By Keith Gallacher Everyone who drives a car or travels by bus will have seen the small forests of plastic tubes at the side of any new road or motorway works. They are there to provide initial protection for tree saplings planted as part of the landscaping of the project.
Commercial fit out and refurbishment specialist, ICON Projects, with 3 office locations in the UK including London, has recently welcomed Ashley Kemp to its senior leadership team as Operations Director. Ashley brings a wealth of expertise to the business, having worked with Tier-1 fit out contractors over the past 15 years
McAleer & Rushe have been appointed by Fusion Group to deliver 420 new residences at a 7-storey purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Liverpool, Fusion’s first student residence in the city. The scheme will transform the vacant Hondo supermarket site, located on Upper Duke Street in Liverpool’s ‘Knowledge Quarter’, and
Leading building and civil engineering contractor, Farrans Construction, has been appointed by Inspired Villages to begin construction of a £45m retirement community in Sonning Common, South Oxfordshire. Farrans’ first phase of works will include 73 high-quality, bespoke homes for over 65s and a state-of-the-art wellness suite within the village centre.
Local housebuilder Crest Nicholson has secured planning approval for homes at its brand new Windsor Gate development, in Windsor, Berkshire. The development will comprise 135 energy efficient new homes, with 54 affordable homes, across the 13-acre site, and has a focus on enhancing biodiversity and sustainability. Each of the 117
Last week, the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill became law. However, 61% of housebuilders believe that the 534-page bill, which will underpin the government’s levelling up agenda, needs to go further to enable them to reach housing targets. In fact, two thirds (66%) of housebuilders had supported the government’s initial
The developer behind a £35m Birmingham residential project has appointed a key sub-contractor for its first concrete frame build in the city centre. Elevate Property Group has announced renowned concrete frame specialists MPB have secured the contract to deliver both the frame and groundworks package on its Chapman’s Yard development
A free-to-access embodied carbon database has been launched by the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) with a rallying cry for the industry to unite behind it. The first data repository of its kind, the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) is designed to help drive down carbon emissions by enabling users
Arco Professional Safety Services, the UK’s leading safety products and services provider, is expanding its equipment hire capabilities nationwide with new funding into four fully stocked hire centres in key locations across the UK. The expansion of hire products will enable customers to access a wider range of hire equipment
Hayley Ivin promoted to marketing director as Cardiff-based firm is on track to reach the £60-million turnover mark High-growth company Paramount has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Hayley Ivin as marketing director to accelerate its advance to the £60-million turnover mark. The Cardiff-headquartered design, build, fit-out and
By Keith Gallacher Everyone who drives a car or travels by bus will have seen the small forests of plastic tubes at the side of any new road or motorway works. They are there to provide initial protection for tree saplings planted as part of the landscaping of the project. It would be comforting to think that these mini-forests were created by the highway builders as a pleasing aesthetic, a green and leafy mitigation against the thunder of the traffic which the new roads create. However, the requirement for plantings is more likely to have been written into the planning agreements for the works, either as compensation for trees cut down during construction or as carbon capture measures to soak up the consequent fumes. Whatever the rationale, the fact that no road building project is likely to go ahead in the UK these days without some form of planting for pollution control has to be a step forward. Cast your mind back only a few decades – it never used to happen. But, laudable though the greening of motorways and roads may be as a general principle, one part of the programme can sometimes be missing – it is inescapable that, for trees to grow, flourish and fulfil their purpose, they have to be looked after. As any gardener will attest, you can’t just bung something in the ground and walk away. Plants have to be nurtured, watered and fed. The soil they go into is of crucial importance to their health. They are living entities – if the conditions for life are not met, they will die. And, unfortunately, this is exactly what is happening on road projects across the UK. In one particularly egregious example, National Highways planted 850,000 saplings as part of a £1.5 billion upgrade of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon – three-quarters of which have subsequently died. That’s 637,500 trees wasted. The estimated cost of replanting was £2.9 million earlier this year. An FoI request earlier this month also revealed that 30.4% of saplings have died across the nine out of 38 projects carried out by National Highways for which figures were provided. The actual number is likely to be much higher. What this says, according to many experts, is that there is a danger in the wider infrastructure mindset of focusing on the number of trees planted, rather than their survival, and that the focus on subsequent care is blurred, to say the least. It hasn’t helped that politicians in their manifestos have been in a bit of a bidding war about the number of trees they’ll plant and often the young and tender saplings are placed far too close together, further eroding their chances of survival. It is axiomatic that only growing trees capture carbon or improve habitat and that, if survival rates improve, then