Caddick Construction Group is continuing its geographical expansion into the North as the multi-disciplinary contracting business launches new premises in Durham. The new office is the latest move to grow Caddick’s regional presence following the success of its most recent financial results, which saw profit up £7.4m and turnover up
Window and door sealant tape specialist ISO Chemie has invested further in supporting self-builders and retrofit designers with a new initiative at the National Selfbuild and Renovation Centre (NSBRC) in Swindon. The move will see a permanent static showroom established, enabling the company to showcase its thermal insulating and load
United Living Group, the provider of infrastructure, affordable housing, property services, and telecoms, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, United Living Property Services (ULPS), has been awarded a £36 million contract with SNG (Sovereign Network Group), a housing association that builds and maintains affordable homes across London and the South
The FirstPort Group, the UK’s leading provider of residential property management services, has appointed Carina Paine as its Head of Resident Management Company (RMC) Services. This newly created role is designed to strengthen FirstPort’s commitment to the growing consumer-led market. Carina will be responsible for overseeing the operational delivery and
Construction firm Beard is celebrating the first anniversary of its Southampton office with the appointment of a new office lead. The family-owned company has promoted Ollie Chun to lead the 18-strong team on the south coast as the company looks to continue its growth and double its turnover in 2025
Your concept is outstanding – original and full of potential. Yet, without funding, it will remain just that: a concept. With the right financial support, your idea can transform into something tangible and impactful. The real hurdle is that securing money doesn’t happen by chance. What if you had a
Caddick Construction Group is continuing its geographical expansion into the North as the multi-disciplinary contracting business launches new premises in Durham. The new office is the latest move to grow Caddick’s regional presence following the success of its most recent financial results, which saw profit up £7.4m and turnover up 38% to £318m. The group’s expansion in the North East follows the appointments of Steve Ford as Regional MD for Caddick Construction North East & Yorkshire and Simon Martin as MD for Caddick Civil Engineering, both of which are tasked with growing the business’ regional pipeline. The new 2,045 sq ft office, Caddick Construction Group’s first office in the North East, is located at Adelaide House at Belmont Business Park in Durham. The office will be home to a growing team that will lead business development and project delivery in the region. The new premises have undergone a fit-out programme ahead of occupancy, with new features installed to mirror the business’ newly launched headquarters at Calder House in Wakefield. Investment in the new office represents Caddick Construction’s commitment to the North East market, and its ambition to grow its portfolio of projects across its core sectors of industrial, residential, healthcare, offices, retail and manufacturing. The business will also be targeting growth in the public sector as part of its presence on a number of the region’s procurement frameworks, including the North East Procurement Organisation’s (NEPO) £800m Construction Works Framework. Paul Dodsworth, Group Managing Director at Caddick, commented: “We are really excited to launch our new office in Durham and to move ourselves closer to our growing client-base in the North East. There is a healthy pipeline of construction work in the region, and we’re very proud to bring our capabilities, knowledge and experience to this thriving market. “I am determined that our growth will be sustainable; we will retain our financial stability for our people, our clients and our supply chain. Our focus is on delivering exceptional projects, supporting our clients, our trusted supply chain partners and investing in our people, all of which underpin our growth journey.” Steve Ford, Regional Managing Director of Caddick Construction North East & Yorkshire, added: “Caddick has a proud reputation for delivering high quality projects, and for being a forward thinking, collaborative and innovative construction partner. The conversations we are having, and the response we have so far seen in the North East market, have proven the appetite and demand for our services in the region, and we’re very proud to cement our presence in the North East with our new Durham office.” Simon Martin, Managing Director of Caddick Civil Engineering, said: “The Government has some very bold housing targets, and keeping pace with these ambitions is reliant on unlocking brownfield regeneration. Broadening our geographical reach into the North East will allow us to serve this growing pipeline with our knowledge and experience of complex land remediation.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Window and door sealant tape specialist ISO Chemie has invested further in supporting self-builders and retrofit designers with a new initiative at the National Selfbuild and Renovation Centre (NSBRC) in Swindon. The move will see a permanent static showroom established, enabling the company to showcase its thermal insulating and load bearing bracket support system WINFRAMER Type 1 and Hybratec multi-functional joint sealing tapes and the easy-to-use and energy efficiency saving benefits these systems provide. The NSBRC is the UK’s only permanent visitor centre designed specifically to meet the needs of individual self-builders, renovators and home improvers. Since opening our doors in January 2007, the hub has seen more than 250,000 self-builders, developers, renovators and home improvers visit the 67,000sq ft. educational resource, generating over 1.1 million leads for exhibitors such as ISO Chemie. A key feature of ISO Chemie’s investment will be to provide advice on effective fenestration installation techniques – displaying WINFRAMER will show how it allows windows to be installed in the insulation area, overcoming thermal bridges. A large amount of heat is lost from a building through the gap between the windows and the surrounding wall, as thermal imagery clearly shows. This gap is necessary to allow for the natural expansion of the window frame throughout the year, what isn’t necessary, however, is the