailer, the Donnelly Group, represents Vauxhall cars & commercial Vans in Dungannon & Omagh. Established in 2012 in Dungannon, the relationship between the Donnelly Group and Vauxhall expanded in 2016 with the acquisition of the Omagh business. Specialising in offering the highest levels of customer service across new & approved used sales, service and Parts of both cars & commercial vans, Donnelly Vauxhall are pleased to offer excellent value for money for both private and business customers – with options tailored to your exact requirements. With customer service at the forefront of operations, Donnelly Vauxhall Dungannon have been awarded a number of accolades in recent years including, ‘Number 1 Manufacturer in the Market Area 2015’ for vehicle sales and ‘Number 1 for Customer Service’, following the
intensive customer survey undertaken by the leading manufacturer. Business users can avail of a range of vehicles across various funding options to include business lease and contract hire – offering flexibility to keep your business on the road. With eight locations situated across Northern Ireland, the Donnelly Group claim they can respond to customer requirements with more quickly and with more convenience than anyone else. The Donnelly Group network provides support for both the public and private sectors across the province, supplying vehicles to many small and medium sized enterprises across a diverse range of business sectors. Geoffrey Lamont, Site Director at Donnelly Group Dungannon & Omagh commented, “The Donnelly Group has been proud to represent the Vauxhall brand in Dungannon since 2012 – adding Vauxhall Omagh earlier in 2016 to strengthen our presence in the greater Tyrone area. “Customer service is always the number one priority for us at Donnelly Vauxhall, and across the wider Donnelly Group as we aim to
‘keep the customer central to everything that we do’ in line with our company ethos.” “Our state of the art showroom in Dungannon is very impressive to customers who benefit from the spacious environment to view the cars & commercial vans, of which there is a huge selection. From smaller city cars like the Adam and Corsa to larger models such as the Zafira family car & Vivaro Van range, there is a vehicle to suit every requirement, want and budget.”
Milo O’Hagan, Commercial Sales Specialist at Donnelly Vauxhall
“In Omagh, our premises are currently undergoing an exciting renovation and expansion - we look forward to the grand re-opening in the coming months which will provide us with the opportunity
Donnelly Vauxhall Dungannon to further enhance the overall customer experience.”For more information call into either Donnelly Vauxhall showroom at the Donnelly M1 Complex in Dungannon or at Dromore Road, Omagh. Alternatively visit our website at donnellygroup.co.uk/Vauxhall
18| SIKA
Hot works on roofing projects, managing risk and complying with CDM 2016
New legislation The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 came into effect on 1 August 2016. Whatever your role is in construction, CDM 2016 aims to improve health and safety within the industry. One of the most notable changes in the roles is that the CDM coordinator will be replaced by the Principal designer. A Principal designer is defined as a designer appointed by the client in projects involving more than one contractor and they must plan, manage, monitor and co-ordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase of a project, including identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks. The Principal designer must be knowledgeable of the construction industry and have the relevant skills to oversee health and safety – this may be the Architect, Building Surveyor or another design team member.
Managing risks with hot applied roofing applications Whilst working at height and burns are the most obvious hazards with roofing works, they are far from the only dangers that the Principal designer needs to consider. If considering hot applied systems, burn injuries and fire risks also have
to be considered yet these can be eliminated straight away by choosing cold applied systems. It is important to remember that the risk of hot works is not only a health & safety threat to the operatives, but could also have implications for the building, its contents and its users, particularly during refurbishment projects. The damage that even a minor fire can cause from flames, smoke, water and foam is both costly and disruptive. In order to manage safety on site, a contractor using hot works may have to control access into and around the building and dedicate someone to perform a fire watch long after the works cease each day in case of smouldering embers igniting the roof.
Forward thinking… Traditionally, hot works have been a feature of roofing projects because there was no alternative. The UK and Ireland’s flat-roofed building stock is characterised by bituminous systems. For many refurbishments the default setting for designers is to select a ‘like-for-like’ roof covering, with patch repairs and/or an overlay of a system requiring hot works. There is now a wide array of cold applied systems available giving designers many zero-flame options to consider, thus reducing risk. Sika offers a choice between liquid applied Sikalastic (also known
as Decothane) systems and single ply roofing systems such as Trocal or Sarnafil. Sika’s liquid applied and single ply membrane systems can be used for warm roof, cold roof and ballasted applications giving the designer multiple reduced risk roof system options that also offer durable, robust and reliable waterproofing protection.
New technology As market leaders in liquid applied and single ply membranes, Sika is constantly researching and developing systems to address common problems faced when trying to waterproof roofs and associated parts of the structure. Some examples of the new systems are outlined below: ‘Sikalastic Rapid’ - its function is to quickly waterproof high traffic areas e.g. walkways and balconies. This system can cure in 30-40 minutes allowing the area to be handed back quickly. ‘Sikalastic Low Odour’ – this was developed to service sensitive areas where odours from liquid membranes can be a problem such as in hospitals, schools and food production premises. ‘Sarnafil Self Adhered’ single ply
membrane and a range of spray applied adhesives for bonding membranes and insulation boards are now also being used to increase speed of application. Sika - Your partner in flat roofing With all the challenges that you face in selecting a suitable roofing system for either new build or refurbishment project, please contact us today to make use of our expertise. We can review your design brief, and provide you with a low risk zero flame solution to suit your project requirements. Furthermore, with a network of trained and approved contractors and Sika Field Technician site support, our aim is to ensure that not only are our systems safer propositions but they will be competently installed, again helping to reduce risk. Tel: 028 9336 5868 Web: www.sika.ie/roofing Email: mccullough.barry@ie.sika. com
SIKALASTIC LIQUID APPLIED MEMBRANE
IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL
Sikalastic Low Odour offers the same level of performance you have come to expect from Sika but with significantly lower odour. This single pack system is perfect for use in highly sensitive areas, such as schools, food manufacturing plants and healthcare facilities. Sika has worked closely with a world leader in odour research and sensory analysis, to evaluate and establish the low odour performance of Sikalastic Low Odour.
For more information visit www.sika.ie For design, specification and survey assistance call 028 9336 5868 (Northern Ireland) or 00353 1862 0709 (Republic of Ireland).
www.sika.ie @SikaIreland
20| RTU
IMPROVED UNDERFLOOR HEATING EFFICIENCY WITH ULTRAFLO® LIQUID SCREED
Underfloor heating is becoming an ever popular heating system option, however historical preconception of underfloor heating systems are that it can take an exuberant time to heat the room or building, thus effecting long-term fuel consumption. In order to optimize the most effective release of heat as possible for long-term fuel cost savings and heat release efficiency, the type of screed used over the underfloor heating pipes should be considered Advances in floor screeds from RTU, Ultraflo® liquid floor screed, means the time taken to increase
room temperature can be much less than using traditional methods such as sand: cement screed. RTU Ultraflo® liquid floor screed is a calcium sulphate, hemihydrate liquid floor screed designed to comply with BS EN 13813: 2002. It is a pump applied, non-cement based material and can be installed up to 10 times faster than traditional floor screeds due to its virtually self levelling and self-compacting qualities. It also has the advantage of allowing light traffic after 24 hours, which is aided by the much thinner screed depth required, a benefit for any project. With minimal drying shrinkage, and a reduced risk of cracking, the need for movement joints are also reduced. University of Ulster conducted a study comparing the heat responsiveness of RTU Ultraflo® liquid screed with traditional sand: cement screed and the results were quite outstanding. Ultraflo® liquid screed is shown
to have a much faster heat responsiveness with underfloor heating than sand: cement screed, with the room air temperature increasing by 10°C within 3 hours as opposed to 9 and a half hours it took for traditional sand: cement screed. Heat efficiency is a long term desired benefit for any heating system but with Ultraflo® it is proven to provide a more heat responsiveness surface when used with underfloor heating. This coupled with the benefit of Ultraflo® not being a cement based material, it dries within rather than being dependent on ambient conditions like sand: cement screed and therefore force drying after 7 days will not cause any issue to the finished floor. Ultraflo® material properties reduce the risk of cracking and permit a smooth level floor. The installation process Ultraflo® is also beneficial for any project with improved speed and tidiness of installation compared with traditional sand: cement screed. Whilst traditional sand: cement screed is the well-known option for floors, it does however contain
air pockets in its material mix. Since air is a poor conductor of heat, this method consequently does not permit the transmission of heat as easily. Together with British Standards requirements for traditional sand: cement screed laying depth at 75mm when used in conjunction with underfloor heating compared with 50mm laying depth for Ultraflo®. Sand: cement screed therefore must be laid at a greater depth than Ultraflo® liquid screed meaning more material and labour • Reduced la travelling over and around pipework. The labour intensive aspect to • Dramaticall the installation process involved with underfl with sand: cement screed means • Virtually self compared with Ultraflo® it is a much slower process and Ultraflo®• Light traffic allows installation at a rate 10 times faster. RTU Ltd supply sc For more information on RTU floors across No S Ultraflo® hemihydrate liquid floor Sand: Cement and Ultraflo® Liq screed email on info@rtu.co.uk, call us on: 028 9085 1441 or visit our website www.rtu.co.uk.
• Reduced laying depths, weight and drying times • Dramatically increases heat response times with underfloor heating • Virtually self-levelling for less labour intensive installation • Light traffic allowed after 24 hours RTU Ltd supply screed for both commercial and residential floors across Northern Ireland. The range includes; Traditional Sand: Cement Screed, Fibre Screed, Improved Drying Screed and Ultraflo® Liquid Screed.
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Safety Nets Rope Access Guardrail Systems Temporary Guardrail Systems Cable Systems Mobile Anchors Eye Bolts Demarcation Annual System Re Test Grip Systems
• Ladder Systems • Platforms And Walkways • High Level Building Maintenance • PPE And Lifting Equipment • Equipment Training • Bird Netting • Rail Systems • Architectural Stainless Fabrication • Supply and Installation of Structural Metal Decking
ProNet Safety Services Ltd | 68 Browndod Road, Larne | Co. Antrim | Northern Ireland | BT40 3DX Tel : 028 2826 7823 • info@pronetsafetyservices.com • Web: www.pronetsafetyservices.com
digest
MAJOR WASTEWATER PROJECT IN BANGOR SCOOPS UK ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
The Luke’s Point project team receive their CEEQUAL Outstanding Achievement Award 2016 at the Institution of Civil Engineers Head Quarters Westminster, London. (Left to Right): Chris Gibson, Thomas Telford/ICE, David McCune AECOM, Sam McManus AECOM, Joseph Martin AECOM, Grahame Millar NI Water, Samuel Donaldson AECOM, and Davy McGrath NI Water.