planting remains one of the most cost-effective ways of managing emissions. Compared to other forms of land use, nothing measures up to trees, though there is a strong case to be made for the use of shrubs and other lower-growing plantings which, being nearer the ground, collect pollutants of the surfaces of leaves and bark. Soil is an important factor, too. Often in road building projects, construction spoil is used for landscaping, and there is no benefit in simply spreading a layer of compost or topsoil across what is, effectively, horticultural rubbish. On a more positive note, one of the heartening takeaways from the Cambridge tree debacle was that National Highways internal documents reveal that the replanting plan will use more mulch to hold water, better tree guards, improved topsoil and reviews of both the type of tree planted and the sapling’s age. This is the sort of thing that should perhaps have been taken into consideration in the first place, and should give the sector as a whole food for thought about how what is essentially a good idea – planting trees – can be made to work for everyone’s benefit. As Albert Einstein said, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. It certainly seems insane not to at least consider a better way of doing things. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Commercial fit out and refurbishment specialist, ICON Projects, with 3 office locations in the UK including London, has recently welcomed Ashley Kemp to its senior leadership team as Operations Director. Ashley brings a wealth of expertise to the business, having worked with Tier-1 fit out contractors over the past 15 years both in the North of England, and in London. Working as part of the wider UK team, Ashley has been brought in at partnership level to help grow the ICON Projects brand across a range of sectors, whilst ensuring the highest level of customer service. ICON Projects offer a range of high-quality services from its offices in London, Cheshire and Birmingham, with emphasis on customer-centric collaboration and industry leading technology. Services include workplace consultancy, design, and fit out across commercial office, retail, higher education, and life sciences sectors. Recent projects include completed projects for Magnet, Wickers, Flokk and LINK group. Speaking of his new role, Ashley had this to say: “When the opportunity arose to join ICON Projects at partner level, I jumped at the chance.” “Our focus will remain on customer service, creating roles for great people, and fulfilment of our long term ESG commitments. This is all made possible by the total freedom we have to embrace technology and drive innovation at every level to create an enjoyable journey for all project stakeholders, including the communities we work in.” “Being part of the ICON Projects team at this stage affords me the exciting opportunity to shape our growth in line with our long-term ESG commitments. This company is about working with good people to leave a positive mark on our world, and that’s a purpose I can really stand behind.” Craig Shenton, Director at ICON, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Ashley to our growing team as Operations Director. Ashley is our most senior appointment to date and signals our intent to deliver the highest quality customer experience across a range of sectors. Ashley brings a wealth of experience and is entirely aligned with our core values of integrity, care, opportunity and unity.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
McAleer & Rushe have been appointed by Fusion Group to deliver 420 new residences at a 7-storey purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Liverpool, Fusion’s first student residence in the city. The scheme will transform the vacant Hondo supermarket site, located on Upper Duke Street in Liverpool’s ‘Knowledge Quarter’, and runs adjacent to the Ropewalks Conservation Area and Liverpool Cathedral, which have significant historical and cultural importance. Construction has commenced on site and completion expected by June 2025, in advance of the 2025/26 student intake, delivering high quality accommodation and amenity space for students in the city centre. Ideally located opposite the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and within walking distance of both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, the building will provide an unrivalled space for students including a recording studio, half basketball court, fitness studio, library and zero waste shop. Designed to a BREEAM Very Good rating, the scheme will also provide ample external landscaping features such as two private courtyards, a private dining area, outdoor bar and performance stage and a serene area for yoga, meditation and study. The leading design and build contractor will use offsite manufacturing techniques in the delivery of this project utilising light gauge steel frame structures and bathroom pods to deliver increased efficiency on site, reducing material deliveries and carbon emissions. This will allow McAleer & Rushe to achieve programme savings in the delivery of the scheme. McAleer & Rushe has extensive experience of providing quality student accommodation and has successfully delivered over 11,500 PBSA units across the UK and Ireland, including in Liverpool, with another 2,500 under construction. Commenting on the appointment Peter Devlin, Contracts Director at McAleer & Rushe said: “With our extensive experience delivering PBSA schemes across the UK and Ireland, we are well placed to deliver a scheme for Fusion Group that will help to revitalise the Upper Duke Street area of Liverpool and provide young people with a high-quality student living experience. “As Construction Partner and building on our successful early engagement approach, we are making use of offsite manufacturing to deliver benefits throughout the construction process delivering the scheme efficiently and sustainably.” Paul Miles, Construction Director, of developer Fusion Group commented: “We believe that every aspect of student living should be carefully considered and designed to create positive living spaces and inspire those who are living there. “Our Construction Partner McAleer & Rushe bring expert knowledge and experience in delivering quality student accommodation in the PBSA sector and their approach to the project will provide modern and comfortable living accommodation with unparalleled social facilities and exemplary communal amenities.” McAleer & Rushe has completed several major construction projects in Liverpool and is currently on site at Park Lane, overlooking the Royal Albert Docks, delivering a new build Maldron hotel. