Willmott Dixon has secured its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise for sustainable development. Willmott Dixon’s sustainable achievements include: reducing carbon emissions relative to turnover by 59 per cent since 2010; cutting construction waste intensity by 57% since 2012: and being carbon neutral for the sixth year running. HM The Queen’s
With over 125 years of experience in the construction industry, Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is looking ahead to a prosperous future with a forward pipeline of works of circa £90million in both the public and private sectors. The Derby-based construction group has been successful across all sectors, including education, commercial
Modern methods of construction (MMC) specialist Rollalong has created a partnership with pioneering regeneration company Be First on a new project in London. The new £6.3 million partnership will see Rollalong design and build 19 modular homes for the London borough of Barking and Dagenham from its 11-acre manufacturing and
Among the many decisions an exhibitor has to make, picking the best venue for the exhibition is the most difficult. Before you find a provider of exhibition products or the caterer, you first have to find the venue. You should identify a venue for your exhibition 4-6 months before the
From Allegro to oodlique, Zalando to Game, European online marketplaces are booming. European online marketplaces receive 804.4m visits per month, a figure which shows no sign of waning. These online communities are connecting, engaging and extending relationships with customers, employees and partners across all sectors and helping customers get more
‘First fire’ has been achieved at SSE Thermal’s Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 (FM2) project in West Yorkshire – a major milestone ahead of the plant becoming operational later this year. FM2, which entered construction in 2016, is being developed as a joint venture between SSE Thermal and Wheelabrator Technologies at a
Create the best prospects for sports with high-quality sport flooring. Why you might ask? Well, because sports floors are not just floors. The right floor can help athletes perform their best at all times. It gives the ultimate freedom of movement and ensures that every athlete can fulfill his/her full
Willmott Dixon has secured its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise for sustainable development. Willmott Dixon’s sustainable achievements include: reducing carbon emissions relative to turnover by 59 per cent since 2010; cutting construction waste intensity by 57% since 2012: and being carbon neutral for the sixth year running. HM The Queen’s representative for Hertfordshire visited the company’s head office in Letchworth Garden City to deliver the accolade. This recognises the firm’s commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its own activities and those of its supply chain. This latest recognition by the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise follows a first award in 2014 for sustainable development, and an accolade for Promoting Opportunity in 2018. To mark the Queen’s Awards hat trick, the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire presented a scroll to Willmott Dixon chief executive Rick Willmott with a message from HM The Queen. The company’s chief executive, Rick Willmott said: “This week’s UN Climate Action Summit was a timely reminder of the urgent action needed to tackle the affects we are seeing of global warming. The last four years were the four hottest on record, and the impacts of climate change are being felt everywhere with real consequences on people’s lives. “As well as action taken by nation states to influence how we reverse the rise in carbon emissions to safeguard future generations from the issues that come with climate change, business too needs to play a part. That’s why we will continue to invest and lead in new ways to become more sustainable and reduce our environmental footprint over and above our current status of being a carbon neutral company. Today’s presentation of our third Queen’s Award for Enterprise will act as a further catalyst for how we set ourselves even more challenging science-based carbon targets, which will place us on a trajectory to be a zero emissions – or even carbon positive – business by 2050.”
With over 125 years of experience in the construction industry, Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is looking ahead to a prosperous future with a forward pipeline of works of circa £90million in both the public and private sectors. The Derby-based construction group has been successful across all sectors, including education, commercial and residential. The family business – which was named as a top 10 contractor in the East Midlands by a recent construction industry survey* – has re-modelled the company to take into account the recent changes in the economy. This strategy has been beneficial as the business looks towards 2020 with a greater emphasis on the more buoyant markets of residential, facilities management and the logistics sector. Construction Frameworks also still play a significant part in G F Tomlinson’s business with a consistent client base and focus. In order to ensure it has the skill base and resources it needs to build on this strategy, G F Tomlinson continues to provide technical apprenticeships to many young people looking for a career in the construction sector, something they have done consistently for the last 40 years. Following in the footsteps of his recently retired father, Barry Sewards, group chairman and managing director, Andy Sewards said: “Having been established for over 125 years, we have a tremendous breadth of experience throughout the industry, with forward-thinking values to back this up. “We are now at a point in time where we are re-modelling the business to look ahead to the future, embracing new ideas to capitalise more on the buoyant sectors in the marketplace. This approach will ensure the company is well placed, providing greater opportunities for continued success for many years to come”.