Following on from their previous success, the NI Water team working on the Bangor Sewerage Improvement Programme have been named winners of the prestigious UK CEEQUAL 2016 Outstanding Achievement Awards in recognition of their project management work to upgrade a Pumping Station at Luke’s Point, Ballyholme in Bangor, as part of the overall programme of improvements. The scheme which upgraded the sewerage infrastructure in the Bangor area will improve the water quality in Ballyholme strand and help to meet Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Standards. Work is currently underway on a further stage of this overall project to construct a pumping station at Castle Park, Bangor which involves the construction of
a large (25m diameter, 13m deep) underground storage tank. This will replace the existing Castle Park Waste Water Pumping Station, as well as providing additional stormwater storage. This CEEQUAL award aims to assist clients, designers and contractors to deliver improved project specification, design and construction of civil engineering projects. It celebrates the commitment of the civil engineering industry to achieve high environmental, economic and social performance. It rewards project and contract teams that go the extra mile to achieve distinctive environmental and social performance in their work.that aren’t coming forward for construction.” He adds: “In simple terms, we want Northern Ireland’s property professionals to see beyond maximising profit in bringing forward housing solutions. There are already innovative and insightful ideas and solutions out there that we can tap into; we just need to collaborate better to deliver them.”
WORK BEGINS ON £4MILLION PROJECT AT METHODIST COLLEGE extensive repair and remedial work to
Education Minister, Peter Weir, recently visited Methodist College, Belfast where Woodvale Construction has started work on a major refurbishment project.
The project which is provided through the School Enhancement Programme, will see the refurbishment of the McArthur Hall building involving
the listed building. Once completed, the scheme will provide new educational spaces to include an ICT Suite, Business Information Systems, Library, Careers Suite and general classrooms. Ancillary accommodation to include admin office, staff and pupil toilets, and roofing over the main and minor internal courtyard to provide new accommodation. The School Enhancement Programme (SEP) was initially announced in 2013 for projects costing between
| 23
CTS PROJECTS WINS FURTHER MULTI-MILLION CONTRACT WITH NI HOUSING EXECUTIVE Leading facilities management and heating installation company CTS Projects has announced it has won a 3-year contract worth £4m with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to carry out mechanical and electrical maintenance work across Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland.
July and a £14m contract with four housing associations in April. Serena Hylands, Assistant Managing Director of CTS Projects said: “This contract increases our market share and enables us to add 10 jobs to our current workforce. We started 2016 with 35 employees and we finish the year with 130 and still rising thanks to our recent high value contract wins.”
The contract, which spans 61 buildings including offices and multi-stories, will allow CTS Projects to create ten jobs while also safeguarding its supply chain locally. The news comes at the end of what has been a successful year for CTS Projects. The contractor won a £77.6m contract with the Housing Executive in
CTS Projects secures further multi-million contract with NI Housing Executive. L-R: Paul Isherwood, Director of Asset Management (NIHE), Serena Hylands, Assistant Managing Director (CTS Projects) and Ian McCrickard, Regional Manager for Belfast (NIHE).
£500,000 and £4,000,000. The programme is targeted to meet the immediate and pressing needs in
schools, through smaller scale works, where a new build is not deemed deliverable.
Education Minister Peter Weir discusses the work at Methodist College with two pupils.
24| Clarke Facades
“A ROUND UP OF A BUSY YEAR AT CLARKE FACADES!” In 2016 Clarke Facades celebrated their 20th year of ongoing business success.
M Clarke and Sons Contracts Limited was founded in 1996 by Michael Clarke Senior as a family business. A successful rebrand period has seen Clarke Facades become a leading building envelope company throughout the U.K. & Ireland whilst continuing to grow and expand in every sector.
Expansion & growthGraduate Academy and New London Office. In 2016 Clarkes saw continued growth and felt the need for expansion and saw the opening of their new office in greater London area. Another notable milestone in 2016 saw Clarkes launch their Graduate Academy. The programme is designed to take on between three and five new graduates every year from a wide range of academic disciplines.
Awards •
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Best Full Service Building Company at the BUILD Architecture Awards - Winner Best Small Business of the Year at the Ballymena Business AwardsWinner Best Export Business at the Ballymena Business AwardsWinner Best Specialist Contractor to Work for at the Construction Enquirer Awards - Finalists Regeneration Project of the Year at the London Construction Awards- Finalists Project of the year at the Construction News Awards -Finalists
Notable Projects: 2016 • • • • • • • • •
Premier Inn Archway Queen Elizabeth II Hospital London Queen Mary University The Curtain Hotel Private Members Club Crescent Place Student Accommodation Austin House Student Accommodation Northwood Secondary School Weybridge Business Park Halsville Quarter, Canning Town
Charity Clarke Facades choose a charity each year with personal significance to the team. In the year 2015/16 the chosen charity was the Causeway Down Syndrome Association. With an initial fundraising target of £2,000, the Clarke Façade team surpassed their Clarke Facades Managing Director Eugene Clarke is pictured with graduate Architectural Technologist Jordan Anderson and Philip Griffiths of Ulster University. target and raised a magnificent £5573. Tiny Life is the 2016/17 charity of the year. Tiny life is the only premature and vulnerable baby charity in Northern Ireland. During our year with Tiny Life we aim to raise £10,000 and we are well on our way to fulfilling our target through participation in various fundraising activities throughout the year.
Sponsorship Clarke Facades Members of the Clarke Façade team that took part in the Belfast Marathon relay. have sponsored The Ballymena Bears since early 2015. The Bears provide opportunities for children and young adults with disability to enjoy rugby. Clarke Facades have also sponsored the Bann Valley Cycling club since its founding in 1986 and Clarkes continue to promote its ties to the group, which has a very personal connection to the Clarke family. As Michael Clarke, himself, was a Aaron Ennis of Danske Bank (Middle) presents the Export Business of the Year award to Company Chairman founding member Michael Clarke (left) and Business Development & Marketing Manager Mark Wiggins of Clarke Facades. when it was first established in 2007 and was the first Clarkes also began sponsoring The established since then Flyers F.C. in 2015 and will continue and currently only Charter Standard it has grown to be one of the most throughout 2017. The club was Community Club in Havering. recognized clubs in Ireland.
26| John Simpson
URBAN CENTRES NEED BETTER CONNECTIVITY TO SUPPORT BUSINESS BY JOHN SIMPSON Northern Ireland needs an improved inter-urban roads network, improved use of the roads system in urban areas, better quality transport services, more efficient use of these investments and greater flexibility for different users. In each of these respects, to sustain the economy, there is work to be done. On the trends of the recent past, complaints will continue to grow that the management of the arterial roads is inadequate and inefficient, and that there is an imbalance of measures to deal with competing demands. Unhappily, current planning for improving these services to assist rising living standards is too complacent. Official planning should focus on better solutions to ease the problems of inter-urban and intraurban connections and usage. Now is the opportunity to do
better. The Ministerial Executive is consulting with interested organisations on the content of a draft Programme for Government (PfG) from which will emerge an operational agenda on the priorities for the expansion of the economy along with plans for social, environmental, health and educational improvements. Unfortunately, the proposals are excessively modest. To understand the official thinking, interested parties must, first, find and read the 100+ page draft programme and, second, look for the supplementary papers dealing in more detail on each of the 14 thematic outcomes and examine this with the supporting evidence from 47 statistical performance indicators. For the best of motives, Ministers have commissioned a series of documents, probably exceeding 500 pages, to read if the full range
of ideas is to be challenged. The danger is that the faults, flaws or too unambitious operational outcomes will go unnoticed until it is too late to provoke constructive challenges. Interested observers face a near impenetrable maze of background detail.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard. The PfG infrastructure plan is a near impenetrable maze...
The Department for Infrastructure is in a central role in tackling the challenge of preparing a programme around the stated outcome of connecting people and opportunities through our infrastructure. It is a comprehensive 50+page supplement to the PfG.
John Simpson |27
Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard confirms his commitment to the A5 with the relevant local councils
A core element of the draft operational programme centres on transport planning as it relates to mobility of people and goods in a growing economy. Can businesses be assured that both freight and people can travel more quickly than at present, can commuters expect a diverse and modern range of services, can different types of consumers have good access to commercial premises in the ordinary course of daily living? Unfortunately, whilst these are not easy questions, the proposed official responses are neither adequate nor reassuring. The Department for Infrastructure offers a comprehensive review of differing aspects of the connectivity questions. In summary, the Department argues that demographic and economic growth will build demand for an increased amount of travel, affecting journey times and the degree of congestion, if there are no policy interventions. These trends could affect the potential to grow the economy and undermine the attractiveness of N.I. as a place to live, work and invest. ‘Estimates for trip generation in Belfast as a result of current planned
developments indicate an additional 10,000 journeys per hour during the peak period. The road network is currently operating at capacity … This will constrain growth, prosperity and inclusion at the regional and local level.’ The key conclusion reached by the Department is that investment in road improvements alone will not produce significant improvements in journey times. Supportive steps must be found to address demand (restrain increases) and improve efficiency. In terms of the environmental, social and economic trends the Department cannot be seriously faulted. That does not justify the complacent approach to the identification of improvements. Unhappily the proposed policies and actions understate the scope for more radical steps and rest on some depressing conclusions that will disappoint agencies with ambitions for a more dynamic growing economy. ‘The key arterial routes serving Belfast are at capacity and we will only be able to facilitate the growth of employment and retail by achieving significant modal shift towards public transport.’
The key and critical base for the PfG proposals rests on a shift in demand to use more public transport and a strong leverage against the use of private cars. The posing of a degree of shift to public transport is logical but the PfG is hostile to an accommodation including some flexibility towards car usage. In extremis, the PfG proposals will change the economics of urban retailing demand. Urban retail developers will not readily recognise a claim that ‘there is more than adequate provision of parking opportunities’ in the main centres. At the core of the PfG restraint on provision for the use of private cars is the belief that Belfast, for example, cannot meet potential connectivity demands. But a focused agenda could, first, take steps to reduce demand for all-day parking, second, reform the road system to increase the speed of movement and increase access by reducing on-street parking, and third encourage the development of off-street multistorey parking units. Of course, market forces could be used to constrain demand but the negative, do little, official approach is not
what would be expected as living standards rise. The Department for Infrastructure is wedded to policies to ‘shift the curve.’ That is code language for ‘deter car users and leverage people on to public transport.’ It is a policy combination that will frustrate retail developments, damage urban centre economics and push more employment and investment into suburbia. A better balance of public transport and access for private cars would be laudable. However, a policy to freeze out access for short stay urban visits by car is an admission of failure in traffic management in what, in Northern Ireland, are (by international standards) relatively small urban conurbations. Promoting higher living standards is the overall ambition. This calls for transport and movement infrastructure that matches the ambition of the wider population. Using the experience of other advancing economies, connectivity in our larger urban centres can be improved: not strangled!
