Greggs, the beloved UK bakery chain, has announced ambitious plans to open up to 150 net new stores in 2025 after a record-breaking year of expansion. The company revealed a “strong pipeline of opportunities” that will support its continued growth, with plans including 50 store relocations to optimise its presence
Funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., supported by LS Estates, have appointed construction services organisation Morgan Sindall Construction (Morgan Sindall) to be the lead contractor for the new life science development at 17 Columbus Courtyard (17CC), Canary Wharf. Morgan Sindall will begin work on site in January 2025 to
A new planning application has been submitted by McTaggart Construction and Ravenscraig Limited to North Lanarkshire Council for a residential development and 14,500 sq ft of retail space on the former industrial steel works site of Ravenscraig. The proposals will see the delivery of 48 affordable homes on Prospecthill Road.
Drylining, insulation and M&E solutions distributor etag has appointed Michael Kelly as its Sales Director for the Irish market, harnessing over 20 years of experience in the industry to elevate the company’s position in the construction sector. Michael originally joined the industry with Heat Merchants, beginning with a summer job and then progressing with
The Nemetschek Group, a leading global provider of software solutions for the AEC/O (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation) and media industries, today announced that it has successfully attained the ISO 27001 certification across the Group. The important certification covers the development, implementation, and maintenance of software solutions across the Architecture,
Greggs, the beloved UK bakery chain, has announced ambitious plans to open up to 150 net new stores in 2025 after a record-breaking year of expansion. The company revealed a “strong pipeline of opportunities” that will support its continued growth, with plans including 50 store relocations to optimise its presence across the country. A Milestone Year in 2024 Last year, Greggs achieved a milestone by opening 226 new stores, marking its highest-ever annual growth. After accounting for 28 closures and 53 relocations, the company achieved a net increase of 145 shops, bringing its total to 2,618 by year-end. This figure includes 2,057 company-managed stores and 561 franchised locations. In its latest trading update, Greggs reported a 7.7% increase in sales during the final quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Total annual sales reached an impressive £2.01 billion, a significant rise from £1.81 billion the previous year. CEO Reflects on Success and Future Plans Roisin Currie, Chief Executive of Greggs, hailed the chain’s achievements:“2024 was another year of good progress by Greggs, with a record number of new shops opened and the £2 billion sales milestone surpassed. I’m incredibly proud of our teams who, day in and day out, do such a fantastic job for our customers.” Looking ahead, Currie expressed optimism despite challenges in the broader retail environment:“We enter 2025 with a strong pipeline of new shop opportunities and continue to broaden our menu and enhance our digital capabilities. Additionally, we are investing in our supply chain capacity to support our growth strategy. While lower consumer confidence continues to impact high street footfall and spending, our value-for-money offer and the quality of our freshly prepared food and drink position us well to navigate the challenges ahead.” Balancing Growth and Resilience Greggs’ success comes amid a challenging retail landscape, with high street footfall still recovering from pandemic lows and ongoing pressures on consumer spending. The bakery chain’s focus on affordable, freshly made food and expanding its digital services has helped it stand out in a competitive market. By continuing to innovate and expand, Greggs is poised to maintain its position as one of the UK’s favourite food-to-go chains. With plans for 150 new stores this year, the company is clearly ready to take another bite out of the market in 2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., supported by LS Estates, have appointed construction services organisation Morgan Sindall Construction (Morgan Sindall) to be the lead contractor for the new life science development at 17 Columbus Courtyard (17CC), Canary Wharf. Morgan Sindall will begin work on site in January 2025 to oversee the transformation of the existing building into a new state-of-the-art life science and technology hub, catering to the evolving needs of current and future occupants from across the sector. Completion of the building is planned for Q3 2026, and marketing will commence early this year with a focus on a balanced mix of younger fast growing startups/scaleups and more established life science corporates. Designed by architects Scott Brownrigg and benefitting from direct connections to the Elizabeth Line, the high quality research facility will provide 190,000 sq ft of flexible laboratory and office space spanning nine upper floors, while the ground floor will feature a new communal amenity area with café, co-working space, and shared high-spec meeting rooms and conference facilities. Occupiers at 17CC will benefit from a dedicated on-site manager responsible for developing the facility’s research ecosystem and enhancing tenants’ experience. Rowan Jenkins, Managing Director – Development at LS Estates, said: “Morgan Sindall’s appointment as lead contractor for 17CC marks a significant milestone in the building’s transformation to becoming a cutting-edge life science and technology facility for Canary Wharf. “17CC has been designed to provide a collaborative environment throughout, with flexible floorspace and specification options available for a range of different occupiers, from late-stage start-ups to more established companies.” Mark Swetman, CEO at LS Estates, said: “Working in partnership with Morgan Sindall is a positive step towards the redevelopment of 17CC. We look forward to seeing the successful completion of this state-of-the-art research facility, which will form an integral part of the emerging Canary Wharf life science cluster.” 17CC will minimise both embodied and operational carbon, embracing the principles of a circular economy by retaining, repurposing and upgrading as much of the existing building as possible. This approach will minimise raw material usage, limiting the upfront embodied carbon for the project to just 337 kgCO2e/m2 and will divert at least 95 per cent of construction waste from landfill. Richard Dobson, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Area Director for London, said: “17CC will exemplify how existing buildings can be repurposed and adapted to accommodate the changing nature of the workplace, assisting occupants in meeting their sustainability objectives. “We’re looking forward to working alongside LS Estates to realise the potential 17CC has to offer for innovators working across the life science and technology sector.