BESA must help its members to face up to key challenges Published: 14 July, 2016 The overriding duty of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) to help its members to face up to present and future challenges has been highlighted by president Malcolm Thomson in his inaugural address. “We must
Workload forecasts remain strongly positive across all regions of the UK Evidence of practices struggling to recruit staff with the desired skills and experience The recovery in workloads is now clearly a UK wide phenomenon according to the latest results of the RIBA Future Trends survey. The RIBA
The ‘all under one roof’ approach was launched by the Leaders Romans Group, one of the UK’s largest property services companies made up of Leaders, Romans and Boyer, who employ over 2,100 people across 160 offices nationwide. “Since the merger of the three market-leading companies in 2016, we have developed
Specialist supplier of natural cladding products, Pura Facades, has seen its business grow by a remarkable 34% in the last 12 months, increasing its turnover to £6 million. Operating from West London and Birmingham, the fast-growing supplier works closely with architects and designers, helping them to source sustainable, safe and
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th
Leeds based Cameron and Declan Christie, the owners and minds behind UK Trade Furnishings, were named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, winning the FSB Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018. This award is thought to be the first of many to follow this year. “We’re beyond excited
The employees from engineering solutions provider, Boulting Group, have worked really hard and managed to raise £14,683.31 for cancer centre The Christie, the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe, treating more than 44,000 patients a year. The money raised will help fund the important work and support the facilities provided
BESA must help its members to face up to key challenges Published: 14 July, 2016 The overriding duty of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) to help its members to face up to present and future challenges has been highlighted by president Malcolm Thomson in his inaugural address. “We must emphasise to clients the high levels of technical competence, commercial capability and adherence to safety best practice that members are required to maintain – and we must address the skills shortages that threaten to limit the extent to which members can take advantage of commercial opportunities,” said Mr Thomson at the annual general meeting of the association. He told the audience that one of the key reasons why small firms joined the association was to gain an understanding of the practices adopted by larger members, so that they could become more professional, more innovative and more efficient in all aspects of their business. “We must protect and enhance the reputation of the BESA badge as one of quality and reliability – and we must ensure that membership remains healthy in number and representative of the sector,” said Mr Thomson. “I believe that, by fostering lasting relationships between the large guys and the small guys, much advantage can be gained by both parties.” Source link
Workload forecasts remain strongly positive across all regions of the UK Evidence of practices struggling to recruit staff with the desired skills and experience The recovery in workloads is now clearly a UK wide phenomenon according to the latest results of the RIBA Future Trends survey. The RIBA Future Trends Workload Index was unchanged this month (remaining at +29 in January 2015). Workload forecast balance figures were positive in all nations and regions of the UK, with the highest balance figures again in Scotland (+57) and Northern Ireland (+67). Small practices (1–10 staff) remain positive about the outlook for future work (balance figure +23); medium-sized practices (11–50 staff) and large-sized practices (51+ staff) are anticipating more growth in workloads over the next quarter (with balance figures of +61 and +80 respectively). The private housing sector workload forecast remains the most positive (increasing to +33 in January 2015, up from +25 in December 2014). The crucial commercial sector workload forecast fell back a little further from its recent highs (down to +13 in January 2015 from +17 in December 2014). Overall, practices continue to be very positive about future prospects for private housing and commercial work. Our correspondents reported strong growth in one-off housing, housing for private rental, office and hotel sectors. The retail element of the commercial sector remains more subdued. Both the public sector workload forecast (+6) and the community sector workload forecast (+3) saw little change this month. The outlook for public and third-sector work currently appears to be for stable workloads but without any dramatic increase in levels of activity in the medium term. This month, RIBA also releases quarterly results tracking the value of actual work in progress compared with 12 months ago. In January 2015, our practices reported workloads 6% higher than in the corresponding quarter of 2014. For the past 18 months aggregate workloads for our practices have been growing at an annualised rate of 6–8%. However, we estimate the total value of work in progress remains some 25% below its pre-recessionary peak. This illustrates that there remains significant potential for further growth in the demand for architectural services – if the economic recovery maintains momentum. The RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index