28 |
digest
NI PROPERTY INDUSTRY URGED TO UNITE TO CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES AND END RISING HOMELESSNESS A campaign has been launched to urge the property industry in Northern Ireland to help end rising homelessness by delivering more affordable homes. The sector is being urged to look beyond making profit to bring forward housing solutions – for instance by seeking out sites that might be suitable to deliver homes on; to help housing associations achieve planning permission for new homes; and to unlock sites with planning consent that aren’t at present coming forward for construction. The RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) – in collaboration with the Homes for Cathy Group - has launched an antihomelessness campaign, known as ‘A Home for Cathy.’ It aims to encourage Northern Ireland’s property industry to collaborate better to deliver more affordable homes, whilst commemorating the 50th anniversary of the highly acclaimed BBC drama, Cathy Come Home. RICS, which has some 4,000 Northern
Ireland members, set standards in the land, property and construction sectors, whilst the Homes for Cathy Group is a UK-wide alliance of housing associations helping to raise awareness of the needs of homeless people. A roundtable debate was held at RICS’ Belfast office to mark the launch of the campaign, during which, senior representatives from the private, public and third sector gathered to discuss modern day homelessness, and how the land, property and construction sectors can work together better to deliver solutions to create more affordable homes. David Duly, who was Chief Executive of Habinteg Housing Association (Ulster) said: “Cathy Come Home ignited a public and political debate about homelessness back in 1966, after portraying a young family’s descent into poverty and homelessness. It subsequently led to the formation of housing associations and marked a turning point in public perception of people who are homeless. “50 years on and we are once again in the grips of another housing crisis;
it is with this in mind that this campaign will encourage property professionals to see themselves as part of the solution to ending rising homelessness and delivering more affordable homes. For example, to seek out sites that might be suitable to deliver homes on; to help housing associations achieve planning on new homes; and to unlock sites with planning consent that aren’t coming forward for construction.” He adds: “In simple terms, we want Northern Ireland’s property professionals to see beyond maximising profit in bringing forward housing solutions. There are already innovative and insightful ideas and solutions out there that we can tap into; we just need to collaborate better to deliver them.”
David Duly
NORTHERN IRELAND EXPERTISE AT THE HEART OF £117M REJUVENATION PROJECT FOR SUNDERLAND It has taken almost half a million man hours to bring the construction of the new cable stay bridge across the River Wear, at Sunderland, to its half way completion point. “And we are looking at the same level of commitment again to get us over the finishing line,” confirmed Farrans’ Stephen McCaffrey, the project director. “This is a landmark project for the Sunderland area, one which will drive forward the strategic development of the city, from both a regeneration and future investment perspective.” Belfast-based Farrans Construction is delivering this unique £117m development as part of a joint venture with the Belgian steel fabrication company Victor Buyck. The project also involves the significant input of other locally-based companies with an involvement in the construction and engineering sectors, chief among them Ballymena-based Moore Concrete Products Ltd. The bridge, when completed, will be 336m long and will facilitate two lanes of traffic on either carriageway along
with a 3m wide shared cycleway – footway on each side of the bridge. Also included in the development will be 2.8km of new carriageway. It is at the heart of the Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor. The focal point of the new bridge will be a 105m high steel pylon, from which will radiate out the cable stays supporting the bridge deck. “This is the most challenging bridge project that we have ever undertaken and the first highways bridge with a cable stay design,” confirmed Stephen. “Its complexity has required a tremendous planning input, involving ourselves and those other international companies working on the development of the bridge. “Site works commenced in May of last year. The new structure will be commissioned in advance of its planned opening in spring of 2018. “When fully operational, it will cater for 27,000 vehicles per day.” The bridge project has already been seven years in development, with the office bearers of Sunderland City Council making no secret of its strategic importance for the region as a whole The physical scale of the project is immense. Its completion will require 3,000t of steel, 4250t of precast concrete decking elements and 100km of cabling. Its development has also entailed the input of an
Moore Concrete sales manager Richard Whiteside with project director Stephen McCaffrey, from Farrans Construction
international design team. Precast business Moore Concrete is manufacturing all of the precast concrete deck units for the new bridge. These involve 38 different designs comprising a total of 850 units ranging in weight from 5 to 15 tonnes. Moore’s sales manager Richard Whiteside confirmed that the new bridge is the largest structure which the company has ever supplied components for. “Over the past number of years, we have invested heavily in the manufacturing facilities and skills’ base to allow us commit to projects of this scale. And, obviously, we want to build
on this for the future,” he said. Richard continued: “The Sunderland project has required the co-ordinated input of our own engineering, design and manufacturing teams so as to ensure the precast units meet all the required quality standards and that delivery times are consistently achieved.” “The pylon, which will be prefabricated in Belgium, should arrive with us on a specialised barge in early 2017. Its erection will follow almost immediately thereafter, which should allow us complete the bridge and adjacent road carriageways by early 2018.
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CITB NI | 33
CITB NI celebrate excellence and achievement of inaugural Leader in Construction Programme
T
he inaugural Leader in Construction programme has just come to an end and the achievements of the 15 participants were celebrated at an event at Nutts Corner Training Centre. Keynote speaker Mike Thompson, Department for the Economy, congratulated the participants for making time for personal development. He continued by saying that both participants and their employers are to be commended and the new ideas, connections and enthusiasm the participants have gained will be of great benefit to them in moving the construction industry forward. Attendees at the event also heard from Joe Keenan, Combined Facilities Management Ltd, one of the programme participants. He found that networking with like-minded individuals who were facing the same challenges around managing people, delivering projects and working with clients to be greatly beneficial. The oneto-one coaching sessions that Joe participated in helped him to apply the learning from the programme to day-to-day challenges. In addition, Joe has been able to share the learning he gained on the programme with the company’s senior management team, something which benefited the whole company as they moved through a major transitional period. Aidan Flynn, MD of Flynn, also spoke at the event from an employer’s perspective, outlining the reasons for sending one of his staff on it and the benefits to both the participant and the company. In particular Aidan has seen
his employee improve his delegation skills, which in turn has allowed him to step away from day-to-day activities and become more strategic, coming up with better ideas and strategies. This has had a knock-on effect on other employees who have been forced to step up and the company has now developed a 3-year training plan. Succession planning and continuity planning are critical in every business and Flynn’s are working hard to address this. Both the participants and their employers have praised the ability of the programme to broaden the participant’s understanding of business outside of their specialist areas, to improve confidence and communication skills, and to provide participants with a more strategic focus. Also attending the event were representatives from the Leader in Construction programme’s sponsors Tughans, Farrans and Specify and members of the industry Steering Group who helped develop the programme. Barry Neilson, Chief Executive, CITB NI, closed the event but not before announcing that a second Leader in Construction programme would be commencing in 2017. If you have a high potential candidate in your organisation who would benefit from this programme, or if you want to gain the right skills to elevate your career, and company, to the next level, then visit www.citbni.org.uk for more information. Alternatively e-mail leaderinconstruction@ citbni.org.uk for more information. CITB NI are also keen to
speak to companies who may be interested in sponsoring a module on the programme and again, interested
parties should contact CITB NI at the e-mail address: leaderinconstruction@citbni. org.uk
Garden Escapes was founded in 2006 by Richard Stuart in his home town of Ballynahinch Co. Down. Having previously worked within the play industry in a number of roles including installation of equipment, design, sales and contract management, Richard took the plunge and started his own company. service for new and existing Garden Escapes initially focused on small-scale projects within the Northern Ireland schools market. Today, Garden Escapes is one of the country’s leading providers of playground equipment, outdoor gym equipment
and safety surfacing and are distributors for some of the biggest manufacturers in the global market.
experiencing a great deal of opportunities and new growth’.
The professional and experienced team at Garden Escapes work with a wide range of clients including councils, schools, principal contractors, nurseries, private clients and consultants.
When asked what the basis for the company’s success has been over the years, Mr Stuart said ‘From day one, we have always focused on quality. Quality in terms of the products that we sell, quality in terms of the work that we carryout and quality in terms of customer service. We have built a great reputation over the years, which we work hard to maintain but this brings us a lot of repeat business and makes it easier to open the door to new business opportunities.’
Having enjoyed year on year growth in Northern Ireland, the 2015-2016 period saw Garden Escapes expand their operations into the Republic of Ireland and Scotland with these new markets now making up more than 35% of the company’s turnover. Mr Stuart commented ‘The last 18 months have been challenging for the industry due to local government reform and reduced public sector expenditure in Northern Ireland. Initially, this caused us some concern however every cloud has a silver lining and having been forced to look to new markets, we are now
As well as responding to public tenders and direct enquiries for the design, supply and installation of playgrounds and sports areas, Garden Escapes provide a free of charge design and consultation service which has proven very popular with schools, nurseries, community groups and architects. ‘We have a great deal of talent at Garden Escapes and have invested in some of the latest technology which allows us to manage all aspects of the design and construction process in house. We are able to take an existing or greenfield site and prepare a 3D design proposal including a full walk through presentation so the client can really get a full understanding of what the completed project would look like.’
Garden Escapes are pleased to announce that they have been appointed as the sole distributor in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for Proludic – one of the industries leading playground equipment manufacturers based in Vouvray, France. Mr Stuart explained how this latest development would support the company’s plans for growth. ‘The Proludic brand is well known having had a presence in the Irish market for over 20 years. Proludic have an extensive product range and have worked hard to stay ahead of their competitors in terms of design, innovation and competitive pricing. We look forward to using Proludic products within our designs and believe that this will help us grow our share of the market.’ Garden Escapes would be pleased to help you with any playground related projects or queries. Contact details can be found on their website www. gardenescapesni.com or call directly on 028 97564477
36 | Cranwood
Cranwood Introduce Cranclad – Their Unique Cladding Profile Cranwood Industries have recently introduced their unique cladding profile to the market which has been well received in both Ireland and the UK. ‘Cranclad’ is a fully NBS certified product which maximises water shedding to encourage rainwater runoff and eliminates traps for standing water. The product is available from various durable species, all from sustainable sources, and is suitable for both horizontal and vertical designs Cranwood offer Western Red Cedar, Siberian Larch, European Oak and Iroko as well as a number of other species on request. Manager of Cranwood Industries Martin Trainor said, “Our Cranclad system has been developed to provide a complete cladding solution for the customer. From the initial stages of our unique profile design
and identifying the required species, to providing awareness training on maintenance and fitting when the product is on site – we can offer the complete package. We are members of TRADA as well as being fully NBS Specified for our cladding products, which gives customers that extra peace of mind when dealing with us.” With an option of pre finishing available, the Teknos 2600 system is used by Cranwood which is microporous, allowing timber to breathe and also allowing paint to move with the timber.
The Teknos paint is resistant to bacterial mould and UV attack, plus forms a thick flexible film thickness.
As a water based product, it is coated all round – back and front for ultimate protection.