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new planning application has been submitted by McTaggart Construction and Ravenscraig Limited to North Lanarkshire Council for a residential development and 14,500 sq ft of retail space on the former industrial steel works site of Ravenscraig. The proposals will see the delivery of 48 affordable homes on Prospecthill Road. Meanwhile, McTaggart Construction also proposes to create a neighbourhood retail hub to the south east of the site with commercial units and potential drive through development. Ravenscraig is one of Europe’s largest regeneration and community creation initiatives, with a masterplan focused on sustainable and inclusive growth. The vision is to create a self-sufficient community with high quality housing, transport links, education and employment opportunities. To date 1,000 homes have been built across the site and education contributions totalling £4.7m have been made to North Lanarkshire Council. Other positive developments in recent months for Ravenscraig include two successful planning applications within the site’s dedicated employment area, SevenFourEight. This includes permission granted for a £10m employment hub project, led by Fusion Assets with industrial space for up to ten businesses, and the construction of a 38,000 sq ft commercial vehicle workshop and sales facility for Motus Commercials, part of the Motus Group (UK). Russell Wilkie, Director at Ravenscraig Limited, said, “It has been a significant year for Ravenscraig with considerable progress made to our masterplan in 2024. This is a long term project and each planning application brings us a step closer to realising the vision for Ravenscraig and growing a thriving local community. “It’s fantastic to see the proposals from McTaggart Construction which will add to our future mixed residential offering and bring retail space to the mix too. I know that local residents are very keen to see a retail offering within Ravenscraig and we are eager to see this delivered quickly alongside McTaggart Construction.” Janice Russell from McTaggart Construction, said: “It’s great to make progress in our proposed plans for a new housing and neighbourhood retail development at Ravenscraig. This project represents a significant investment and contribution to community wealth building within the ongoing wider Ravenscraig regeneration. Once our plans are approved, we look forward to working with stakeholders and the community to provide additional homes and a much-needed neighbourhood retail hub.” For more information on the vision for Ravenscraig and latest news visit ravenscraig.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Drylining, insulation and M&E solutions distributor etag has appointed Michael Kelly as its Sales Director for the Irish market, harnessing over 20 years of experience in the industry to elevate the company’s position in the construction sector. Michael originally joined the industry with Heat Merchants, beginning with a summer job and then progressing with the company over 14 years to become a Branch Manager and Regional Sales Manager. In 2012, he joined the Grafton Group as Regional Heating Manager to develop the company’s heating and plumbing offering within the subsidiaries of Chadwicks and Heaton Buckley. Over the years, he progressed to the role of Regional Director, and most recently worked as Sales Director for Chadwicks, where he was responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with Tier 1 contractors and oversaw the development and implementation of a new CRM strategy to enhance customer engagement. Now, in his new position at etag he will focus on developing team members and building a strong sales team to support customer growth. Michael said: “There is a generally positive feeling from both clients and suppliers when it comes to the Irish economy, and the upcoming market opportunities will align well with etag’s growth strategy and target sectors. To join an organisation where I can use my experience to make a meaningful contribution and tangible difference is a brilliant opportunity and one I jumped at. “I’m committed to building on etag’s 20-year legacy, maintaining our personal touch and deep understanding of our customers’ needs. Whether businesses have worked with etag for the last two decades or are new, I’m looking forward to building on these partnerships to help fuel growth for our customers.” Tony Taylor, CEO of etag, said: “Michael’s experience in our sector is irrefutable, and he is unarguably going to be an enormous asset to our team. I’m looking forward to seeing how Michael uses his knowledge of the sector to foster fantastic working principles in our employees, ensuring they are armed with the skills and tools to have a direct impact on the growth of our customers’ businesses – something that is incredibly important to us. Welcome to the team, Michael.” Established in 2004, etag is a complete system solutions provider of drylining, insulation, membranes, M&E support systems and fixings, which prides itself on creating efficiencies in project timelines and processes through its products and services. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Nemetschek Group, a leading global provider of software solutions for the AEC/O (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation) and media industries, today announced that it has successfully attained the ISO 27001 certification across the Group. The important certification covers the development, implementation, and maintenance of software solutions across the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AEC/O) lifecycle as well as for the Media & Entertainment industry. It underscores Nemetschek’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of information security and ensuring the protection of its data. ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Achieving this certification signifies that Nemetschek has implemented Information Security company-wide in a robust manner to manage and protect sensitive information, reduce risks of cyber threats, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations globally. The ISO certification covers all brands in the Nemetschek Group, except for the recently acquired company GoCanvas. Key Highlights of Nemetschek’s ISO 27001 Certification: “We are extremely proud to have achieved ISO 27001 certification across the Nemetschek Group”, commented Louise Öfverström, Chief Financial Officer at the Nemetschek Group. “This milestone underscores our commitment to not only providing innovative software solutions but also safeguarding the critical information that are entrusted to us. The certification assures our clients that we take their security seriously and meet the highest international standards.” This achievement is another important milestone in the company´s strategy of fostering transparency, trust, and long-term partnerships with its stakeholders. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