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading building and civil engineering contractor, Farrans Construction, has been appointed by Inspired Villages to begin construction of a £45m retirement community in Sonning Common, South Oxfordshire. Farrans’ first phase of works will include 73 high-quality, bespoke homes for over 65s and a state-of-the-art wellness suite within the village centre. The Sonning Common scheme, once delivered in full, will provide 133 age-appropriate, sustainable homes for around 150 over 65s, as well as impressive facilities including a restaurant, cafe, hairdressers, library and craft rooms and a wellness centre comprising a swimming pool, steam room, treatment rooms and a gym with a fitness studio. Some of these features such as the gym, pool, restaurant and café will be open to the wider community. The development will provide further benefit to the local area and economy by creating over 100 construction jobs, and in excess of 40 operational jobs once complete. Farrans has over 80 years’ experience of delivering world-class projects across the UK and Ireland. It specialises in luxury, sustainable, senior living residential properties, including the recently completed Hendon Hall. The company, which employs more than 600 people, has offices in London, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds and Belfast with further site offices connecting its regional network. Inspired Villages is an award-winning developer and operator of integrated retirement communities supported by joint venture funding to the tune of £500m from NatWest Group Pension Fund and Legal & General. Sonning Common joins a fast-growing pipeline that puts Inspired Villages on track to deliver its plan of creating 34 communities comprising of 5,100 homes for 8,000 over 65s. It currently operates nine villages with an additional three sites under construction and aims to address the considerable shortage of appropriate housing for older people in the UK. Its latest village, Millfield Green, opens this month in Bedfordshire and is the UK’s first Net Zero Integrated Retirement Community (regulated energy). Glenn Gilmore, Regional Director for Farrans Construction, said: “Sonning Common is an exciting development in the heart of an area which is experiencing significant demand for retired living accommodation, and we are looking forward to working with Inspired Villages to deliver their vision. The design has brought in elements which will encourage a true community spirit, with opportunities to socialise, relax and keep active. We have an extensive later living portfolio in the UK and we understand how important it is to consider and deliver for the end users who will call this home. We will be engaging with the local community throughout our work on site and we look forward to leaving a positive lasting legacy in the area.” Neal Dale, Chief Property and Development Officer at Inspired Villages, commented: “We are really pleased to be progressing work at our Widmore Park village in Sonning Common with the appointment of Farrans for the first phase of construction. Having recently opened our ninth village and the UK’s first Net Zero Retirement Community (regulated energy), Millfield Green in Bedfordshire, we are excited that Widmore Park will follow in the footsteps of this trailblazing village with its sustainability credentials centred around ground source heat pump technology. All of the buildings will accommodate solar panels and will be designed with excellent insulation and ventilation. We’re also enabling electric car charging points; a crucial part of delivering cleaner transport across the country. We are leading the IRC sector’s approach to sustainability and social impact. “By creating vibrant, sustainable communities carefully designed for the needs of over 65’s and focused on promoting a connected and active lifestyle, we know our villages improve the holistic wellbeing of residents and have positive impact to the wider community also. Sonning Common is an important step in our portfolio expansion, allowing us to support the shortfall in specialist later living housing in the South Oxfordshire area.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Local housebuilder Crest Nicholson has secured planning approval for homes at its brand new Windsor Gate development, in Windsor, Berkshire. The development will comprise 135 energy efficient new homes, with 54 affordable homes, across the 13-acre site, and has a focus on enhancing biodiversity and sustainability. Each of the 117 homes will incorporate air source heat pumps, whilst the 18 apartments will utilise hot water heat pumps and electric panel heaters. Residents will benefit from landscaped open spaces that also provide a haven for wildlife, including a wildflower meadow, community allotments, three play areas and further informal play spaces. Additional features across the development include 50 bat bricks and 50 swift bricks in homes and apartment buildings, 10 bee homes, hedgehog highways, tree planting and attractive nature-based drainage features. The drainage features double up as informal recreational spaces, whilst providing ecological benefits and managing water during high rainfall events. With the build due to start in January 2024, the first completions are anticipated for July 2024. Nicholas Daruwalla, Land Director at Crest