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CEF/SpecifyCEF awards |29
THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN IRELAND
News in Brief... EXECUTIVE CANNOT FAIL ON INTERCHANGE SCHEME Commenting in respect of the delay on the York Street Interchange scheme, CEF Managing Director John Armstrong said: “Although the impact of the Brexit vote on the original financial plan for the Interchange cannot be doubted, it is nonetheless extremely disappointing that the bidding exercise has now been extended. With certainty around future pipelines of work for main contractors and their supply chains a major issue, projects like this are absolutely vital to the sustainability of the local construction industry. It is critical that the Department, and indeed the wider Northern Ireland Executive, speedily addresses how the scheme can be advanced. We are often too quick to rule out other forms of alternative finance when it comes to our infrastructure needs, it is arguable that the Interchange is now the opportunity to reconsider that approach. “Industry has also been clear in its support for the Northern Ireland Executive’s wider flagship infrastructure programme, including schemes like the A5 and A6. However, we have also been just as clear that, when it comes to enhancing Northern Ireland’s attractiveness as a region to do business and invest in as well as enabling indigenous firms to meet their growth potential, we need a capital city that, in every sense, works. From a transport point of view, the Interchange is fundamental to making sure Belfast and Northern Ireland works. “Budgets are of course tight, the unexpected closing off of certain funding streams like the EU is of course a challenge, the importance of delivering the A5 and A6 cannot be doubted – but the economic case for delivering the Interchange scheme this side of 2020 is really not something that we can afford to fail on”
FEDERATION COMMENTS ON OCTOBER MONITORING ROUND
C
ommenting on the Northern Ireland Executive’s October Monitoring Round and the First Step Stimulus package, Construction Employers Federation Managing Director John Armstrong said:
“Within the context of a local construction industry facing a significant sustainability challenge, any stimulus package is to be welcomed. The £15m announced today for roads structural maintenance will have immediate economic benefits both for the communities in which identified schemes are located as well as the economic and employment opportunities that will flow. In addition, the £5m regeneration fund is a welcome step and we look forward to more detail on the projects identified for it in January. The further reallocations to health and education capital spending are also a welcome reassessment of priorities at this stage in the financial year.
Caption (l-r): David Magee (Antrim Construction), Mairtin O Muilleoir MLA (Finance Minister), John Armstrong (CEF)
“These latter reallocations appear to be based on returned monies on projects in-year such as the Mother and Children’s Hospital. Within this context it is somewhat surprising that some form of announcement wasn’t made in respect of the A5 and A6 given that, with five months left of the financial year, it is doubtful that £34.2m will be spent on the two schemes, combined, by the start of April. “As the Finance Minister said, much of the focus will now fall on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on 23 November. Looking ahead to a more detailed Executive stimulus package after this statement, it is absolutely vital that Ministers and senior officials do as much as they can to get schemes shovel and procurement ready. While the quantum of funding the UK Government may provide and, indeed, any strings that will be attached to the spending of that money are yet to be identified, we must make sure we maximise the economic benefits of the funding. The construction industry’s lifeblood is not just the major schemes that have got so much attention in recent weeks but also the education, health and road schemes such as the Ballynahinch and Enniskillen bypasses whose economic benefits cannot be doubted. The £200m local council borrowing initiative, which the Minister briefly noted, would also be a hugely important development in widening the financial clout of Northern Ireland Plc.” On the Investment Fund, Mr Armstrong said: “The clarity in the role of the European Investment Bank is to be welcomed but having £77.5m of unallocated Financial Transactions Capital is undoubtedly a concern. While it is welcome to hear that the Minister has had a positive engagement with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on flexibility around the Fund, it is no clearer to us at this stage how the money, which would be of huge benefit to the construction industry, will be spent. We look forward to hearing further detail on the working of the Fund, with the new flexibility now agreed, in due course.”
INDUSTRY RAISES AN OUTSTANDING £5,439 FOR LOCAL CHARITY CANCER FOCUS NI
F
rom Cancer Focus NI - A special thank you to the Construction Employers Federation (CEF), the certified representative body for the construction industry in Northern Ireland, for raising an outstanding £5,439 through their raffle at their annual Excellence Awards, held in October at the Culloden Hotel and Spa. John Armstrong, Managing Director at the CEF, said “The construction industry was absolutely delighted to partner with Cancer Focus NI at this year’s Awards and we are incredibly grateful to the generosity of our finalists and
News in Brief... PENSION CONTRIBUTION CHANGES FROM 5 DECEMBER 2016 The pension contribution rates of Enhance Construction Pension Scheme Northern Ireland are due to increase on 5 December 2016 as follows:
Rosie Forsythe, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Cancer Focus NI, said “Thank you so much to CEF for choosing to support Cancer Focus NI. Cancer Focus NI is a local cancer charity that provides a wide range of services for Northern Ireland cancer patients and their families. These include counselling and family support, bra and swimwear fitting for mastectomy patients, art therapy, Beauty for Life, stop smoking services and Keeping Well vans providing community health checks and advice. The charity also funds major research and carries out cancer prevention schemes in workplaces, schools and at community venues. This donation will help to continue our FREE services, helping cancer patients and their families across Northern Ireland. This donation will help so many cancer patients and their families, here, in Northern Ireland.” If you are interested in finding more information about Cancer Focus NI, please contact Rosie on rosieforsythe@cancerfocusni.org or call 028 9068 0759.
INDUSTRY WELCOMES BELFAST HUB CONSULTATION
• Employer pension contributions will increase from 3% to 4% (or £10.24 whichever is higher). • Employee pension contributions will increase from 4% to 5%. Employees were advised of this change in their annual statement. If you have not already done so please email the scheme at info@enhancepensionscheme. co.uk to confirm that you have communicated this change to your employees. Non-contributing members On 5 December 2016 the Scheme will change to an arrangement where if the employee does not contribute, there will be no employer contribution. The payment for death in service cover will not change. Changes to Working Rule 6 & Standard Contract of Employment As previously advised, the Joint Council for the Building & Civil Engineering Industry (Northern Ireland) promulgated changes to Working Rules 6 (Pension & Death Benefit) and the standard contract of employment. These changes are effective from 5 December 2016. The Promulgation Notice, revised Working Rules Agreement and revised standard contract of employment can be accessed in the Resources section of the CEF website, once logged in to the Member Dashboard.
Commenting after Translink announced a public consultation on plans for the Belfast Hub, Construction Employers Federation Managing Director John Armstrong said: “The Hub is a hugely important scheme not just for Belfast but for all of Northern Ireland. It is critical not just for further growth in the use of public transport but also for enhancing Northern Ireland’s attractiveness as a region to do business and invest in. Accompanied by the plans for the Derry/Londonderry Transport Hub, the two schemes will be of major benefit to the community that they serve and in respect of their job creation potential both within the construction industry and beyond. “In its 2016/17 Budget, the Northern Ireland Executive set aside approximately £120m, over four years, for the design, construction and completion of the Belfast Hub. Along with the York Street Interchange however, there is some uncertainty as to how elements of the scheme will be funded given the vote in June to leave the EU. It is critical that these challenges are confronted head on and in an innovative way. With half of the site set aside for commercial development, a range of funding options are undoubtedly on the table and we would strongly advocate that these are given full and prompt examination. “Given the significant sustainability challenges that the local construction industry is currently facing, it is absolutely vital that construction begins on schedule in 2018 as it will be a welcome boost to both main contractors and the supply chain. The scheme will also, unquestionably, lead to the creation and sustaining of hundreds of construction jobs. For these reasons, and for its wider economic benefits, the Hub is a vital investment that deserves Northern Ireland’s full support.”
INDUSTRY GIVES POSITIVE WELCOME TO AUTUMN STATEMENT Commenting after today’s Autumn Statement by the Chancellor, Construction Employers Federation Managing Director John Armstrong said: “Since June’s vote to leave the European Union, UK-wide data on both GDP and the monthly Purchasing Managers Index has painted a very bleak picture for our industry. The additional £250m of capital expenditure, over the coming 4 years, announced by the Chancellor today is therefore a welcome boost for the local construction industry, building on the First Step Stimulus announced by the Finance Minister last month. Today’s announcement is also a positive reflection on the pressure that the Northern Ireland Executive, particularly the Finance Minister, has put on the UK Government in recent months to recognise the particular economic challenges that we face. “All eyes will now turn to the publication of the Executive’s 2017-21 Budget, especially for capital expenditure, on 19 December. This must deal with the key challenges that industry has highlighted in recent months: • Reinforcing the need for greater accountability around the timely delivery of the Executive’s infrastructure pipeline; • The need for a multi-year budget approach for road maintenance; • A clear path towards the delivery of the York Street Interchange and Belfast Transport Hub projects including the full examination of alternative forms of finance to achieve this; • The widening of the budget envelope available to the Northern Ireland public sector to invest in capital expenditure, notably via local council borrowing and; • A timeframe for the taking forward of the Northern Ireland Investment Fund as alluded to by the Finance Minister in the Assembly yesterday. These are the investment and jobs critical challenges that our Executive faces in the short to medium term and we look forward to engaging with Ministers and officials on these in the run up to 19 December.” On the Apprenticeship Levy, Mr Armstrong said: “As had been expected, the Government is pressing ahead with the introduction of the new Levy in April 2017 as planned. From the perspective of the construction John Armstrong industry this again reinforces the need for the immediate publication of a Northern Ireland consultation on the matter and a Northern Ireland-specific employer guide. In addition, there must be further reflection on the fact that the construction industry already pays a statutory levy to the Construction Industry Training Board and this will continue post-April. The new Levy will therefore impose a significant additional financial burden on many of Northern Ireland’s leading contractors when many continue to face significant sustainability challenges as a result of modest pipelines of work and incredibly tight margins specifically, but not solely, on public sector projects.”
NOTICE OF PROMULGATION – WAGES & OTHER BENEFITS The Joint Council for the Building & Civil Engineering Industry (Northern Ireland) has decided to promulgate the changes to wages and other benefits effective from Monday 21 November 2016. Federation members can access this information via the Member Dashboard of the CEF website.
ELECTRICAL LICENCE TO PRACTICE – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Northern Ireland is currently leading the way in the UK, with the industry’s electrical Licence to Practice (LtP) system. The LtP initiative has become subject to a formal Procurement Guidance Note (PGN) and has been applied to all appropriate Government construction contracts from February 1, 2016. This means that procurement and contract documentation issued from this date, will contain the requirement that the main contractor, electrical contractor, sub-contractor and electrical workers are registered with the LtP System for specified projects. How does LtP work? The industry’s LtP initiative is the first of its kind in the UK. PGN 01/16 requires that only licensed electricians and workers are employed to undertake electrical installation work on behalf of Government clients. This means that any electrical workers undertaking work on government construction projects must be Licensed to Practice.
CEF/SpecifyCEF awards |29
THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN IRELAND Northern Ireland is currently leading the way in the UK, with the industry’s electrical Licence to Practice (LtP) system.