stands at +14 in January 2015 (down from +17 in December 2014), but remains strongly in positive territory: only 4% of practices predicted a decrease in overall permanent staffing levels over the next quarter. Reflecting the workload forecast figures, medium-sized practices (11–50 staff, with a balance figure of +43) and large practices (51+ staff, with a balance figure of +40) continue to be more confident about their ability to sustain higher staffing levels in the medium term. Small practices (1–10 staff, with a balance figure of +9) are significantly more cautious about taking on additional new staff at the present time. This month, RIBA releases quarterly results tracking overall permanent staffing levels. In January 2015 our practices reported that aggregate staffing numbers had increased by a modest 2%, compared to the same period 12 months ago so there continues to be a lag between the growth in workloads and an increase in the numbers of staff being employed. RIBA Director of Practice Adrian Dobson said:‘This month’s results present a slightly mixed picture; however, uncertainty around the imminent General Election is probably contributing to practices being more circumspect about future workload levels in the public and third-sector work. ‘We have seen a steady decrease in the number of our respondents reporting that they had personally been under-employed in the last month, and this suggests that most of the spare capacity retained within the profession during the recession is now being productively employed. We therefore anticipate more substantial growth in overall employment levels in 2015. ‘Anecdotal commentary received continues to suggest a continuing strengthening of the market for architects’ services. Although we are not yet recording a dramatic increase in overall staffing levels, we are seeing evidence of some practices encountering difficulties in attracting new staff with the right mix of skills and experience.’ ENDS Notes to editors 1. For further press information contact the RIBA Press Office: 020 7307 3757 pressoffice@riba.org 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. 3. Completed by a mix of small, medium and large firms based on a geographically representative sample, the RIBA Future Trends Survey was launched in January 2009 to monitor business and employment trends affecting the architects’ profession. 4. The Future Trends Survey is carried out by the RIBA in partnership with the Fees Bureau. Results of the survey, including a full graphical analysis, are published each month at: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Professionalsupport/FutureTrendsSurvey.aspx 5. To participate in the RIBA Future Trends Survey, please contact the RIBA Practice Department on 020 7307 3749 or email practice@riba.org. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete each month, and all returns are independently processed in strict confidence 6. The definition for the workload balance figure is the difference between those expecting more work and those expecting less. A negative figure means more respondents expect less work than those expecting more work. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index, which for January 2015 was +29 7. The definition for the staffing balance figure is the difference between those expecting to employ more permanent staff in the next three months and those expecting to employ fewer. A negative figure means more respondents expect to employ fewer permanent staff. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index, which for January 2015 was +14 Posted on Friday 27th February 2015 Source link
The ‘all under one roof’ approach was launched by the Leaders Romans Group, one of the UK’s largest property services companies made up of Leaders, Romans and Boyer, who employ over 2,100 people across 160 offices nationwide. “Since the merger of the three market-leading companies in 2016, we have developed a unique offering of property services, ‘all under one roof’ for corporate clients and property investors. From lettings and sales, through to planning and architecture, our expertise spans across a variety of disciplines enabling us to help you throughout every step of your property journey,” explained Peter Kavanagh, Group Managing Director. Hodson Developments used the ‘all under one roof’ approach to meet their objectives at the Viridium development in Camberley. The development site consisted of an old pub, The Duke of York, with 29 two-bedroom apartments. After the purchase, the Surveying team at Leaders Roman Group was instructed to carry out a viability assessment, followed by the submission of two planning applications and an appeal to create an additional 90 homes. The proposal proved successful and the New Homes team started working on site to sell the homes. They worked closely with mortgage services to help buyers secure the right mortgage for their circumstances, many of whom used the services at the residential sales offices to sell their existing homes. Several of these new properties were sold to investors through Romans, while the lettings and property management team further continued to work with the investors to ensure their let remains successful. By keeping this project ‘all under one roof’, Hodson Development had a dedicated point of contact throughout and had the peace of mind that everyone involved was working towards the same goal. To find more information about how this approach could benefit you, a new website offers detailed information about the company’s ethos, board of directors and the services they offer at https://www.lrg.co.uk/.