Modern methods of construction (MMC) specialist Rollalong has created a partnership with pioneering regeneration company Be First on a new project in London. The new £6.3 million partnership will see Rollalong design and build 19 modular homes for the London borough of Barking and Dagenham from its 11-acre manufacturing and head office site in Dorset. “We are proud to have been awarded the design and build of two modular apartment blocks in partnership with Be First. These builds will provide a range of high-quality, affordable housing for people in Barking and Dagenham,” said the Managing Director of Rollalong, Steve Chivers. “There is a shortage of housing in the borough and with traditional methods of home building taking up to two years, our modular alternatives offer a real opportunity to start to address the shortfall in approximately half the time.” The two developments of spacious and energy-efficient homes will include a three-storey apartment block featuring six individual apartments at Mellish Close and a four-storey apartment block that will house 13 individual apartments on Sugden Way. With production of the homes already under way at Rollalong’s Dorset factory and site works, Sugden Way is scheduled to reach completion early next year. Meanwhile, site works are due to start at Mellish Close in November and are expected to be completed in the middle of next year. “Our goal is to speed up regeneration by creating great places and building successful communities. We are not just about bricks and mortar, we’re about making our borough an attractive and vibrant place to live, work and play,” added Iain Ferguson, Commercial Director at Be First.
Among the many decisions an exhibitor has to make, picking the best venue for the exhibition is the most difficult. Before you find a provider of exhibition products or the caterer, you first have to find the venue. You should identify a venue for your exhibition 4-6 months before the exhibition and sign an agreement with the venue provider to that effect. The following will provide you with tips in choosing the venue for your next exhibition. 1. Location If you intend to hold a local exhibition, choose a location that is close to your target attendees. For instance, if your exhibition is targeting students, pick a location with a high concentration of students. If the attendees are from out of town, a venue close to an airport and a hotel for accommodation would be ideal. You can provide the potential attendees with a mobile event app that will give directions to the venue. 2. Capacity You might find a venue at a great location but it may not hold the number of attendees you hope to have. Find a venue that is not too small or too big; this is because a very large space gives a feeling of emptiness while one that’s too small seems overcrowded. Also, consider movement of people during the exhibition; do they have to move from one stand to another or everything is in one spot? 3. Parking Your venue must have ample parking facilities if you want more people to attend. A person should not struggle to find a parking spot as they might decide to leave if they cannot park their cars at a considerable distance from the venue. Reserving and paying for parking space is one way of ensuring your attendees are sorted. Another way would be to organize for shared transport. This can be done by having a common pick up point where you will pick the attendees and drop them at the venue then take them back afterwards. For instance, you can organize for parents to drop their kids at school where you will pick them then take them back after the event. 4. Amenities and Services One thing you should consider while choosing the venue is the availability of catering for your event. Is there a kitchen at the venue? If not, does the venue provider have a partnership with food providers? If there is such an arrangement, make sure to sample the food before the event. If you are not satisfied with your services, ask if you can bring in a caterer of your choice. Does the venue provide amenities such as chairs, tables, or linen? If they are available and are to your preference, it will save you money as you won’t have to hire from outside. Some venues provide audio-visual equipment which is a plus for you if they do, but if they don’t, you’ll have to bring your own. Other venues also have clean up and set-up crews who keep the venue clean and help in setting up your displays. If there are none and the venue is great, you can find a team to do this at a small fee. 5. Accessibility Your venue should be accessible by everyone especially those with special needs. Since you do not know who will turn up for your exhibition, ensure that your venue can be accessed by people with special needs, such as, a person using a wheelchair. 6. Flexibility of Event Date If your choice of venue is a popular place among event planners, you can have different date options. If you choose to fill up a date that is open for the venue provider, you may earn yourself a discount in pricing. 6. Insurance An exhibition is attended by people from different backgrounds. Having this in mind, you should be open to the idea that accidents may strike during the course of the exhibition. Most venue providers require exhibitors to have insurance for the event. This is to exonerate them from any liability in case an accident occurs during the exhibition period. You should have this ready when going out to look for a venue for your exhibition. 9. Acoustics Poor acoustics disrupt communication during an event. The event may be too loud or too low making you strain to hear what the other person is saying. A room with a low ceiling will elevate the sound once it is packed while a room that is too large will produce echoes. Consider these factors when choosing your venue. In conclusion, since you cannot hop from one venue to the next, you can contact a convention bureau for assistance. Provide them with a list of your venue needs and they will in turn provide you with several venues which you can check out.