The LtP initiative has become subject to a formal Procurement Guidance Note (PGN) and has been applied to all appropriate Government construction contracts from February 1, 2016. This means that procurement and contract documentation issued from this date, will contain the requirement that the main contractor, electrical contractor, sub-contractor and electrical workers are registered with the LtP System for specified projects. How does LtP work? The industry’s LtP initiative is the first of its kind in the UK. PGN 01/16 requires that only licenced electricians and workers are employed to undertake electrical installation work on behalf of Government clients. This means that any electrical workers undertaking work on government construction projects must be Licenced to Practice. A unique system has been developed that connects the competency of individual electrical workers, on a project by project basis, by licence type. This appears in the form of an online workforce composition report, providing the client with visibility, transparency and reporting tools that deter fraud and encourage improved contract performance. Why was it developed? Quality improvement and value for money are the drivers for LtP. At the present time, there are circa 2,500 to 3,000 practising electrical workers in Northern Ireland. Over half of these workers are dependent on projects emanating from the Public Sector. Significant numbers of electrical workers are either unqualified or underqualified, for the work that they are tasked to carry out. LtP is aimed at providing the client with a resource to discern and select the preferred electrical contractor, based on the competency and composition of their direct and sub-contracted workforce. The system is primarily designed to highlight the competency of electrical workers to the client. A secondary purpose of the system, is to help motivate and steer unqualified and underqualified workers to meet acceptable client and industry standards. Main Contractor Responsibilities If awarded the contract, the main contractor will be required to:
• • • •
Register with the LtP system Ensure that any sub-contractor(s) undertaking electrical work is/are registered with the same LtP system Ensure timely connections are made with electrical contractors and workers via the LtP system Ensure that all electrical workers employed to undertake electrical work on the contract are Licenced to Practice
Monitoring and Compliance by the Main Contractor It is important that implementation of the LtP requirement is monitored throughout the project. As part of this, the Main Contractor is required to provide appropriate evidence to demonstrate compliance with the LtP requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, verification via self-declaration by the main contractor; by carrying out onsite identification checks of electrical workers against records held in the LtP database; by facilitating random on-site inspections by the LtP system provider; and by reports extracted from the LtP system indicating the composition of the electrical workforce by Licence Type. Next Steps If you are a Main Contractor and are wholly or partly dependant on Public Sector contracts, you are advised to register your business with SparkSafe via the online application at www.sparksafeltp.co.uk. Registration for main contractor is free. Now is a good time to assess your readiness and compliance with the requirements of the electrical Licence to Practice system. To seek advice or request a visit from the SparkSafe team contact on 028 25 666 835 or email enquiries@sparksafeltp.co.uk
SAFETY FOCUS: READY TO MEET YOUR NEEDS The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) is delighted to announce the launch of a new health and safety service: Safety Focus. The service provides members with access to a highly qualified but practical health and safety expert. Call us today to avail of your free consultation. Jon Mowbray is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and has in excess of twenty years’ experience as a construction health and safety practitioner. Safety Focus will deliver a service bespoke to each company’s needs, allowing a tailored approach to improving users health and safety performance. The options available include, but are not limited, to:
• • • • • • • •
CDM Compliance Check Documentation review Review of site practices Site inspections Accident investigation Reaction to an improvement notice Action plan development for health and safety improvement Health & Safety mentoring
Members can use the service as and when required providing flexibility in a constantly evolving area of the industry. A free ten-minute consultation is available for users to discuss their needs with Jon prior to arranging any further visits. Safety Focus will be charged on a half or full day basis. John Armstrong, Managing Director of the Construction Employers Federation said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of Safety Focus. Construction companies clearly recognise that the health and safety of their employees and the public is of paramount importance. It is clear that huge improvements have been made in construction health and safety over the last decade but more can be done. Safety Focus will complement the existing H&S offering from 143 Malone Road and due to its bespoke nature it will benefit member companies of all sizes. I would urge you to avail of the free ten-minute consultation to discover how your company can best utilise this new service”. To arrange your free ten minute consultation please contact Janet Millar on 028 9087 7143 or janetm@cefni.co.uk
The former Maxol HQ has been renamed Annon House for Mount Charles
Annon House –
a gamechanger for Mount Charles Mascotts most recent project has been the successfully delivered Annon House for the Mount Charles Group. Mount Charles are Ireland’s largest indigenous foodservice and they worked with Mascott to bring their vision for their new Headquarters to life. The 10,000-square foot Maxol House on Ormeau Road, was the former HQ of Botanic Inns and is now home to about 50 of the company’s 2,000-strong workforce.
It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, with a focus on creating an open plan environment with shared spaces and break-out areas that will encourage collaboration between various Mount Charles divisions. The building was officially opened in December by First Minister Arlene Foster who thanked Mascott Construction Europe and praised Mount Charles as a “huge Northern Ireland success story”. “The company’s strong position
The Interior of Annon House
The Reception at Annon House
in what is a very competitive marketplace is indicative of how well run and innovative the business has become over the last three decades,” she added, “with the opening of these new headquarters, Mount Charles is delivering a statement of intent, a vote of confidence in Northern Ireland, in its workforce and in the future of the business.” Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of Mount Charles said: “We
are very excited about this move, which we view as a gamechanger for Mount Charles. Our revenues as of September 2016, totalled £31m and we have recently outlined our ambitious plans for the ‘Road to £50m’ whereby we aim to achieve revenues of that amount by 2020. We conservatively estimate that our employee figures would rise from 2,000 to more than 3,000 when we hit that target.”
Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director, Mount Charles tells Specify about the problems Mount Charles faced in finding a new headquarters in Belfast and how purchasing the former Maxol House and converting it into state of the art premises will support the catering company’s ambitious growth strategy… We’d been looking for new premises for around five years, initially for a head office with adjoining warehouse
We were clear about what we wanted; a new headquarters that would reflect not only the innovative way in which we do business, but also our commitment to the future of Mount Charles. The building had been vacant for four years so was in some disrepair and in any case, we wanted a very different look and feel to what was already in place. To ensure each of the three floors in the 10,000 square foot office would be bright and airy, we pulled down walls and false ceilings to create a fit for purpose, open-concept space
The Building now includes formal and informal meeting rooms
space that could house our vending, cleaning and security divisions.
with industrial touches and high-tech features.
It became clear that finding one building in Greater Belfast to suit our diverse needs was going to be next to impossible and so we moved to Plan B, which was a separate HQ and warehousing. In 2014 our vending, cleaning and security operations moved into a 14,000 sq ft site on Montgomery Road, while the search for the main HQ continued. Then, in December 2015 we were successful in our bid for Maxol House on the Ormeau Road, and from that moment it was very much all systems go.
The renovated building, now named Annon House after our company Chairman, includes offices with floor to ceiling glass windows, colourful break-out areas on every floor for
Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director of mMount Charles. informal meetings, project rooms and even a putting green. We’ve also installed a kitchen on each floor, including a demonstration
kitchen that our Group Development Chef will use for training and to develop new food offerings. Refurbishing older office space is
A tender process saw Mascott Construction successful in winning the contract to carry out an extensive refurbishment project which began in May 2016 and led from our side by Project Manager Gavin Annon. The offices are open concept with colourful break out areas
expensive - we invested a figure close to £1.6 million - and takes time; almost a year in our case. It might have been cheaper and quicker to find another space to lease, but while finding the right place to buy was a challenge, it was very important to us to do so. It ultimately paints a bigger picture of what we’re trying to achieve as a company, demonstrating our commitment to both our people and the wider economy. Our vision was to create an innovative, high-tech space that would encourage increased collaboration between our 50-strong head office team. We moved from our old premises on Shaftesbury Square in mid October, and already we are reaping the benefits. I’ve seen better communication between departments, more brainstorming, more creativity and crucially, more productivity and focus on where we’re going as a business. Our employees are, we hope, filled with a renewed sense of motivation and we believe that our state-ofthe-art new home will also prove to be very attractive when it comes
Walls and false ceilings we’re taken down to create a bright airy space
to attracting talent in the future. We view the investment in Annon House as a ‘gamechanger’ for Mount Charles and one which will support our ambitious growth strategy as we move towards and beyond our 30th year in business. Annon House now includes a putting green!
Mount Charles has invested close to 1.6million on Annon House.
Award-winning mechanical services Hanna Mechanical Services was voted Commercial Contractor of the Year at the 2016 NI Plumbing & Heating Awards. Specify travelled to Carryduff and caught up with founder / proprietor Gary Hanna to find out more about this exceptional, award-winning commercial, industrial and largescale residential plumbing and heating specialist. Established in 2003, Hanna Mechanical Services has developed an outstanding reputation in all aspects of mechanical services installations, having been involved in a large number of diverse projects across Northern Ireland and beyond. Never was the high esteem in which this company is held more evident than when they were selected as Commercial Contractor of the Year at the prestigious 2016 Northern Ireland Plumbing & Heating Awards, having
impressed the judges with their superb, innovative solutions and workmanship when installing and modifying the mechanical services at Danske Bank’s branch at Donegal Square West in Belfast city centre. For this pioneering project, Hanna Mechanical Services pre-fabricated a containerised boiler house which was shipped to the site overnight, lifted onto the rooftop and connected to existing pipework in the building. A new gas line was installed – running up the side of the building - to supply the new boiler house and the redundant boilers were removed from site once the new installation was fired up. Delivering a project of such complexity with a minimum of fuss epitomises Hanna Mechanical Services’ ability to successfully complete projects in a practical, contemporary, prompt and cost-effective manner.The business has grown organically during the 14 years since Gary Hanna set it up as a company structure, providing high-quality mechanical services installations all over the U.K including recent projects in the Shetland Islands and London. Employment is structured directly for a team of vastly experienced management and on tools personnel. Gary has a strong belief in training apprentices and staff to his own high standards.He admits it was humbling to be recognised at the NI Plumbing & Heating Awards but concedes that picking up
CONTACT US Tel: +44 (0)28 9081 7841
Email: info@hannamechanical.com www.hannamechanical.com
such accolades is not particularly high on his list of priorities: “Providing quality workmanship and keeping my staff in work are the main things driving this business”. What are the keys to achieving this? “Answering to customers’ needs. I do a lot of one-on-ones with clients and I always make sure they are happy with the work – both before and after completion and that it’s on time and efficient. Each job is different and you have to be flexible.” A good example of the varied nature of work carried out is the recent installation of a still at Shortcross Gin’s Rademon Estate Distillery in Crossgar. ISO 9001 certified since 2006, Hanna Mechanical Services pride themselves on the work they have carried out and gained a solid reputation within the industry for their ability to work within increasingly tight contract programmes while maintaining a high level of workmanship. Working closely with private clients, contractors, architects and mechanical consultants, Hanna Mechanical Services offers a vast range of services such as heating from domestic to steam works, plumbing, HVAC, renewable energies, compressed air and sprinkler systems. Such is the demand for Hanna Mechanical Services quality workmanship that typically, Gary could be overseeing up to six or seven projects at any one given time. Alongside Danske Bank throughout Belfast and Antrim, other recent projects include GPS Printers Belfast, Ballymoney High School, Sumburgh Airport on the Shetland Islands, an apartment block development in Camden Town, London and ongoing factory extensions/upgrades plus maintenance works at Mash Direct in Comber, Newtownards. Maintenance contracts account for up to 40% of business, including regular work for Almac Pharmaceuticals in Portadown. Hanna Mechanical have also carried out a variety of refurbishment and maintenance work at Belfast City Hospital, including a demanding project to supply and install four plate heat exchangers to replace the old inefficient steam calorifiers, where the programming and coordination proved critical as
the LPHW heating system had to remain fully operational throughout the duration of the project, requiring intensive onsite coordination.Over the years, Hanna Mechanical Services have also provided mechanical works to Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast, Merchant Hotel, Gateway Hotel, Cliftonville Football Club, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Carryduff, O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors, Castlecourt Shopping Centre, Ivex Pharmaceuticals, Glenview Hotel, Henry Moore Building and Ulster Farm By-products Ltd. Looking to the future, Gary Hanna is confident that further growth can be achieved. “I’m confident that there’s a market there for “green” buildings and as the market grows, we are in a good position to organically grow as a business”, he concludes. “ Our clients are looking for us to come up with solutions that are value-engineering to gain the best install while keeping a high integrity including factoring in the most efficient system to keep on time and within budget.” The signs are encouraging that this exceptional mechanical services contractor can continue to go from strength to strength.
