Thomann-Hanry® Annual Newsletter 2017

THE YEAR IN REVIEW: 2017 AND LIFE AT TH

Roxburghe House

Rolling back the years in Regent Street

It’s hard to believe that 2017 has flashed past so quickly. It has certainly been a year of great achievements and, despite the economic backdrop and the whole Brexit rollercoaster, we have succeeded in strengthening client relationships through preferred supplier schemes and by forging new alliances.

We live in a time of dramatic change — and the pace of that change is accelerating. Whilst this adds to the challenges, it also presents many opportunities. As a result, it is not only the right time to re-image our future with a new look and updated strategies, but it is also crucial to take advantage of our changing environment and the fresh possibilities it offers. Industry demands evolve at a rapid pace and we continually strive to remain ahead of what is an ever-changing market. Our strategy is an open and adaptive roadmap, constantly raising the bar to achieve new heights in the future.

Table of contents

Back where it all began…

When Thomann-Hanry® started out in the UK, one of the first projects we quoted was Roxburghe House on Regent Street. Back then we were unsuccessful in our bid and the entire project was carried out by others from scaffolding. Ten years later, we were back – completing work on the very same building as the main contractor to the Crown Estate, under the direction of JLL.

This time, work was carried out using the non-scaffold system with which we have become synonymous, minimising disruption and delays as we wound the clock back to the building’s appearance in its heyday.

The façade was cleaned, windows repainted, stone restored and slates re-fixed — all out of hours and affecting neither tenants nor retail units. This transformative project should see Roxburghe House through to 2027, when hopefully we will be back again.

• Location — 273-287 Regent St, Marylebone, London W1B 2HG

• Substrate — Portland Stone

With a second depot and a bright new office, our expansion continues apace. Marketing improvements saw a full redesign of our website and a complete makeover for our brand, our collaterals and the way we communicate with our clients. Furthermore, in the spirit of expansion and growth, new machinery has been added to our fleet and, as the company and its reputation grows, new markets have become part of our portfolio. We are thrilled to be heading to Dublin soon with our first project outside the UK — and two more in the pipeline.

On the social front, and dressed up in tropical gold pineapples, our spectacular Summer Party was a storming success. Christmas dinner at the very English Goring Hotel, meanwhile, was served overlooking their iconic heritage gardens in the heart of Belgravia in SW1.

In this, our annual newsletter, you will find out all about 2017 at Thomann-Hanry®, many of the projects we’ve worked on and a preview of what lies ahead for 2018. To keep abreast of developments in the new year, follow us on social media – it’s great to have you on board.

Wishing you all the best for 2018.

• Surface area — 2,000 sq. m.

• Project duration — 6 weeks

Mark Styles Managing Director

Get Social! Find us on Facebook @thomannhanryuk Twitter @ThomannHanryUK

LinkedIn Thomann-Hanry

Thomann-Hanry® transforming notable

buildings in the hospitality sector

In the hotel trade, the exterior of the building says more about the business to prospective guests (not to mention the staff) than anything else, so it’s vital that the premises look their absolute best.

Listed monument or contemporary landmark, every building is subject to the elements – nowhere more so than in busy city centres. In the hospitality sector, where first impressions are paramount, restoring and protecting façades is essential, yet many operators resist traditional cleaning methods, deterred by the prospect of weeks, even months, of unsightly scaffolding and disruption.

However, as owners of many of Britain’s most prestigious hotels and clubs have discovered, there is another way. Using the patented façade gommage® technique, we restore exteriors to their former glory – without scaffolding and usually within a matter of days. Equally effective on stone, terracotta or brick, no water, chemicals or detergent are used. Instead, ultra-fine powders are projected under low-pressure from a cabin attached to a hydraulic boom, gently cleaning contaminated surfaces.

Spanning the ages, a number of London’s hospitality landmarks have undergone façade gommage®, including The Reform Club, Sofitel in St James’s, the Bulgari in Knightsbridge and The Langham, in Marylebone.

Sofitel St James’s

An elegant neoclassic building in the heart of the West End. Built in 1932 as the HQ of Cox & Co Bank, 6 Waterloo Place was converted into Sofitel St James’s in 2002. Within the 15 day programme, we carried out façade gommage®, bird deterrent work and stone repairs to all four of its splendid neoclassical elevations.