Nicholson South, comments: “We are pleased to have been granted planning permission to deliver much needed new homes in Windsor. The planning approval will enable us to provide a collection of new homes that meet local demand, and to continue our delivery of high-quality homes in sought after locations across the region. “As well as delivering much needed new homes and affordable housing, we are committed to creating sustainable communities, where residents benefit from access to greenspace and important amenities on their doorsteps, such as play areas.” Mark Kershaw, Group Head of Sustainability at Crest Nicholson, adds: “In line with our commitment to sustainability, we aim to make Windsor Gate a sustainable development for future generations. With a strong focus on community wellbeing, landscaped areas will provide recreational space while delivering a 14% biodiversity net gain. Carbon emissions from the use of the homes will be 76% lower than 2013 building regulations, supporting our customers to live a lower carbon lifestyle and contributing towards our target to be net zero across our value chain by 2045.” Philip Allin, Director at Boyer Planning, adds: “We are really pleased to have worked closely with both Crest Nicholson and planning officers at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council to achieve a positive outcome. We are sure that Windsor Gate will be a high-quality development, and one that will deliver on the aims and objectives of the Local Plan site allocation.” Situated on the edge of the historic market town of Windsor, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, residents will have access to plenty of amenities and activities on their doorsteps. Within Windsor itself, there are numerous restaurants and pubs, including a royal-themed brewery, Windsor and Eaton Brewery, plus an array of independent shops. Windsor is an idyllic base for exploring the surrounding countryside, parks and gardens such as Windsor Great Park, activities on the River Thames, like paddleboarding, and Ascot and Royal Windsor Racecourses. Windsor benefits from excellent transport links, including direct trains into London from Windsor and Eaton Riverside in under an hour. The M4 is easily accessible, providing connections into London and beyond via links to the M25, M3 and M40. For more information, or to register your interest ahead of the launch, please call 01932 911 434 or visit www.crestnicholson.com/windsor-gate. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Last week, the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill became law. However, 61% of housebuilders believe that the 534-page bill, which will underpin the government’s levelling up agenda, needs to go further to enable them to reach housing targets. In fact, two thirds (66%) of housebuilders had supported the government’s initial plan to scrap nutrient neutrality laws and 75% said that the amendment would have been a ‘major win’ for the industry. So, when this was dropped, many were left disillusioned and concerned about the housing crisis, a reduction in economic activity, and how the removal of the amendment could impact jobs and businesses. According to the House Builders Federation (HBF), the scrapping of nutrient neutrality laws would have unlocked 150,000 homes, helping housebuilders to meet ambitious governmental housing targets. The bill could have, therefore, provided some relief to a sector that continues to face a multitude of immense challenges. However, nutrient neutrality only makes up a fraction of the blockers that housebuilders are currently navigating to achieve housing delivery targets. According to the recent research on 100 housebuilders by Polypipe Building Products, aside from a downturn in the housing market, 63% of housebuilders say that the government’s overall approach to planning is an issue and 62% said that the lack of resources in Local Planning Authorities is a major barrier. Furthermore, 65% said they didn’t believe Gove’s claim that the reform would unlock the prompt construction of 100,000 new homes, arguing that the legislation must go further. Commenting on the findings, Dan Love, Head of Commercial at Polypipe Building Products said, “The scrapping of nutrient neutrality has been a nuanced debate. Of course, both environmental standards and the ability to meet housing targets are key issues for the housing sector and we know that housebuilders and developers are passionate about both these issues, too. “While the intent of nutrient neutrality rules are appreciated by developers, there is an overwhelming feeling that stopping new homes being built disproportionately impacts housing developers and those seeking housing needs, rather than root causes of negative impacts on nutrient neutrality. “With so much uncertainty ahead and with numerous updates to environmental, planning and building regulations ongoing, it’s more crucial than ever that housebuilders, contractors, and specifiers have access to adequate resources and information to support them through the changes. This remains a key focus at Polypipe Building Products as the industry navigates a period of significant change, and our technical team will continue to work with housebuilders and specifiers to support them through planning stages and the design of compliant heating systems to aid them in meeting housing targets.” For helpful resources on the updates to building regulations, legislation, and further information, please visit: https://www.polypipeufh.com/futurehomeshub/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The developer behind a £35m Birmingham residential project has appointed a key sub-contractor for its first concrete frame build in the city centre. Elevate Property Group has announced renowned concrete frame specialists MPB have secured the contract to deliver both the frame and groundworks package on its Chapman’s Yard development in Upper Gough Street – a major regeneration scheme of 111 new homes. This follows the appointment of Shropshire