loss of heat. Both doors and windows account for almost a quarter (21%) of the total air loss of the average house, and adding the joints between walls, floors and ceilings brings the figure up to 50%. Many argue that airflow is desirable, however Andy Swift explained that you can eliminate 50% of heat loss while still retaining some natural air flow. The statistics illustrate that in most residential properties, heat losses are overwhelmingly replaced by artificial heating rather than through solar energy or internal warmth. This means that reducing heat losses in the home is paramount in the battle to lower energy consumption. Visitors to ISO Chemie at NSBRC will be able to advance their understanding of airtightness and related issues, said Andy Swift, ISO Chemie’s UK sales and operations manager, enabling sector specifiers to improve the design and construction of buildings and boost their technical and product expertise. He added: “Unfortunately, thermal sealing around windows is not specified by law in the UK. That is why ISO-Chemie, whose gap-sealing tapes and solutions provide effective resistance against heat loss, is getting the word out there through support for initiatives like this showroom opening. “The message is clear, not only are the right products needed for the job, but also the right installation. Hence the need to go beyond simple marketing and into the realm of in branch education. “We decided to exhibit at the NSBRC because it is one of the best places for self-builders and renovators to get impartial advice and product information under one roof. It’s part of our strategy to educate self-builders and renovators about energy efficient improvement solutions in the UK – up to 70% cost savings can be achieved when using these tapes for high performance window sealing, rather than the current three component systems.” More at https://www.iso-chemie.eu/en-GB/home/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
United Living Group, the provider of infrastructure, affordable housing, property services, and telecoms, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, United Living Property Services (ULPS), has been awarded a £36 million contract with SNG (Sovereign Network Group), a housing association that builds and maintains affordable homes across London and the South of England. The five-year contract valued at £7.2 million per annum will see ULPS provide responsive repairs and voids service for SNG in the East of England and North and East London part of their operation. ULPS will be carrying out day-to-day responsive repairs, void repairs, and planned maintenance commencing in April 2025. Tom Bullock, Director of Responsive Services, United Living Property Services, said: “We are delighted to work in collaboration with SNG to maintain these properties. Our dedicated in-house teams provide a one-stop service of essential repairs and ongoing maintenance to provide a clean, safe environment for all residents.” Patrick Flynn, SNG Property Service Director (London and East), commented: “We are really pleased to be working with United Living Property Services to deliver a quality responsive repairs and voids service for customers in North and East London and the East of England. This new regional focus in our repairs delivery will ensure that we can deal with the number of repairs requests we receive from customers more efficiently.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The FirstPort Group, the UK’s leading provider of residential property management services, has appointed Carina Paine as its Head of Resident Management Company (RMC) Services. This newly created role is designed to strengthen FirstPort’s commitment to the growing consumer-led market. Carina will be responsible for overseeing the operational delivery and strategic direction of FirstPort’s RMC services, ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience for both residents and RMCs. She joins FirstPort from Barratt Redrow, where she served as Estates Manager for the Southern Counties division. During her tenure, she played a key role in estate management and led RMC transitions, bringing valuable expertise to her new position. Speaking about her appointment, Carina said:“I am excited to join FirstPort at a time of significant change in the property industry. We are continuously improving how we listen to our RMC clients to better meet and exceed their expectations. My focus will be on shaping our service offerings to align with their needs. “It is essential that we take a collaborative and tailored approach, as no two RMCs are the same. By fostering strong, transparent relationships with residents and delivering a professional, simplified, and effective service, we can ensure the long-term success of these developments. “This partnership empowers homeowners, ensuring they have clear insights into how their developments are managed, while also streamlining the process for developers.” Martin King, Managing Director of The FirstPort Group, added:“We are delighted to welcome Carina to FirstPort. Her extensive experience in the RMC and developer landscape will be invaluable as we continue to adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of our clients. Her leadership will help us build a more collaborative approach for our Resident Directors, ensuring long-term success and satisfaction for both residents and clients.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction firm Beard is celebrating the first anniversary of its Southampton office with the appointment of a new office lead. The family-owned company has promoted Ollie Chun to lead the 18-strong team on the south coast as the company looks to continue its growth and double its turnover in 2025 after achieving its targets last year. Ollie joined Beard in 2016 as pre-construction manager, based in Beard’s Guildford office. He was instrumental in establishing the Southampton office, initially splitting his time between the two regions. “After supporting our set-up in Southampton, taking this role was the natural next step for me,” said Ollie. “I’m excited to lead the Southampton team into its second year, with the support of Beard’s leadership team firmly beside me, as we continue to deliver quality work for our customers and develop our strong pipeline of work.” Mike Hedges, company operations director at Beard, said: “Over the past year, as our Southampton team has grown, Ollie has consistently shown his dedication to delivering projects promptly and faultlessly. His commitment reflects