• Location — 6 Waterloo Pl, St. James’s, London SW1Y 4AN

• Substrate — Portland Stone

• Surface area 3,000 sq. m.

• Project duration 15 days

Reform Club, St James’s

Completed in 1841, Pall Mall’s Reform Club occupies a building steeped in history. The height of grandeur and opulence, its distinctive pillars, balusters and lanterns were based on Rome’s Palazzo Farnese. Tasked with cleaning the first elevation within seven days, we worked over the Easter weekend, using façade gommage® to restore the masonry to a pristine condition in keeping with the splendour of neighbouring properties.

Watch your step

Restoration, cleaning, resealing, grinding and polishing. What’s best for your flooring?

Beautiful surfaces can give a great first impression, so why not let Specialist Stone Care use its extensive knowledge to restore yours to its former glory and look after your ongoing maintenance needs?

The Langham

Specialist Stone Care is Thomann-Hanry®’s interior stonework division, which works with natural stone and offers an extensive range of different cleaning processes, products and impregnators.

Led by industry expert Kevin Hooper, who has over 30 years’ experience in the industry, our technicians have benefitted from decades of experience of cleaning interior stone. The team frequently focus on the maintenance of flooring, often in areas with high footfall, having assisted a number of high-end clients across London. Projects have included Fishmongers’ Hall, Australia House and the Bank of England, to name but a few.

Certified Member of Specialist stone care by Kevin and his team

New ‘feefo’ reviews

As we are committed to improving as a company, we value our clients’ feedback on our services and products. To this end, we use ‘feefo’, a totally independent review centre, to gain invaluable insights into what our customers think about us.

Feefo shows all reviews — both the good and the bad. After the completion of each project, the client receives an email with a very short questionnaire to reply to and rate us. Reviews are available online at all times, on our website home page as well as on ‘feefo’.

Your feedback really does make a difference!

CBRE Preferred Supplier Scheme

As one of the UK’s leading property restoration specialists, we are delighted to announce that Thomann-Hanry® are now part of CBRE Managed Services’ “Preferred Supplier Scheme”. As of mid-2017, we are now a first port of call for all Local Facilities Management projects.

Completed for CBRE Asset Management, one of our most recent projects saw the 3,500 square metre brick façade of Primark’s flagship store in Oxford Street returned to its former glories using our scaffold-free façade gommage® system. Including stonework repairs, window restoration and painting, this project was successfully and unobtrusively completed with no scaffolding and negligible disruption to trade. Better still, the client commented that the restored windows were amongst the best they’d ever seen.

• Location — 499-517 Oxford Street, Mayfair, London W1K 7DA

• Substrate — Brick

• Surface area — 3,500 sq. m. | each elevation

• Project duration — 10 days | each elevation

Park Royal | London NW

Inside-Out: Rebrand

With our revolutionary façade cleaning system we have brought a new lease of life to many of the UK’s most iconic buildings and monuments. In a similarly rejuvenating vein, a new Thomann-Hanry® website followed hot on the heels of a rebranding exercise carried out by our marketing teams. Our vast online portfolio of case studies, meanwhile, leaves visitors in no doubt as to the positive impact that Thomann-Hanry® can have — not only on their buildings but also by way of improvements to the surrounding local street scene.

Crowd, our web and digital development partner, worked on a new creative proposition. Centred around the tagline ‘Restoring Excellence’ and supplied in a detailed brand book,

our updated corporate guidelines laid the foundations for our new websites and other marketing activity.

We now have a main site and a mini-site for our subbrand Aqua-Fend® — these sites showcase the results of our work and provide detailed information on the processes and benefits of our building cleaning and restoration services.

Our vibrant and unique new look enables us to stand out in a competitive visual space — check us out at thomann-hanry.co.uk, where you will be able to find our content marketing projects, new videos and much more.

Client visit at our HQ

Nearly 20,000 square feet of vehicle storage and workshop facilities now adjoin our head office.

We pride ourselves on our unparalleled investment in cutting edge equipment — in particular, our very latest mobile platforms.

Welfare van onsite at Battersea.