Specialist supplier of natural cladding products, Pura Facades, has seen its business grow by a remarkable 34% in the last 12 months, increasing its turnover to £6 million. Operating from West London and Birmingham, the fast-growing supplier works closely with architects and designers, helping them to source sustainable, safe and stylish external claddings for commercial and residential projects. Focusing mainly on the provision of glass fibre reinforced concrete (GRC), terracotta and brick slip façade cladding panels, Pura has recently supplied several flagship projects in London, including Hallsville Quarter, a mixed use development in Canning Town and St Mark’s Square, a major residential, retail and cinema complex in Bromley. Pura has also supplied bespoke cladding to high street outlets such as COS, Burberry and Stella McCartney. The business attributes much of its success to the increasing appreciation of natural facades, typically using concrete, terracotta or wood, which can be eventually recycled within the construction supply chain. Pura’s director, James Butler, explains: “We founded the business four years ago to satisfy the growing demand for truly sustainable construction materials from architects and specifiers alike. The use of natural materials on new buildings has been growing over the last five years and this is a trend that looks set to feed into other areas such as social housing, especially as the bulk of our product range is certified as A1 non-combustible.” Moreover, the company’s focus on customer service is another reason for Pura’s continued success. Butler continued: “Contractors are faced with increasingly tight delivery programmes during the construction phase and need suppliers that can help them overcome these logistical challenges. Accordingly, Pura offers contractors off-site fabrication services and timed deliveries, two methodologies that can reduce errors and improve construction site efficiencies. “We also work hard to help contractors achieve practical completion (PC), by providing toolbox training to site workers, giving them practical support to enable them to fill out their O&M manuals and even assisting in final snagging work. It’s these added value activities that help contractors to achieve project completion.” Pura Facades provides a fully made to order service to architects, specifiers and contractors, supplying natural cladding products from respected brands including Rieder, Faveton. Lauder Parea and VetaBric.
GRAHAM Construction’s ‘visionary’ approach to whole person development has been celebrated at the prestigious Highways England Health, Safety & Wellbeing Awards. Seeing off a host of industry-leading competition, GRAHAM’s CONNECT personal development programme was named the ‘Health and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year’ at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (7th March) in London’s Connaught Rooms. CONNECT is an innovative whole person wellbeing programme, which has been developed and championed by GRAHAM – a privately-owned company, ranked 16th in the Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250. Based on cutting-edge research across performance, health and wellbeing, CONNECT has already produced eye-catching results, as GRAHAM’s Managing Director – Civil Engineering Leo Martin explains. “Since the initial pilot programme, we have seen employee turnover for participants fall to just 1 per cent, while 85 per cent of participants have rated the programme as ‘excellent’ on an independent survey,” said Leo. “CONNECT has been an unparalleled success and as a result we are extremely proud to have been awarded this prestigious accolade by Highways England. As a business, we understand the importance of health and safety performance across the construction industry, particularly in the Highways sector. This award is further validation of our deep expertise and understanding.” The awards are dedicated to health, safety and wellbeing achievements, excellence and innovation across Highways England’s supply chain and road users. Indeed, the prestigious accolade follows GRAHAM’s recent attainment of Investors In People’s Platinum and Wellbeing accreditations. As a measure of GRAHAM’s belief in CONNECT’s ground breaking impact, it will invest over £1m throughout 2018-19 to roll out the programme to all of its 2,200+ employees spread across the UK and Ireland. “We are now beginning a full roll out across the entire business. Our commitment to driving excellence in health, safety and wellbeing led to the development of the CONNECT programme, and we are now reaping the benefits of its implementation,” continued Leo. “CONNECT is a valuable tool, which can significantly impact the attraction and retention of talent within our industry. It is adaptable to other construction companies and has the potential to be a unique, breakthrough model programme for wellbeing in the UK workforce.” Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England said: “It’s well known that safety is our first imperative and I am delighted that these awards highlight that. The camera system, for example, will ultimately save lives. The submissions show how innovative ways of thinking will make things safer for those working on and using our strategic road network and these awards also highlight the mental health and wellbeing of staff is as important as feeling safe in the workplace. I look forward to seeing more achievements in years to come.” GRAHAM is continuing to develop its partnership with Highways England following the successful delivery of a number of contracts over the last few years, including the Chelmer Viaduct valued at £21 million, as well as the completion of the Great Howard Street bridge replacement scheme for Liverpool City Council (£8 million), procured through the Highways England CDF Lot 2 Framework. Last month the company completed a milestone beam lift at the A47 Saddlebow Interchange in King’s Lynn as part of a £3.5 million bridge strengthening project. GRAHAM is also currently undertaking a scheme to install conventional noise barriers on the M40 motorway as part of a series of improvements between Junctions 3 and 8 of the motorway, with the ultimate goal of reducing noise pollution along the route.