the core values of Beard, and his skills in project management and operational efficiency have been invaluable. “The Southampton team has had an incredibly successful first year, completing our first two projects and expanding our presence in the region. We look forward to supporting our customers, Ollie, and the team in achieving continued success.” Ollie successfully completed Beard’s internal leadership development programme in 2024, designed to equip colleagues with the skills to be successful leaders and enabling the firm to promote from within. Around half of the Southampton team were existing employees, redeployed to the area to share their expertise and establish the Beard culture within the new office. A further eight new colleagues were recruited last year across office and site-based roles. “We’re got a great balance of highly experienced colleagues who are ambassadors for how we do things at Beard, and new recruits with wide-ranging construction and operational experience, as well as sound local knowledge,” Ollie added. The Southampton office had previously been led by director Pat Hughes, who left the firm at the end of 2024 after five years with the business. He first led Beard’s Guildford office, before taking the helm in Southampton. One of the office’s flagship projects has been the restoration of the historic Hilsea Lido for Portsmouth City Council. Due to open later this year in time for its 90th anniversary, Beard is modernising and restoring facilities at the Lido, including installing new pipework, stabilising the pool structure, and building new modular changing facilities. The office is also hosting a placement student as part of the company’s commitment to supporting the next generation into the industry. Mitch Burton, who is studying Quantity Surveying student at Oxford Brookes University, has been offered a full-time role within the team upon completion of his studies. The Southampton team is keen to expand its regional supply chain and is inviting businesses to express their interest in working with Beard via its website. Beard is proud to be in the first cohort recognised with the Fair Payment Code Bronze level, honouring fair payment practices with suppliers. To find out more about Beard, visit www.beardconstruction.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Your concept is outstanding – original and full of potential. Yet, without funding, it will remain just that: a concept. With the right financial support, your idea can transform into something tangible and impactful. The real hurdle is that securing money doesn’t happen by chance. What if you had a better chance of finding the proper funding source, one that shares your objectives, inventiveness, and project control? There will be no more guesswork or dead ends – only a direct path to financial help. Continue reading for more information. Traditional Bank Loans: The Old Reliable For years, architects and designers have turned to bank loans to fund their projects. Banks can offer favorable repayment terms and low interest rates if you bring in a solid business plan and show off your strong credit history. But they also come with: When you’re super short on time, waiting for ages trying to get approval might not be feasible. If a traditional bank loan feels out of reach, you might want to qualify for SBA loans. These government options – which are backed by the Small Business Administration – offer more flexible terms and cheaper interest rates. Small and mid-sized architecture businesses and interior designers who want to: Will find them especially helpful. Business Lines of Credit: Flexibility in Funding A line of credit for your design business works more like a credit card. You have access to specific funds and can take out what you need when you need it. They’re a great option for design professionals who deal with constantly changing expenses. Think: The biggest advantage is that you only pay interest on the money you actually use, which will give you some much-needed financial space without committing long term. Crowdfunding: A Community-Driven Approach In the new world of digital finance, crowdfunding has become extremely popular. Platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo let professionals present their projects to the whole world, bringing in backers who believe in their vision. This method isn’t just about raising money – it’s also about building buzz around a project, creating a built-in community of supporters before construction even begins. Grants and Competitions: Free Money for Bold Ideas Grants and competitions can offer you extra financial support to those who are making strides in the amazing world of design without having to struggle with repayment. Groups who work on: frequently provide grants. Even though it’s a highly competitive space, you could secure the funding you need if your design makes a unique social or environmental impact. Private Investors and Partnerships: Bringing in Strategic Support Angel investors and up-and-coming venture capitalists are always looking for large-scale, innovative design projects, especially those with commercial appeal. You can also talk to developers about a collaboration. These collaborations can provide both financial support and commercial prospects, extending your professional network in the process. High-net-worth people and private equity companies may be prepared to invest in design-driven ventures, particularly those focused on luxury markets or sustainable innovation. To make these relationships, you’ll need great networking skills, a convincing pitch, and a clear value proposition that shows off how your specific experience can help them make as much money as possible. Equipment Financing: Investing in the Right Tools For architecture firms and designers who need: Financing equipment can help you save some cash. Professionals may improve their equipment or supplies without putting a strain on their finances thanks to loans offered by lenders expressly for the purchase of necessary gear. This is a desirable, sector-specific alternative because many lenders even customize packages for purchases connected to design. Explore Your Funding Options Today Every architectural and design project has different budgetary requirements, and no one method is universally effective. Understanding what you need for your specific project is essential before locating a funding option that meets your objectives. Even the most extravagant initiatives can come to reality with the necessary financial support.