Thomann-Hanry® UK Contextual Overview

Our heritage

The heritage of Thomann-Hanry® can be traced back to the founding of the company in France in 1946, specialising in industrial painting, metallisation and railway bridges. In the 1960s, the company diversified its activities, opening its façade restoration division using a dry cleaning method.

A response to laws aimed at preserving the architectural and heritage features of historical buildings, the company refined and perfected the façade gommage® masonry cleaning system, perfecting the unique, lowpressure, dry cleaning process that we use today.

Identifying Britain’s rich architectural heritage as an opportunity to make the benefits of this unique process available to a new market, Thomann-Hanry® UK was established over 10 years ago, offering a wide spectrum of façade and flooring restoration services.

Today, just as it was when the company started in the 1940s, the entrepreneurial spirit of our management fosters continuous investment in equipment, staff and expertise to establish and maintain market leadership in this highly specialised sector.

In 2017, the company was awarded with the Runner-up prize and the Gold National award by the Considerate Constructors Scheme. This recognition shows how far we have come and puts us within the five top companies who adhere to and follow the Code to the highest of standards. It’s an achievement of which we are justifiably proud.

Game changer

Our investment in technology is ongoing — the addition of 3D modelling software has added a new dimension (literally!) to the scope of our Surveying services. Whether the client needs comprehensive Building Information Modelling or a simple set of elevation drawings, we can provide exactly the level of detail required. Our 3D engineering-ready system realitymeshes its results with fine details, sharp edges and geometric accuracy.

Also undertaken on a no-scaffold basis, metal cleaning is another specialised technique that we’ve added to our portfolio of services.

We can now survey your building using Concept Capture 3D software. Augmented by reality mesh CAD, our high-end supercomputing hardware is capable of processing multiple terrabytes of data.

In other words, we now have the technology to create even the most technically challenging 3D models of existing conditions to assist with all types of construction project. With quick production times, these highly detailed models provide a precise real-world context to support design, construction and operational decisions at every stage of any given project’s lifecycle.

Working with the most advanced technology available, we are able to generate photo-realistic models with an accuracy of +-2mm – only bringing LIDAR into play when even higher accuracy is required. Better still, our aerial platforms and drones (not to mention extensive expertise of working in busy city centre locations) allow us to capture detail that simply wouldn’t be possible using just ground-based LIDAR.

At Thomann-Hanry®, we routinely produce 3D models of larger projects to help us visualise the challenges involved and report back to clients accordingly. In this sense we are proud, once again, to be taking the lead in accordance with one of our stated core values: ‘We are customer-oriented, always striving to enhance quality and productivity’. Our cutting edge 3D modelling capabilities give our clients a deeper, more rounded understanding of their project, as well as giving us a crucial competitive edge. For this reason, we are now looking to report on all of our projects using 3D representation.

35 clients 134 projects delivered

direct employees the

company

Over £128,000

Over £1 milion investment in staff wellbeing

22 investment back into

160 new fleet vehicles

25% rest of the UK 5% abroad 70% London

This exciting technological advancement will give you an important new perspective on your building – not just today but long into the future.

To appreciate the power and potential of this ground-breaking

Crucial river wall repair work for the iconic Battersea Power Station project

Thomann-Hanry® to tackle Buddleia-infested flood defences at landmark Battersea Power Station project.

With our clients’ interest in sites of historic importance, we’re delighted to report on a prestigious and high profile new project that Thomann-Hanry® are proud to be leading.

Standing since the 1930s as one of the most enduring landmarks on the London skyline, Battersea Power Station, in the Borough of Wandsworth, is currently undergoing a spectacular mixed use redevelopment. Set to bring a £20 billion economic uplift in its wake, the Battersea project encompasses 1.25 million square feet of office space, no fewer than 250 shops and restaurants and two new tube stations, creating 20,000 new jobs in what will be London’s newest, most vibrant neighbourhood.

A key planning condition for the project was the repair and restoration of 348 linear metres of flood defences alongside the Thames in this landmark location. Far from a simple renovation project, this mammoth undertaking entails not only restoring, replacing and re-pointing brickwork that dates back to the 1850s, but also freeing the flood defences from Buddleia, which has established a deep-rooted, vice-like grip in the river walls.