Emerson House 14B Ballynahinch Road Carryduff Belfast BT8 8DN
46| Fleet Finanical
FLEET FINANCIAL PUTS CHARITY DRIVE INTO FIRST GEAR
Pictured announcing the donation are (foreground from L-R) Philip Miley, Sales and Marketing Director of Fleet Financial and Noel Lamb, Chair of Hope for Youth NI’s Board of Trustees. The remaining board members pictured are (from L-R) Emma Nicholson, Vanne Campbell, Earl of Erne, Dr Miriam McCarthy, Eugenia Dunn, Henrietta Reade, Johnny Andrews, James Jackson, and Tom Chambré.
NI’s leading contract hire and vehicle management provider Fleet Financial has donated £31,000 to Hope for Youth NI as part of the ongoing celebrations and major fundraising effort by the company to mark two decades in business in 2016. The substantial sum was raised during a Gala Ball in April, with the funds distributed among Hope for Youth’s partner groups, affiliates and organisations throughout Northern Ireland. Philip Miley, Sales and Marketing Director, Fleet Financial, said; “Hope for Youth is an incredible organisation that helps change the lives of young people across Northern Ireland and we are delighted to support the very valuable work they do. “It has been a privilege to partner with such a worthwhile charity, as we both celebrate our twentieth anniversaries, and the funds raised by our customers, partners, staff and friends at the Gala Ball event earlier this year will allow Hope for Youth’s stellar work to continue.” During the last 20 years Hope for
Youth has raised over £1m to support cross-community projects for young people aged 11-18 in Northern Ireland regardless of their background. The projects are focused on developing teamwork, creativity and personal life skills, especially within the arts, music and the great outdoors. Noel Lamb, Chair of the charity’s Board of Trustees, said; “This is a hugely generous donation from Fleet Financial and we look forward to using it to enable the projects we support across Northern
Ireland to continue their lifechanging and lifesaving work with children and young people. “Projects are underway to provide opportunities for groups of children from diverse backgrounds, to gain a much better understanding of these communities and gain awareness and selfrespect. Thanks to the support of Fleet Financial, we can embrace this diversity and in
doing so create an enhanced Northern Ireland for both today and the future.” Launched in February 1996, Fleet Financial has played a leading role in supporting businesses across the UK and Ireland and is officially Northern Ireland’s Best Fleet Provider following consecutive award wins at the Business Eye Fleet Awards for two consecutive years. The firm is also the highest-ranking Northern Ireland fleet company in the UK’s official Top 50 list as compiled by industry bible Fleet News.
48| Out There
LOOKING OUT THERE TO THE FUTURE
Entering into the New Year, 2017 is set to be an exciting one for Northern Ireland’s Largest Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Contractor, Out There Services. Formerly The Landscape Centre, the company ended 2016 having completed a total re-brand and beginning the next phase of their business, venturing into mainland UK markets. Business Development Director Trevor Spence commented on the change “With over 250 employees and 70 commercial vehicles on the road, the Business has grown substantially from the small family business we originated as and we needed a brand that represented the size and scale of the company.” Established in 1981, Out There has over 35 years’ experience in Landscape Design, Landscape Installation, Grounds Maintenance, Tree Surgery and Environmental Management Services. Working in Partnership with Donnelly Brothers Northern Ireland, a brand new fleet of 70 vehicles are set to roll out across the UK by the end of 2017, with the first phase of vehicles already on the road. The second phase of vehicles are due to be released in February / March. Out There are also working with John Deere and are set to introduce new grass cutting machinery into the fleet in March. The new brand has also brought success to Out There Services, as they have been awarded a new Grounds
Maintenance Contract in North London which is due to commence in Spring 2017 and will run for 5 years. “With a current turnover of approximately £8.5 million per year, we have set what we feel are achievable growth targets of 10-15% per year, allowing us to go from strength to strength” says Spence, “The advantage Out There have, is that we are a one stop shop for all our clients, we hold a unique offering of being able to design, build and maintain projects all under one roof using our own in-house resources”. Out There not only aim to be the market leader for grounds maintenance and landscaping services, but want to maintain the same community focused ethos which has been part of who they have been for the past 35 years. They want to empower communities to actively play a role in the work that they do, to ensure lasting positive change that makes life Out There better for everyone.
Out There Charity Work
Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are Out There’s chosen charity partners for the year 2016-2017. At the end of last year, the Company managed to raise over £11,000 for these two charities during two major events. The first was taking part in Prudential 100’s Ride London, where a team of six employees cycled 100 miles in aid of CRY, with the second being “Tache for Cash” where 25 male employees grew a moustache during the month of November in aid of Cancer Focus NI.
Another busy and exciting year ahead for Out There Services, they are showing no sign of slowing down. True to their nature of business, the plans are to keep growing and maintain a thriving business in the Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance sector.
For more information, visit www.outthereservices.com, @ outhereforyou on Twitter or Out There Services on Facebook. For any further enquiries, email Trevor Spence at trevor@outthereservices.com. to deliver them.”
Our intuitive online service is designed to let you choose the criteria for relevant project leads based on what construction sectors you’re focused on including location, project stage and value range. *This data was generated on 19th Dec 2016. For further details on any of these projects simply contact us on:
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Phone:
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CIVIL AND UTILITIES ProjectID Title 845451 €30m - Blanchardstown Regional Drainage Scheme (BRDS) 789874 £150m - A6 Dualling
Stage
Category
Value
County
Tender
Civil and Utilities
€30,000,000
Co. Dublin
Contract Awarded
Civil and Utilities
£150,000,000
Co. Londonderry
Stage
Category
Value
County
Tender Tender
Community and Sport Community and Sport
£20,000,000 £20,000,000
Co. Antrim Co. Antrim
Stage
Category
Value
County
Tender Tender
Education Education
€12,000,000 £9,200,000
Co. Wexford Co. Londonderry
Tender
Education
£100,000,000
Co. Tyrone
COMMUNITY AND SPORT ProjectID Title 888650 £20m - Leisure Centre 888649 £20m - Leisure Facility
EDUCATION ProjectID Title 802706 €12m - School Building 855320 £9.2m - School 882017 £100m - Shared Education Campus
HOSPITALITY ProjectID Title
Stage
Category
Value
County
805402 £9.3m - Hotel 848435 £8m - Designer 63-Bedroom Hotel 806183 £5.4m - Student Accommodation 834067 £30m - 4-Star Hotel
On Site Contract Awarded
Hospitality Hospitality
£9,307,720 £8,000,000
Co. Antrim Co. Antrim
On Site On Site
Hospitality Hospitality
£5,435,786 £30,000,000
Co. Antrim Co. Antrim
850228 £25m - Hotel Development
On Site
Hospitality
£25,000,000
Co. Antrim
MEDICAL ProjectID Title
Stage
Category
Value
County
804596 €25m - Radiation Oncology Centre 824367 €17.2m - Nursing Home Development 850192 €12m - Nursing Home Development
Tender
Medical
€25,000,000
Co. Cork
Contract Awarded Contract Awarded
Medical Medical
€17,206,875 €12,000,000
Co. Dublin Co. Dublin
896884 £9.1m - BHSCT Frameworks for Consultancy Services 836168 £35m - Hospital Extension
Tender On Site
Medical Medical
£9,100,000 £35,953,421
Co. Antrim Co. Londonderry
Stage
Category
Value
County
822024 €51m - Residential Development 910280 €50m - Social Residential Schemes Proposals 910185 €14m - Rapid Delivery Housing 818520 €12m - Residential Development
On Site Tender
Residential Residential
€51,079,000 €50,000,000
Co. Dublin Co. Galway
Tender On Site
Residential Residential
€14,000,000 €12,000,000
Co. Dublin Co. Dublin
576093 £8m - Housing Scheme, Phase 1 794169 £7.1m - Residential Development 899782 £320m - Heating Services 2016 903751 £17.5m - Social Housing Development
On Site On Site
Residential Residential
£8,142,165 £7,166,724
Co. Antrim Co. Antrim
Tender Tender
Residential Residential
£320,000,000 £17,500,000
Co. Antrim Co. Londonderry
854435 £17m - Residential Development (246) 890640 £100m - Social Housing, Land, Design and Build
Contract Awarded Tender
Residential Residential
£17,021,250 £100,000,000
Co. Down Co. Antrim
RESIDENTIAL ProjectID Title
ABORICULTURAL CONSULTANCY
AUTOmATIC dOORS
BUILdINg INfORmATION
CONCRETE
Professional & Impartial Services Tree inspections (ground & aerial) Tree Surveys Tree Hazard Identification Mortgage Reports Vegetation Management Schedules Legal Dispute/ Expert Witness Services High Hedge Legislation advice Planning Consultations Woodland Management Plans Tree Planting & Landscape Design All consultancy work is conducted by fully qualified and experienced personnel and is covered by £1m professional indemnity insurance.
Northstone (NI) Ltd, Company No. 4078, Registered Office: 99 Kingsway, Dunmurry Belfast BT17 9NU Correspondence Address: Northstone (NI) Limited Materials Division Shinny Road, Coleraine BT51 4PS Tel: 028 7032 1100
Clarke Cunningham Tree Maintenance Ltd. 69 Upper Mealough Road Carryduff, BT8 8LR TEL: 028 9081 4488, Fax: 028 9081 4333 Email: info@treemaintenance.com Website: www.treemaintenance.com
CAvITY TRAYS
ACCESS SOLUTIONS
Manufacturers of preformed cavitrays, caviclosers, cavivents, caviweeps, dampcourses, arches, lintels, airbricks, membranes, barriers, flashings, ventilators; cavibricks. Radon and Methane protection systems. Wide range of preformed systems from the largest and longest established specialist. Products with Agrement certificates to British Standards. LABC Product Type Approval. Free design and advisory service. For high performance products with warranty. Cavity Trays Ltd is the only tray manufacturer awarded European Technical approval.
