INTERVIEW

HOUSING PARTNERSHIPS

Peter Haddock reports on Bell Contracting’s journey to fi nd safer and more productive ways to move muck on behalf of major house builders

lot has changed since 1965 when

AKeith Bell founded what went on to become the KW Bell Group. Today the business has a turnover of around £90m from three divisions: Bell Contracting, Bell Plant and Bell Homes. I met Keith’s son Peter, MD of Bell Contracting, at the newly opened AccXel construction training school in Gloucestershire, which has received funding from the KW Bell Group.

Peter said, “Our growth has accelerated dramatically over the last decade, as we have changed the way in which we approach working with our customers, who are some of the major house builders in our region.

“These customers want more of a partnership approach, so we recognised we had to solidify our own approach to partnerships within our core supply chain and, in particular, the plant we use. We started to work with our local dealer, Holt JCB, and JCB Finance to look at how we could better manage our fl eet and get the right equipment matched to the jobs onsite.

“The aim was to develop a better approach to managing the movement of muck that is safer and more effi cient. It also involved changing our methods and how team members worked together, from engineers to surveyors, site managers and operators.

“As part of this process, we created a partnership with Leica Geosystems, combining surveying, 3D modelling and machine control as one seamless delivery model. This achieved two goals: it made our JCB machines more effi cient, while also questioning why and how we moved muck.

“It has been a revolution for our business. The productivity of the jobs we are now doing is off the scale. We don’t bang pegs in the ground anymore. Everything’s built in accordance with a 3D model, which is plugged into the machine, so my operators and foreman can see what they’re actually trying to achieve right in front of them.”

SITE SAFETY

The use of digital surveying, 3D site models and GPS machine control systems dramatically improves site safety, as there is a dramatic reduction in the need for people to enter the excavation area.

Bell has also made a signifi cant investment

in inherently safer machinery, as Peter continued: “We could have just changed our operations when new safety regulations came out, but we looked ahead. As an end user, we challenged our suppliers to help us improve our business, rewarding them with new equipment orders. “A great example of this is how we have redefi ned our equipment language. Take our recent investment of well over a million pounds in the relationship we have with JCB. We have purchased a fl eet of their new and safer cabbed site dumpers and called them earthmoving vehicles. “Why is this important? Well, the old-style site dumper is one of the most abused pieces of equipment on site. Across the industry, there are not only huge costs for repair, but unfortunately injuries also occur when the kit is not properly used and “THE PRODUCTIVITY OF managed on site. “By rebranding the THE JOBS WE ARE NOW equipment, investing more in each unit and DOING IS OFF THE SCALE. delivering proper WE DON’T BANG PEGS IN training, we have changed attitudes, THE GROUND ANYMORE” increased safety and improved the way we move muck. It’s not rocket science to see how this has increased our productivity. “Taking full advantage of having the AccXel training school on our doorstep, the critical part of this business is fi nding the right people and investing in them. In my time in this industry, I have seen a huge problem in the way we attract and retain talent. This in turn has led to a real skills shortage, which we are only just properly addressing, at the same time as technology adoption is exploding. It’s now all about how we promote our sector, invest in training and all think about moving muck better, as every drop of fuel counts.”