National accountancy firm Danbro has appointed a new Director of Employment Services, as the company targets growth in the construction sector. James Burrows was previously a client of Danbro and has joined the Lytham based company to help grow part of the business, which offers Employment (Umbrella) services to contractors,
Cleethorpes Pier has hit the market just 10 months after its new owners started operating the refurbished tearoom, private hire venue and restaurant. The National Piers Society nominated the pier as Pier of the Year 2016, while under the ownership of the Huxford family. However, the owners believed that they
An Aberdeenshire community group has secured a £4,000 boost from Scottish Water thanks to its green energy use. The water company paid £4,206 to Mearns Community Council as a share of the revenues raised from a wind turbine which was recently installed at its Laurencekirk wastewater treatment works. The payment
The latest research from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has found that eight in 10 electrical and building services firms said that turnover increased or remained steady in the second quarter of 2016. The findings cover the period in the build up to the EU referendum and the week after
Retirement house building firm McCarthy & Stone has seen its revenues increase by 31% in the past year, although the company has also voiced uncertainty about whether it will be able to achieve the targets for next year. McCarthy & Stone’s most recent financial year concluded on August 31 and
Keepmoat has officially started work on a £12.4 million housing and care home development in Darwen, Lancashire. The facility will provide homes for people over the age of 50 who have assessed care needs. Keepmoat is carrying out the work for the Together Housing Association on the 119 home scheme,
National accountancy firm Danbro has appointed a new Director of Employment Services, as the company targets growth in the construction sector. James Burrows was previously a client of Danbro and has joined the Lytham based company to help grow part of the business, which offers Employment (Umbrella) services to contractors, outsourced payroll solutions to businesses, and a CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) offering to sub-contractors. Burrows has 10 years of experience in the construction industry and is well positioned to lead the division of the company that is targeting the construction sector. Burrows commented: “I’ve been self-employed and I’ve worked in a variety of roles across the construction sector. I understand how the sector operates and I’ll be working with my team to develop a suite of solutions for contractors, subcontractors and recruitment agencies.” Over the last few years, legislation governing self-employment and temporary workers has undergone significant change and will continue to do so. This is something Burrows is aware of and he acknowledged that the firm must adapt quickly and compliantly to continue its sustainable growth. He continued: “I believe that, when recruiting temporary workers and flexible labour, the end client still has a duty of care to ensure they are not only treated in the right way, but their pay is also correctly administered.” Burrows originated in Derby before studying Mathematics at Nottingham University and initially turned down an accountancy career in favour of joining construction giant Balfour Beatty. He spent eight years with the firm setting up a training business, managing group-wide strategic projects, mobilising global initiatives and leading the rollout of a new operating model. In more recent times, he ran his own strategic consultancy firm, which primarily targeted clients in the construction and engineering sector. In this time he turned to Danbro for expert advice and online account management.
Cleethorpes Pier has hit the market just 10 months after its new owners started operating the refurbished tearoom, private hire venue and restaurant. The National Piers Society nominated the pier as Pier of the Year 2016, while under the ownership of the Huxford family. However, the owners believed that they have grown the business as far as they can, primarily due to their lack of experience in the food and drink trade. CBRE’s Leeds Specialist Markets team has been appointed to sell The Pier. Bryan Huxford explained that he understands some people will view the decision to sell as yet another failure for the pier, but insists that this view is far from the truth. Huxford continued: “I have achieved what I set out to do in bringing this beautiful building back to life and giving local residents something to be proud of. However, as a successful businessman I know that you should play to your strengths. “Unfortunately, I am not at the right time in life to start to learn a new industry, but despite that, and my lack of experience in the food and drink sector, we have already shown what a success The Pier, Cleethorpes can be.” He added that in the right hands, he is confident that the business will continue to flourish and insisted that the process was never about making money, rather finding the right buyer for the pier. Huxford said that the buyer must be one who gives him confidence that the future of the pier will be in safe hands to ensure longevity of success. Mr Huxford was one of a group of investors who stepped in to save the Pier, unveiling their vision for its future in 2013. It later shut for a major revamp, opening to the public again in August last year in the latest chapter in its history.
An Aberdeenshire community group has secured a £4,000 boost from Scottish Water thanks to its green energy use. The water company paid £4,206 to Mearns Community Council as a share of the revenues raised from a wind turbine which was recently installed at its Laurencekirk wastewater treatment works. The payment is front ended for the community, which is the amount they would be expected to earn from the turbine at the plans over the next 20 years. Scottish Water Horizons installed the 80kW turbine and is a subsidiary of Scottish Water which aims to drive the company’s green agenda forward. It generates 160,000kWh every year and has the potential to offset approximately 60% of the treatment works’ electricity consumption per annum. Andrew Macdonald, head of Scottish Water Horizons, said that they are pleased to be sharing the benefits of this renewable scheme to improve facilities and wellbeing for the local community. Macdonald continued: “Investing in renewables supports economic growth, helps Scottish Water to become a low-carbon business and delivers tangible benefits for local communities over the longer term. “The turbine at Laurencekirk is one of several renewable technologies now operating on our assets, with several treatment works now generating at least all, and in some cases more, of the energy they need to operate.” Meanwhile, Chris Toop, General Manager of Energy at Scottish Water, said that Scottish Water really makes an effort to put community at the centre of its work, both in terms of the early stages of consultation, in terms of whether it’s appropriate to put these technologies on our sites. Toop added: “As we work through planning and implementation of the scheme and its great there is now the benefit to the local community at the end of that to be able to invest as they so wish.”