Leeds based Cameron and Declan Christie, the owners and minds behind UK Trade Furnishings, were named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, winning the FSB Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018. This award is thought to be the first of many to follow this year. “We’re beyond excited to have been given this award. Luxury Flooring and Furnishings continues to progress at every turning point and were looking forward to many great years of trading ahead,” commented on the achievement Cameron, Managing Director. Declan, Managing Partner, also shared his thoughts about the award: “Winning this award is just another step in the right direction for us. Having left school at 16, both myself and Cameron are proud to say we are following our dream. With more award nominations lined up, we hope to extend the achievements of UK Trade Furnishings even further.” Luxury Flooring and Furnishings is one of the UK’s leading online flooring retailers, offering a wide range of products. The business turns over in the region of £8 million per year at present. Deciding to expand their portfolio further, the duo launched in 2017 Tile Monkey and Rug Mountain under the UK Trade Furnishing parent company. The company is experiencing a growing demand for their services across Europe; therefore the website for Luxury Flooring and Furnishings has been translated to further increase their availability online. Similarly, both Tile Monkey and Rug Mountain are following in their predecessors footsteps and are becoming increasingly busier with every quarter. Cameron and Declan are cousins and they grew up locally in Harrogate. Having left school at the age of 16, both of them worked hard to pursue their dream of becoming business owners. After noticing there was a gap in the market for an online supplier of luxury wood floor, Luxury Flooring and Furnishings was created in 2013.
The employees from engineering solutions provider, Boulting Group, have worked really hard and managed to raise £14,683.31 for cancer centre The Christie, the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe, treating more than 44,000 patients a year. The money raised will help fund the important work and support the facilities provided for cancer patients and their families. “Cancer is one of the few remaining human diseases that scientists are yet to cure. Recent breakthroughs in stem cell research in particular means that we are closer than ever to overcoming cancer,” said Josh Groarke, deputy group managing director at Boulting Group, “This is why we’re proud of the determination of our staff and it means that, this year, we have presented The Christie with our biggest charitable donation to date.” Dave Jackson, Billy Ramsay, Matt Hemsworth and Kevin O’Hara took part in a 60 mile Manchester to Blackpool bike ride, while Victoria McWhirter competed in her first Pretty Muddy event and Sam Blair entered the Tough Mudder event. Staff who did not fancy getting muddy participated in a number of additional fundraising events throughout the year, including Boulting’s inaugural Summer Ball, which took place at the Principal Hotel in Manchester raising £7,400 as well as Easter and summer raffles and various dress-down days. “It has been an absolute pleasure being in partnership with Boulting Group over the past year. It has gone over and above to raise an incredible amount of money and we really appreciate its dedication and efforts,” said Danielle Carney, Corporate Fundraising Manager at The Christie. Located in Warrington, with additional sites across the UK, Boulting Group is a multi- disciplined engineering solutions provider, operating in a diverse range of industry sectors in the UK and internationally. Boulting provides a wide scope of project services from project management, design, fabrication and installation to commissioning and ongoing maintenance services and has strong in-house resources in all the major engineering construction disciplines, including mechanical, electrical and instrumentation, technology, HVAC/sophisticated environments.