A singular project of unprecedented complexity, it calls on all of our unique range of skills and capabilities — from the supercomputing power to process reality-meshed CAD surveys to an array of specialist vehicles and equipment; from multistakeholder collaboration to the heritage-driven restoration expertise required - not only to restore Victorian brickwork to its original state, but to future-proof it for decades to come.

Already underway, such are the demands of the project that it is set to run throughout 2018. A highly unusual and demanding undertaking in a uniquely challenging location, Thomann-Hanry® are thrilled to have been enlisted to repair and restore the flood defences at Battersea Power Station.

A video about how we are tackling the unique challenges of the Battersea Power Station project will be available soon. Watch out for it on our webpage and online channels.

Being charged with helping to shape how our towns, cities and countryside areas look and feel is a privilege — and a huge responsibility. Valuing the historic built environment as an asset and, accordingly, giving it new life is one of the cornerstones of the economic and social revival of our towns and cities. The careful integration of heritage assets has played an increasingly important and successful role in many major regeneration schemes, providing opportunities for conservation and development to work in harmony and transform the built environment.

Turning the clock back 150 years in Cambridge

As our uniquely gentle process is ideally suited to Listed Buildings, we’re proud to have worked closely with Historic England and conservation teams on many iconic buildings in London and across the UK, erasing decades of dirt and revealing the breathtaking beauty of the nation’s architectural treasures.

In 2017 we completed our second major building cleaning and restoration project for King’s College, Cambridge. Using our patented façade gommage® technique, we removed countless years of accumulated grime to reveal Chetwynd Court as it first appeared in the 1870s… three weeks’ work that turned the clock back nearly 150 years.

King’s College had commissioned us to work on Chetwynd Court earlier in the year. A Grade II Listed building, Chetwynd Court was designed by George Gilbert Scott and built in 1869-70. Façade gommage® was used to restore the building, returning the Ketton Stone elevations to their former glory. Our survey also identified areas that needed restoration, repair or redecoration.

Achieved in the space of three weeks, our dedicated team of craftsmen worked tirelessly to reveal the building as it looked 150 years before, achieving a transformation of almost magical proportions.

Our Tropical rooftop Summer Party at St Paul’s – a roaring success

Now established as an annual, must-attend gathering for those associated with the stone restoration and cleaning industry, July’s relaxed event allowed industry leaders to network with key figures such as surveyors, architects, property owners, FMs and consultants.

Decked out with a unique tropical theme, the idyllic rooftop Sky Bar terrace at The Grange St Paul’s provided 200 guests with stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral and an exclusive opportunity to network in a relaxed and friendly environment on a warm summer afternoon.

November 2017

Four Seasons, Park Lane

Two big wins for Thomann-Hanry® UK at the #ccsawards 2017

A non-profit, independent organisation founded in 1997 by the construction industry to improve its image, The Considerate Constructors Scheme’s ‘National Company and Suppliers Awards’ recognise registered companies and suppliers who show extraordinary levels of consideration towards their community, environment and workforce.

In 2017, Thomann-Hanry® won two awards – National Company Gold Award and Runner-up. Companies that performed to the highest levels set out by the Code of Considerate Practice receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, presented by an influential line-up of industry leading figures.

Runner-up awards are given to those that have been considered for the ‘Most Considerate’ title. Mark Styles,

Managing Director of Thomann-Hanry® commented: “Whilst I accepted the award this, more than anything, is a team effort. If it wasn’t for the efforts that we all make, every day, this simply wouldn’t be possible. We are already focusing our attention on next year’s awards and we are determined to win again.”

Previously, our commitment as a company towards improvements to our sites was recognised with a Bronze Award in 2015; we were also rated and certified as a company with ‘Performance Beyond Compliance’ in early 2017. As a result, Thomann-Hanry® are now part of an elite group of companies that respect and follow the Code of Conduct to the highest level, helping to raise standards to improve the image of the construction industry across the country.

We take great pride in sharing news of our successes and awards with our clients. Visit thomann-hanry.co.uk/company-profile-facade-cleaning/accreditations to find out more about awards that we’ve won, as well as other certificates of excellence for working on prestigious projects around the world.