From Allegro to oodlique, Zalando to Game, European online marketplaces are booming. European online marketplaces receive 804.4m visits per month, a figure which shows no sign of waning. These online communities are connecting, engaging and extending relationships with customers, employees and partners across all sectors and helping customers get more value from their products and services. Included in the top 50 European marketplaces is the UK which sees 90m visits per month to its 10 biggest online marketplaces. Success stories Some of the world’s largest online marketplaces have some interesting success stories to tell. eBay was founded in Pierre Omidyar’s San Jose living room back in September 1995 and from the start was meant to be a marketplace for the sale of goods and services for individuals. Today eBay has become an online person-to-person trading community and has both streamlined and globalized person-to-person trading, which traditionally used to be conducted at car boot sales, collectables shows and flea markets. Mumsnet was created by Justine Roberts back in 2000 after a disastrous family holiday. Originally conceived as a website where parents could simply swap family holiday and other advice, it has since grown into an online phenomenon, championing high profile campaigns which challenge both businesses and government over attitudes to children and parenting. Mumsnet is now the UK’s busiest social network for parents, generating almost 7m visits and 50m page views every month. Etsy was set up in 2005 as an online platform for craftsmen to sell their handmade and vintage goods. Today Etsy has created an online community of craftsmen featuring over 60m items and attracting 7.4m sellers and over 39.4m buyers. Builders Bay is another great example of an online marketplace which has brought together a unique online community. Buildersbay.co.uk was born out of the desire to solve the problem of dangerously excessive construction waste by enabling nationwide suppliers to sell surplus products to builders, renovators and DIY enthusiasts. The UK is a nation of DIY enthusiasts who spend £1.5bn annually on building products, yet 13% is never used and enters the country’s waste system. Builders Bay also solves the problem in the DIY retail market of unsold and surplus end of line stock either clogging up prime retail space or having to be stored, all costing the retailer money. Products bought on buildersbay.co.uk cost a fraction of the usual price. For example, some brand-new appliances are up to 45% cheaper than anywhere else on the internet. The site features over 16,000 products offering customers savings of £8m. Connecting people What all of these communities, and the hundreds of others like them, are doing is connecting likeminded people. For customers, online communities are a great way of getting more value from products and services and for businesses, online communities can help improve the way they enhance their products and services and help to better develop them. According to Forrester Research’s 2015 Customer Lifecycle Journey report, we are now living in the age of the customer. A time when customers, not brands, control the business agenda and technology and social media have given more power and influence to customers. More than ever, customers want to have a voice and influence business decisions which is why to remain viable, companies need to build stronger customer relationships, and online communities allow businesses to do this.
‘First fire’ has been achieved at SSE Thermal’s Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 (FM2) project in West Yorkshire – a major milestone ahead of the plant becoming operational later this year. FM2, which entered construction in 2016, is being developed as a joint venture between SSE Thermal and Wheelabrator Technologies at a total cost of £325 million. When completed, the facility will have a generation capacity of 70MW, converting waste-derived fuel into enough electricity to power around 180,000 homes. In doing so, it will help divert an estimated 570,000 tonnes of waste from landfill annually. The project is located next to SSE’s existing FM1 facility and adjacent to the company’s decommissioned coal-fired Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station. “We’re delighted to have reached ‘first fire’ at FM2, which is one of the last big milestones before the plant becomes operational. This achievement is the culmination of three years of hard work and I want to say a big thank you to our lead contractor Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), and the entire project team, for getting to this point safely and on schedule,” said Stephen Davis, Head of Construction (Multifuel) for SSE Thermal, about the milestone. At peak construction over 900 people were working on the FM2 project, and 34 full-time roles are expected to be created once the plant becomes fully operational. SSE’s thermal plants provide important and complementary flexible electricity generation to support increasing renewable power across GB.
Create the best prospects for sports with high-quality sport flooring. Why you might ask? Well, because sports floors are not just floors. The right floor can help athletes perform their best at all times. It gives the ultimate freedom of movement and ensures that every athlete can fulfill his/her full potential. But why invest in high-quality sport flooring as a sports association, high school or college? Well, the answer is perhaps not as straight forward as you might expect. Yet it is unbelievably simple. Great sport flooring helps prevent injuries and by preventing injuries you play a role in helping athletes grow with their sport. The key features behind floor safety You might not know a great deal about the technical qualities of sports flooring and, as a result, might beprone to opt for a cheaper option to cut costs – but don’t. Floor safety and performance are closely intertwined and below you can read the key factors behind the floors’ safety and technical properties. These are the key factors which Junckers, who has provided sport flooring since 1930, has identified as being highly important for the overall experience. Shock absorption Shock absorption is the impact of energy absorbed by the floor when landing after a jump. As a result, a shock-absorbing floor minimizes the risk of injuries particularly knee and ankle injuries. Friction The correct friction rating is equally important to prevent injuries, especially, with regards to ballplayers, where it is important the floor is not to smooth as this means ballplayers cannot move rapidly or change direction without slipping. Friction rating should be between 80 and 110 for sports involving any kind of balls. If the friction value is below 80 the floor is too smooth and over 110 it becomes too solid. In both instances, it increases the risks of injuries. Ball bounce Ball bounce refers to the balls’ rebound when hitting the floor. A good rebound increases the speed of the game and control over the ball. When buying sport flooring, you will see that the ball bounce is measured in percentage. This percentage is the rebound achieved by the sports floor compared to the rebound measured on a normal concrete floor. Vertical deformation Vertical deformation is an indicator of the floors’ ability to absorb shock. It depends on its flexibility when exposed to dynamic load/impact from light running.