The latest research from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has found that eight in 10 electrical and building services firms said that turnover increased or remained steady in the second quarter of 2016. The findings cover the period in the build up to the EU referendum and the week after the Brexit vote, while the ECA is currently undergoing a separate Brexit poll, which will end this week. Steve Bratt, Chief Executive of ECA, commented: “The ECA’s business survey for Q2 indicates that electrical and building services firms have been doing more business, despite potential challenges in the wider economy.” The ECA conducted its Building Engineering Business Survey in conjunction with Scolmore and studied the second quarter results of this year, finding that small businesses (turnover from £201,000 to £1 million) enjoyed a positive quarter, with just short of three in four companies reporting steady or rising turnover, a 7% increase on the previous quarter. Medium sized companies (turnover from £1.1 million to £5 million) also enjoyed a strong quarter, with eight in 10 firms seeing turnover remain steady or rise, which is also up 7% on the first quarter. Meanwhile, large companies (turnover £5.1m to £20m) had a fair Q2, with more than 8 in 10 firms (83%) indicating that turnover increased or remained steady, which is up only slightly on the last quarter. Looking at the third quarter of the year, the period immediately after the EU referendum result, the building services firms’ outlook remained positive, with eight out of 10 respondents expecting turnover to increase or stay the same in comparison to the second quarter, which is similar to forecasts in the previous quarter. ECA members were surveyed for their views in early July this year, with the response rate from members the highest in nearly five years.
Retirement house building firm McCarthy & Stone has seen its revenues increase by 31% in the past year, although the company has also voiced uncertainty about whether it will be able to achieve the targets for next year. McCarthy & Stone’s most recent financial year concluded on August 31 and while the firm’s full results will not be reported until November, it has still been able to provide a trading update. Legal completions rose by 20% to 2,299 units from 1,923 the year before, while the net average selling price rose by 8% to £259,000 from £239,000 in 2015. This meant that revenue rose by 31% to around £635 million, up from the previous year’s figure of £486 million. With a land bank increased to 10,206 plots (up from 10,087 in 2015) and £52 million net cash in the bank, the firm’s board said that it is in a strong financial position. However, Clive Fenton, McCarthy & Stone Chief Executive, said that it is difficult to predict whether the company will reach its 15% volume growth target in the financial year. Fenton said that the company will continue to capitalise on increasing demand for retirement housing driven by the UK’s rapidly ageing population and have delivered strong growth in completions, reservations and profit this year. Fenton continued: “Notwithstanding current increased market uncertainty following the EU referendum result and any financial impact on the business in the short term, McCarthy & Stone remains in robust health to capitalise on a continuing benign land market and the attractive fundamentals of the retirement market over the medium term.” He also said that although it is too early to judge the medium term impact of Brexit and the Bank of England’s resulting changes to monetary policy prolonged housing market weakness, particularly in the secondary market, could affect the firm’s ability to deliver its targeted 15% volume growth previously indicated for the financial year ending 31st August 2017.
Keepmoat has officially started work on a £12.4 million housing and care home development in Darwen, Lancashire. The facility will provide homes for people over the age of 50 who have assessed care needs. Keepmoat is carrying out the work for the Together Housing Association on the 119 home scheme, along with Darwen Borough Council. The Darwen project will be home to 85 self-contained apartments, with a number of communal facilities such as gardens, a hair and beauty salon, a restaurant and a resident’s lounge. 34 additional two bedroom bungalows will also be built on the same site for applicants who are aged over 50, while work is expected to be complete by spring 2018. Frank Mondino, Keepmoat Area Director, commented: “We have worked in partnership with Together Housing and Blackburn Council on previous projects and this scheme embraces our shared vision of providing quality housing options for the ageing population in Lancashire. “We have delivered substantial extra care and specialist projects for older people and this new facility in Darwen will not only provide a safe environment, but the on-site amenities will enhance social inclusion.” Earlier in the month, Keepmoat announced that its revenue increased for the year up to March 31 and will now target the private rental and retirement home sectors. Group revenue increased by 3.5% to £1,134 million from £1,095 million the year before as small growth in the home division was offset by a marginal decline in revenue from the regeneration sector. The company said that that group performance was in line with expectations in the face of significant shifts in government policy and continued strong demand for new housing. Good progress is being made in developing growth opportunities in new markets and sectors, it added. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) were £66.7m, representing a 4.5% rise on the £63.8m value from the previous year.