Quality Access Equipment & Bespoke Access Solutions • Ladders • Stepladders • Scaffold Towers • Platforms & Podiums • Engineering & Fabrication • Inspections • Training Clow Group Ltd. 2/24 Limestone Road Belfast BT15 3AJ Tel: +44 (0)2890 749 748 Fax: +44 (0)2890 749 758 Email: enquiries@clowgroup.co.uk Web: www.clowgroup.co.uk
CONCRETE
TO AdvERTISE CONTACT... Paul Bradwell, Siobhan Kissward Sales Manager 028 9078 3218 Tel: 028 9278 0108
siobhankissward@greerpublications.com paulbradwell@greerpublications.com
Walkway Systems Scaffold Tower Systems Edge Protection System Fall Arrest & Personal Protection Equipment Promoting ‘Safe Working Platforms’ Ridgeway 103 Airport Road Belfast, BT3 9ED Tel: 028 9045 4599 Fax: 028 9045 4596 Email: info@ridgeway-online.com Web: www.ridgeway-online.com
CES Liquid Screed • Reduced build height • Reduced drying times • Reduced health and safety risk • Reduced tile adhesive • Increased strength • Increased thermal properties
CES LIquId SCREEd Doran's Rock Quarry & Concrete Works, 124 Crossgar Road, Saintfield, Co. Down, BT24 7JQ Email: sales@cesquarryproducts.com Web: www.cesquarryproducts.com
Acoustic and fire barriers /stops for cavity wall specifications. New range to suppress sound transmission with up to fours hours fire integrity rating Level threshold isolation dpc's and compatible vertical closers now available. Immediate distribution from stock Cavity Trays Limited Contact: Stephen Leyland Ltd, Castings House, Quarry Heights, North Road, Newtownards BT23 7SZ Tel: 028 9182 2522 Fax: 028 9182 2558 Cavity Trays Ltd New Administration Centre, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 8HU Tel: 01935 474769 Fax: 01935 428223 E-mail: enquiries@cavitytrays.co.uk
ConCrEtE
ConCrEtE
FIrE & SECUrItY
“Northern Ireland’s Leading FamilyOwned Fire & Security Specialists” Diamond Systems have been providing innovative fire and security solutions for a range of clients, throughout Northern Ireland for over 27 years, from commercial and industrial premises to public sector and residential.
Calor gas Northern Ireland Limited
• Fire Detection & Alarm • Fire Suppression Systems • Integration • Intruder Detection & Alarm • CCTV • Access Control • Remote Monitoring • Emergency Communications Systems
Airport Road West, Sydenham, Belfast, BT3 9EE. Tel: 028 9045 5588 E-mail: info@calorgas.ie Website: www.calorgas.ie
DESIgN
INSTALLATION
FACADES Quality Precast Solutions for Building and Civil Construction
Swiss Facades Transforming Exterior Facades
• Asset BEBO Bridge Arches • Redi-Rock Wall Systems • Box Culverts • Bridge Parapets • Manhole Rings & Slabs • Heads & Sills, Copings and Edgings • Above Ground Post-Tensioned Tanks
Premium Swiss Quality Panel Systems for High End Architecture
COMMISSIONINg
MAINTENANCE
Diamond Electronic Systems Ltd Unit 1a Harbour Court, 5 Heron Road, Belfast BT3 9HB Tel: 028 9020 7207 Email: info@diamondsystems.co.uk www.diamondsystems.co.uk
GAS
Moore Concrete Products Caherty House, 41 Woodside Road, Ballymena BT42 2QH Tel: 028 2565 2566 Fax: 028 2565 8480 Email: info@moore-concrete.com Web: www.moore-concrete.com
Swiss Facades Contact Anne Hurl. Tel: +44 (0)7554 056930 Office Tel: +44 (0)28 79632026 Email us info@swissfacades.com www.swissfacades.com
PAVInG Supplying Northern Ireland's leading architect and builders Acheson & Glover has been in business for more than 50 years. As well as in-depth experience we offer the widest range of concrete products in the UK and Ireland - from manhole covers to decorative walling and paving. Then there’s our unique range of problem solvers:
• • • • • •
RTU LTd
Cloughfern Avenue, Newtownabbey, BT37 0UZ T: +44 (0)28 9085 1441 E: info@rtu.co.uk
www.rtu.co.uk
SEGMENTAL RETAINING WALLS ACOUSTIC BLOCKS THERMAL BLOCKS PERMEABLE PAVING PRESTRESSED FLOORING BESPOKE (contact us to discuss your needs)
Acheson & glover Ltd. 64 Old Moy Road Dungannon Co. Tyrone BT71 6PU Tel: 028 8778 4208 Fax: 028 8778 4805 Email: solutions@acheson-glover.com Web: www.acheson-glover.com
GAS
Flogas goes far beyond simply managing and supplying bulk and cylinder LP Gas requirements. Choosing LP Gas from Flogas not only opens the door to a versatile, highly efficient energy source with affordable installation and running costs – we create and implement tailored energy solutions specific to client applications. Our experience covers a comprehensive range of markets including domestic (both single dwelling and metered estates), catering, commercial, industrial, agricultural and automotive. CPD Learning CPD sessions are now available from Flogas to assist architects, planning consultants and other specifiers in updating their core learning and knowledge. For more information visit www.flogasni.com/cpd. Flogas Airport Road West Belfast Harbour Estate BELFAST BT3 9ED Tel: 028 9073 2611 Email: info@flogasni.com Web: www.flogasni.com
Calor is a leading supplier of cleaner, efficient LPG energy solutions in Northern Ireland with specialist knowledge covering all sectors Including Industrial, Commercial, Hospitality, Agriculture, and Domestic. We offer our customers: • Tailored energy solution • Full design service • Technical support and guidance • 24-hour emergency call out Calor Accredited CPD programme available. Content includes LPg Product Knowledge, gas Regulations and Standards. Courses are FREE of charge and available by arrangement with one of our Calor Business Development Engineers. Contact cpd@calorgas.ie
web directory www.wilplas.com
Paul Bradwell, Kissward to advertise Siobhan Sales Manager 028 9078 3218 ContaCt... Tel: 028 9278 0108
siobhankissward@greerpublications.com
www.diamondsystems.co.uk
www.spanwall.com
www.calorgas.ie
www.1080.co.uk
www.flogasni.com
www.gqaqualifications.com
www.jncfence.com
web Directory directory |53 Web www.nkfencing.com
www.acefixings.com
www.contractceilings.com
www.bestvaluegabions.com
www.whitemountain.co.uk
www.ridgefence.com
Whitemountain Quarries Ltd, 11 Sheepwalk Road, Lisburn, Co. Antrim. BT28 3RD Telephone: 028 9250 1000 • Fax: 028 9250 1100
www.willisinsurance.co.uk
www.oplanofficefurniture.co.uk
web directory |55
54| Web Directory www.mclarke.co.uk
www.balloohire.com
www.swissfacades.com
www.treemaintenance.com
www.pronetsafetyservices.com
www.swissfacades.com
www.gyproc.ie
www.yeomanshield.com
Hays | 55
Time to plan ahead and achieve a level of stability: Hays By Mark Wade, Director at Hays Northern Ireland
ICE Regional Director Richard Kirk kicks off the Innovation Debate at W5 on 8 December. The panel included Kieren Harte (Uber Ireland & Northern Ireland), Emer Murnaghan OBE (GRAHAM), Dr Joanne Stuart OBE(Catalyst Inc.) and David Clarke (McAvoy Group).
It would be an understatement to describe 2016 as a year of uncertainty.
Department for the Economy in June when 24 employers put 50 new civil engineering apprenticeships on offer.
Rebounding from an unexpected Brexit referendum result, many of us were surprised once again by the unanticipated result of the US presidential elections at the end of the year.
Organisations are finding it increasingly tough to attract engineers with the right mix of skills at intermediate and pre-chartered level across all specialisms. This stems from a relative lack of graduates entering employment in the sector between 2008 and 2012.
We’re going to be dealing with the implications of 2016 for a long time to come. But things are settling down. We now know what is coming towards us in 2017 and the challenge will be to plan ahead and achieve a level of stability, and to do this the construction industry needs to urgently address the skill shortages it faces. At Hays we are proud to be partners of The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), whose Work+ apprenticeship scheme is a great example of where the government, professional bodies and employers can work productively toward a common goal. Work+ was launched by the
So this scheme answers both the immediate and long term needs of the profession. It allows apprentices as young as 16 to earn as they learn, to gain invaluable industry experience, and to set their feet on a direct pathway to higher levels of professional and technical work. Not only is it an excellent way to bring new talent into the industry but the scheme is open to schoolleavers as well as older entrants who are retraining. Apprentices can progress right up to Master’s degree equivalent or they can step away from the scheme at the stage that suits
them. The scheme is open to men and women transitioning from other professions and seeking higher level jobs. Work+ is an excellent way to achieve EngTech, IEng and CEng professional qualifications with ICE which are recognised around the world. With major infrastructure projects such as York Street Interchange, Belfast Transport Hub, and the dualling of the A5 and A6, and on-going work to improve both the water treatment and water supply in the province, it is critical that this skills shortage is addressed. And ICE Regional Director Richard Kirk tells us that the industry is looking to the future and focusing on maintaining the skills pipeline. He also feels there are strong opportunities ahead, driven by technological development and innovation. “We want to make the most of the opportunity apprenticeships schemes offer the industry and to make the industry attractive to young people and also to their parents,” he says.
“But in making the profession attractive, we have other questions to answer such as; what is the role of the civil engineer in an increasingly digital world? Very often organisations are recruiting for jobs which did not exist only a few years ago. 2017 will be a year to explore and complement technological changes with our minds set firmly on professional and skills development.” Our shared aim through this partnership with ICE in 2017 is to welcome new entrants to the profession and meet the demand for skills. As a key part of that scheme, Hays is sponsoring a series of evening events at the prestigious MAC arts centre in Belfast where some of our foremost civil engineering and infrastructure projects are showcased. To find out more about Hays Northern Ireland log on to hays.co.uk/ni or follow us on Twitter @HaysN_Ireland If you want to learn more about Work+, email iceni@ice. org.uk.
V B Evans & Company are pleased to have been chosen to undertake responsibility for the bi-monthly collation of this data and sponsor its publication. With over 70 years of experience in business the firm provides a wide range of quality assured professional quantity surveying and other consultancy services to Northern Ireland clients who seek value for money and appropriate contract advice for their building design or refurbishment proposals. The Specify Prices published here are representative of the market price of each building material, having been assessed from a variety of local sources which in the present competitive economic climate prefer not to be named. Readers are advised to verify individual prices with a local merchant for their particular needs since our prices are necessarily averaged for guidance purposes. We hope that these pages may be of assistance to readers but would welcome any constructive suggestions for amendment to include information which would be appropriate to your needs. Material prices at December 2016. Prices are exclusive of VAT. Discounts will apply. This information is compiled specifically for Specify periodicals and is copyright.
Building Materials Prices
56 | prices 80| VB Evans AGGREGATES Full loads delivered Central Belfast 50mm Crusher run 100mm Crusher run Fine Blinding Coarse Blinding 6mm Stone 10mm Stone Building Sand Washed Sand
Web: www.vbevans.com
Quantity Surveying Building Surveying Project Management CDM Planning Supervision
Metric-sized concrete blocks, delivered to Belfast area, full loads, mechanically off-loaded per 1,000 £424.00 440x215x100 3.5N/mm2 £433.50 440x215x100 7Nmm2 £434.00 440x215x100 10Nmm2 £513.50 440x300x100 7Nmm2 £535.00 440x300x100 10Nmm2 £410.00 Concrete brick 15Nmm2 803.00 440x215x100 Tolite
FINISHED SOFTWOOD
Metric-sized concrete bricks delivered
Per 100 metres, ex-yard, random lengths, finished sizes. per 100m Parana Pine £63.00 20x8 £97.00 44x8 Whitewood £53.00 32x12 £84.50 69x12 £64.00 32x19 £75.00 44x19 £82.00 32x32 £142.50 69x32 £179.00 69x44 £230.00 94x44 £264.00 69x69
Facings Blanchardstown Antique Fergustie Country Mixture Richmond Mixture Irish Dacharne Devenish Ardagh Gold Textured Lismore Slate Textured
per 1,000 £380.00 £390.00 £345.00 £370.00 £370.00 £340.00 £335.00
NB Clay brick prices are not included because of the enormous variation in types, quality and prices from various sources.