Attendees included property and facilities managers from giants such as JLL, CBRE, Knight Frank and Savills, as well as leading architect practices, journalists and representatives from prestigious establishments such as Buckingham Palace and Eton.

In keeping with the tropically-themed roof terrace, delicious cocktails and champagne were served, along with spicy treats and canapés for the guests to enjoy during the afternoon and evening.

Music was provided by the popular London band ‘Live Lounge’, who sang hits and helped enhance the vibrant atmosphere. Adding to the fun, a highly talented caricaturist was on hand throughout to provide amusing and quirky drawings of the guests.

Thomann-Hanry® MD Mark Styles commented, “We’ve been welcoming clients and industry leaders to our annual summer party for over five years now. Every July it’s fantastic to see so many clients, associates and friends taking the opportunity to network and socialise with others in this thriving sector. We hope our guests enjoyed the event and look forward to welcoming them back next year.”

Here are some of the highlights of this memorable event!

#THSummerParty2017

July 2017 Sky Bar, The Grange St Paul’s

An elegant and memorable evening at The Goring’s Garden Room

Clients and associates were invited to an impeccably English festive private dining experience at The Goring in Belgravia — a thoroughly civilised start to the Christmas season.

Our traditional Christmas pub date!

Now something of a Thomann-Hanry® institution, our regular Christmas pub dates are great fun and a highlight of the festive calendar. This year was no exception!

The one stop shop for metal façade restoration – in partnership with NeroQom

With metal buildings constituting an ever-larger percentage of London’s skyline, we’re increasingly asked by our clients to clean the metal façade elements of the buildings we work on. Metal façade renovation and repair is a highly specialised field and calls for a uniquely dedicated skillset.

It’s for this reason that we partner with NeroQom, who offer the knowledge and expertise to eliminate aesthetic degradation, defining the best recovery procedure for the specific metal on a building’s façade and devising bespoke solutions for sustainable maintenance.

Hello, Dublin!

Re-establishing a working relationship first forged in our early days, Thomann-Hanry® are set to embark on the company’s first fully-fledged international project in February of 2018. Following re-acquaintance with Dublin-based cleaning contractors P. Mac Ltd at a trade show earlier this year, we’ve renewed our decade-old partnership – the difference being that the new assignment is on an altogether larger scale than our initial collaboration, which entailed a series of smaller cleaning projects.

Other than various trials in countries including the US and Germany, this will be the first major overseas contract for

Established for over 12 years in the industry and boasting a track record of hundreds of successfully treated façades, NeroQom have the experience to give specific advice on metal and glass restoration when washing and cleaning is no longer delivering satisfactory results.

As leading restoration and conservation specialists, implicitly trusted by our clients, the NeroQom alliance is a natural fit and a logical extension of our capabilities. Enabling us to give reliable, expert advice and carry out a wider range of works to an even higher standard is rapidly propelling Thomann-Hanry® to the forefront of the industry.

Thomann-Hanry®. Liaising closely with local architects and Health and Safety specialists on the ground in Dublin, all of our specialist hardware and personnel will travel across by ferry, an undertaking requiring all of our logistical and operational expertise.

Whilst Thomann-Hanry® have made their name with an extensive portfolio of cleaning and renovation projects on some of London and the UK’s most iconic historical buildings, the Dublin connection offers further evidence of the company’s growing stature in its field, as well as proof that geography is no obstacle to our highly specialised skills and services.

Advances in façade cleaning — our CPD seminars are back!

Join us to learn more about developments in façade cleaning systems through a RIBA-approved CPD seminar.

Cleaning façades with dry systems is usually associated with blasting methods using shot or sandblasting. This seminar describes the development of a dry system using an ultra-fine, recycled powder which does not damage surfaces and in which all waste powder and dirt is contained and removed as part of the process.

With our CPD, you will learn more about the methods available in the market, their results on different surfaces and how to implement a dry but completely non-abrasive alternative to traditional masonry cleaning systems. Most importantly, from cleaning to restoration, it’s a system that’s completely free of scaffold.

Keep an eye on our webpage and social channels, where we will shortly be announcing a calendar of available dates.