A north west construction firm is laying the foundations for an ambitious expansion drive with the appointment of a business growth expert as its first-ever chairman. Peter Collins has joined the board of Manchester & Cheshire Construction in a non-executive capacity as the company seeks to more than double annual
The third Gate Safety Conference took place on Wednesday 14th October 2015 in the West Midlands. Attendees from numerous industry sectors including property management, gate, garage door and facility management visited the one day event hosted by ASO Safety Solutions, supported by EasyGates. The event took place during the
A north west construction firm is laying the foundations for an ambitious expansion drive with the appointment of a business growth expert as its first-ever chairman. Peter Collins has joined the board of Manchester & Cheshire Construction in a non-executive capacity as the company seeks to more than double annual revenues over the next three years. The family-owned company, which is based in Salford and operates across the north west, is aiming to increase turnover to £20m by 2018. It achieved revenues of £8.5m in the year to September 30, 2014. Mr Collins, who lives in Longton, near Preston, is a main board adviser to 30 north west companies and holds several other non-executive posts across the region. He was a co-founder of Fast Forward Growth, a Manchester-based organisation which advises companies on their expansion and funding strategies. He is also a director of Access to Finance, which operates across the north west, and is a registered coach for the government-backed GrowthAccelerator programme. His first consultancy, Management Services International, which he founded in 1990, was later ranked as one of Britain’s 20 fastest-growing companies. David Lowe, managing director of Manchester & Cheshire Construction, said: “We have been working with Peter in a less formal capacity for some time and we have found his input to be invaluable. “His appointment as our first-ever chairman brings his skills further into the mix. “He points us in the right direction, challenges our traditional way of thinking and provides a sounding board for new ideas.” Mr Lowe added: “We have enjoyed strong growth in recent years and now is the right time to seek external expertise to guide us towards our target of achieving turnover of £20m by 2018. “Peter is the ideal person to help us meet our goals. He has a wealth of experience in dealing with high-growth companies and, as chairman, he will be able to help us build new relationships and act as an ambassador for the business. “A large part of our growth plan is centred on our new development division led by Michael Purcell, and Peter also has vast experience in this area.” Mr Collins said: “With a strong trading history, robust balance sheet, highly-reputable project portfolio and repeat client list, Manchester & Cheshire Construction is ripe for increased momentum and I am looking forward to using my experience and skills to help the company realise its growth plans.”
The third Gate Safety Conference took place on Wednesday 14th October 2015 in the West Midlands. Attendees from numerous industry sectors including property management, gate, garage door and facility management visited the one day event hosted by ASO Safety Solutions, supported by EasyGates. The event took place during the DHF’s Powered Gate Group, Gate Safety Week and included guest speakers from across the industry addressing the ongoing issue of gate safety awareness. Simon Mersch of ASO Safety Solutions opened the conference with some key industry facts and figures followed by EasyGates Stuart Roddy who recapped on the two previous conferences and discussed new developments in the UK door and gate market. Bob Perry from the Door Hardware Association was joined by Neil Sampson of the Powered Gate Group to discuss the importance of Gate Safety Week, reasons, objections and participations. The HSE’s Stuart Charles presented a hard-hitting and emotive detailed section on possible penalties and how they can be prevented, how the safety expectations have changed within the industry and what liabilities there are. Tony Weeks, head of Technical Services at National Security Inspectorate presented on the NSi’s involvement in the UK gate industry and developments in the code of practice. Michael Skelding and Nick Perkins of the DHF updated on the renewal of EN 12453 and the UK’s position on the international committee for standardisation. Nick discussed practical applications of solutions and technologies. Marcus Horstkemper of ASO then discussed the different types of force limitation, signal transmission and closing edge safety devices. Gte’s Christian Pfeiffer presented details on force testing and its role in gate maintenance with a demonstration. EasyGates Managing Director, Tony Daniels-Gooding said: ‘The conference was very well received and attendees have expressed how worthwhile and interesting it was. Taking place during Gate Safety Week, it was an ideal time to highlight the importance and responsibility we all have in the industry to ensure we meet the requirements of contracting, installing and maintaining safe and proper gate installations. EasyGates are ASO Safety Solutions UK competence partners, supplying a number of the core safety products to the UK marketplace and providing quality, safety and technical service to a wide range of customers.