CARCASSING TIMBER Per 100 metres, ex-yard, random lengths, not exceeding 5.7 metres. per 100m £46.50 50x19 £69.00 75x19 £112.00 125x19 £42.00 38x25 £51.00 75x25 £99.50 150x25 £78.00 50x38 £118.00 100x38 £93.50 150x38 £93.50 50x50 £148.00 100x50 £168.50 125x50 £205.00 100x75 £460.00 200x75 £380.00 150x100
INDUSTRIAL AND FIRE-RESISTING BOARD Prices are exclusive of delivery. Terms for SUPALUX non-combustible asbestos-free fire-resisting board - price per sheet up to 149m2 2440x1220
Bulk Cement delivered in 15-tonne loads to Greater Belfast Area per tonne £153.00 Ordinary Portland Cement £181.00 Sulphate Resisting Cement
per tonne £372.00
CEMENT MORTARS In full loads delivered to Central Belfast per tonne £27.00 Standard 1 lime mortar Y4 £47.00 Tinted mortar ref. Y15 £54.00 Y135 £46.00 Y91 £52.00 Y10 £57.00
6mm sanded £54.00
9mm sanded £57.00
12mm sanded £74.00
MASTERBOARD Class O asbestos-free multi-purpose building board sanded finish. Price per sheet up to 149m2 2440x1220
CEMENT
Ordinary Portland Cement
3 Pilot's View, Heron Road Belfast BT3 9LE Tel: 028 9045 7000 Fax: 028 9045 7040
per tonne £16.00 £16.50 £15.50 £15.50 £17.50 £20.50 £21.00 £18.50
BRICKS
Bagged cement delivered in 15-tonne loads to Greater Belfast Area
Chartered Surveyors
CONCRETE BLOCKS
6mm £68.00
9mm £82.00
12mm £105.50
PLASTERING MATERIALS Per tonne, ex-works (delivery by arrangement) Lightweight aggregate pre-mixed gypsum plaster to BS 1191, Part 2. Metal lathing undercoat Bonding Finish Gypsum plasterboard to BS 1230 per sheet (2400 mm x 1200 mm) 9.5mm thick plasterboard 9.5mm thick foil-backed plasterboard per bundle (6 Nr 1219mm x 406mm) 9.5mm thick plasterlath 9.5mm thick foil-back plasterboard per 100 lin. feet Galvanised standard angle bead Galvanised plasterstop (10mm) Galvanised external renderstop
£322.00 £379.00 £336.00 £11.00 £15.00 £17.00 £11.50 £11.00 £14.00 £28.00
Evans |81 of In theVB next issue READY MIXED CONCRETES Ordinary Portland Cement in full loads delivered to Central Belfast per cub. metre £68.00 1:10 by volume £83.00 1:2:4 by volume £74.00 1:3:6 by volume £69.00 20 N/mm2:20mm aggregate £73.00 25 N/mm2:20mm aggregate £77.00 30 N/mm2:20mm aggregate
Thrutone Thrutone Relief
per 1,000 £1540.00 £1650.00
Concrete tiles delivered Central Belfast Interlocking flat tile Double roll tile Single roll tile
£890.00 £890.00 £890.00 per tile £5.00 £5.80
Half round ridge tile - 457mm long Angular ridge tile - 457mm long
SAWN REDWOOD Per 100 metres, ex-yard, random lengths. 100x50 150x50 100x63 150x63 200x63 100x75 150x75 200x75
Per 100 metres, ex-yard, random lengths, finished sizes. 114x19 89x12 114x12 89x12 94x12
£94.00 £69.00 £80.50 £98.50 £108.00
T + G Whitewood TG + V Whitewood TG + V Whitewood TG + V Redwood TG + Open V Redwood
STEEL REINFORCEMENT
ROOF SLATES AND TILES Fibre Cement Slates ex-yard
SOFTWOOD FLOORING, SHEETING AND PANELING
£224.00 £318.00 £243.00 £379.60 £519.00 £304.00 £457.00 £683.00
SAWN WHITEWOOD
Mild Steel reinforcing bars to BS 4449. High yield steel reinforcing bars to BS 4449/4461. One size, bent and labelled, per tonne, delivered to Central Belfast Diameter/mm Mild Steel High Yield 6 £770.00 £865.00 8 £770.00 £865.00 10 £770.00 £865.00 12 £770.00 £865.00 20 £770.00 £865.00 25 £770.00 £865.00 32 £770.00 £865.00 40 £770.00 £865.00 Mesh Fabric to BS 4483 ex-yard per sheet (one or mixed references) per sheet BS reference A 98 £38.50 A142 £38.50 A193 £42.50 A252 £47.00 A393 £80.00 B503 £80.00 B785 £88.00 Heavy section steel ex-yard in lots of over 5T per tonne UC 152x152x23 £1030.00 203x203x46 £1375.00 254x254x73 £1435.00 305x305x118 £1320.00 356x368x153 £1505.00 UB
305x165x40 356x127x37 406x140x39 457x152x52 533x210x82
£1320.00 £1320.00 £1320.00 £1320.00 £1320.00
MARCH / APRIL 2017 HEALTH & SAFETY
Per 100 metres, ex-yard, random lengths. 50x25 100x25 150x25 275x25 75x50 125x50 175x50 250x50 100x75 200x75 250x75
£40.00 £74.00 £102.50 £191.50 £120.00 £204.00 £260.00 £440.00 £227.50 £492.00 £753.90
TERMS FOR GLASSROCK Non-combustible asbestos-free fire-resisting board - price per sheet up to 149m2. 6mm 10mm 12.5mm sanded sanded sanded 2400x1200 £54.00 £56.00 £75.00
UPVC DRAIN PIPES AND FITTINGS SOFTWOOD SHELVING Per 100 metres, ex-yard, random lengths, finished sizes 119x12 144x12 169x12 219x12 119x19 144x19 194x19 244x19 269x19
£83.00 £98.00 £115.00 £171.00 £101.00 £135.00 £180.00 £245.00 £340.00
Pipes and fittings to BS 4600. List price ex-yard. Large quantities will attract considerable discounts. Plain sewer, per 6m Pipe coupler, ea Single oblique branch, ea Single swept branch, ea 45˚ short radius, ea 87½˚ short radius bend, ea 45˚ long radius bend, ea 90˚ long radius bend, ea Straight channel 45˚ curved channel, ea
110mm 160mm £23.00 £10.50 £7.50 £3.50 £11.00 £25.00 £12.00 £25.00 £6.20 £17.00 £6.20 £15.50 £17.00 £32.00 £19.00 £32.00 £31.00 £18.50 £23.00 £58.00
FIRE SAFETY AND WORKING AT HEIGHT
58| INTERVIEW
Specify talks to ALEX LONGRIDGE, COMMERCIAL SALES MANAGER IRELAND, AG (Acheson + Glover) Q: Did you plan to get involved in the construction industry? No, throughout school my parents had planned for me to follow a career in banking. Despite their best efforts I chose another path. Got to say it’s a decision I’ve never regretted. Construction as a sector has been through a lot of ups and downs in my lifetime, but it’s great to see the steady resurgence post recession.
Q: How did you start off? My first sales role was with Xerox where I learnt the basic truths of sales; that people buy from people and that building trust with your customers is vital.
Q: What have been the highlights of your career so far? Developing into my role as a leader within AG and being able to share my knowledge and experience with an ever increasing field sales team. It’s been terrific to see AG thrive, especially in recent years, to become a company known throughout the industry for its innovation, quality and focus on strong working relationships.
Q: What was the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Be honest, moral, decent and above all trustworthy. These are values I have sought to portray myself and instil in others around me.
Q: What would you say to any students who are considering a career in construction? Get in there! Construction is a fast-paced, rapidly evolving sector that is crying out for top young talent, whether that be as engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, tradesmen or any one of the wide range of roles in manufacturing companies like ours. As a result of the recession the industry has been robbed of a lot of its young people so it’s really important we re-establish a pipeline of young talent so companies can address the acute skills’ gaps and create true succession plans. At AG
we have launched our own training and development programme for people at all levels of the business. For us it is all about building careers and helping our people do that.
Q: Do you think the
construction sector needs more support from Stormont? As a major source of employment within Northern Ireland it’s vital the construction sector receives all the support it can get. It’s encouraging to know that we have a number of
industry bodies which meet with Assembly members and Ministers on a regular basis to keep the needs of the construction sector front of mind.
Q: What needs to be done to help the NI construction sector? Stormont needs to unlock funding to meet the deficit we have in housing as well as finding the necessary capital to fund much-needed infrastructure projects all of which will help create employment opportunities for the sector. Ongoing monetary support for
training and employment incentives is also vital.
Q: Tell us something surprising about yourself… I love vintage cars. My dream classic car would be the Porsche 917K that Steve McQueen had in the film, Le Mans. On the speeds at which he was driving the 917 Steve told John Skow from Playboy Magazine: “It’s capable of 240 – but I don’t take it up to full chat. Most times I’m hitting 225 or so.” Great actor, fabulous car.
RIDGEWAY Belfast Co. Antrim
Ashbourne Co. Meath
RIDGEWAY
CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING PRODUCTS FOR SALES AND HIRE 10 MINS FROM DUBLIN DROP IN TRADE COUNTER
SHOP AND COFFEE BAR NATIONWIDE DELVERY OVER 45 YEARS EXPERIENCE LARGE STOCKS
COMPETITIVE PRICES OPEN Mon to Thurs 7.30am to 5pm Friday 7.30am to 3.30pm
Ridgeway and Ridgeway, One All Round Response to Construction Sector Needs Throughout Ireland.
Opening Ashbourne Co. Meath October 2016 Now opeN IN AshbourNe Co21st MeAth 103 Airport Road West Belfast Co. Antrim BT3 9ED T:+ 44 (0) 28 9045 4599 F:+ 44 (0) 28 9045 4596
Units 1&2 Greene Park Ratoath Road Ashbourne Co. Meath. A84 XD98 T: +353 (01) 802 7173
Contact Us for more information E: info@ridgeway-online.com Facebook.com/RidgewayOnline Twitter.com/RidgewayOnline
www.ridgewayonline.com
Kingspan Limited
Kingspan Limited UK
Carrickmacross Road Kingscourt Co Cavan A82 E897
GreenďŹ eld Business Park no.2 Holywell Flintshire CH8 7GJ
T: +353 (42) 9698500
T: +44 (0) 13527 16100
www.kingspanpanels.co.uk