based Buildfifty5 who will act as the construction manager for the development. Managing director James Costello said that the appointments represented a key milestone for the delivery of the project with works now scheduled to start in the next few weeks. James said: “Chapman’s Yard is our latest collaboration with Buildfifty5 as we have successfully worked together previously on Elevate’s city centre Heaton House and Price Street developments and the redevelopment of a former HMRC site in Solihull. “We are also excited to have MPB on board to deliver the concrete frame package, this underscores our commitment to work alongside people we trust and who share our approach to delivering high quality projects to the city. “This is Elevate’s first project to be delivered under a construction procurement route – giving us the benefit of maintaining a level of control over standards and suppliers to make sure we’re delivering the quality we’re known for. Chapman’s Yard is Elevate’s 11th development in the city of Birmingham, delivering a mixture one and two bedroom apartments plus a number of larger street level duplexes within walking distance of Grand Central station, the Mailbox and the city centre. James added: “It’s a challenging topography in the city centre, with quite a big fall away on the Chapman’s Passage side of the site and two existing buildings either side. But we have an excellent team of delivery partners on board, with a track record of success matching Elevate’s own reputation for high quality projects which positively contribute to the regeneration of Birmingham city centre.” Also appointed for the project are Associated Architects, civil engineers CWA and engineering services company CPW – all based in Birmingham. Garry Whiting, managing director of Buildfifty5, said the Bridgnorth-based team was delighted to be managing the construction for Elevate Property Group on the Upper Gough Street site. “The key to success for any build is being able to enjoy a great working relationship with the people commissioning our services. We’ve worked with James and his team previously, and we’re looking forward to delivering Elevate’s first concrete frame build under this new contract.” Elevate Property Group currently has six live residential sites across Birmingham, Derby, and Nottingham. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A free-to-access embodied carbon database has been launched by the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) with a rallying cry for the industry to unite behind it. The first data repository of its kind, the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) is designed to help drive down carbon emissions by enabling users to both submit data to, and download data from it, to facilitate consistent carbon estimating and benchmarking. It has been funded and developed by BCIS in collaboration with a range of leading organisations and professional bodies from across the built environment over the last three years. BCIS CEO James Fiske, who chairs the BECD steering group said: “The built environment industry has a moral and ethical responsibility to take action. “In the absence of the government taking a lead and mandating carbon assessments, it’s really up to us as an industry to drive this forward. “About 40% of global greenhouse emissions come from the built environment and, if we don’t do anything about it, that’s predicted to double by 2050. “We have to ensure that, regardless of what job we’re fulfilling in the industry, we all influence the reduction of carbon emissions in one way, shape or form.” During the live launch of the BECD, a webinar with an audience of almost 800 people, representing the breadth of the construction industry, attendees were polled on their perceptions of and current practices around carbon measurement and reporting. Encouragingly, 76% said they, or their organisation, would not scale back their own approach to carbon reduction in light of the government’s recent change of net zero strategy, though 19% said they didn’t know if they would. Most attendees (84%) said they did not support the government’s new strategy. The majority of respondents said whole-life carbon assessments should either already be mandatory for all UK construction projects (44%) or be made mandatory within 12 months (20%). The lack of decreed reporting in the industry is apparent in current practice, especially where there is inconsistency in methodology and varying levels of commitment to reducing emissions, from clients and investors, among other stakeholders. Out of 436 respondents for whom it was relevant to their role, only 27% said they always report on embodied carbon, while 42% said they occasionally do, if asked. One-quarter said they never do, but would like to. When asked if they felt adequately trained and supported to be able to calculate and report carbon emissions, 41% said ‘somewhat, but could use some help’ and 30% said ‘yes, but I wish it was easier’. Only 16% said yes confidently, and 14% said ‘no, it’s all too confusing’. With many attendees reporting less than sufficient training and support, having a skilled workforce able to carry out the work is crucial, a is the need for an agreed set of rules, provided by the recently updated RICS Professional Standard on Whole Life Carbon Assessment, and compliant software that can work alongside the BECD. Fiske added: “There are dozens and dozens of carbon calculators out there in the industry, all working in different ways, some including and excluding things that others aren’t. These are great to start making the right decisions, but they won’t get us all the way there. Some aren’t compliant with the RICS Standard, which makes it much more difficult to compare outputs and learn from each other. “The BECD is step one. It’s an opportunity to make the industry consistent, but it’s use it or lose it. We desperately need to reduce emissions in the built environment and the BECD is our best chance at sharing our experiences for everyone’s benefit. I implore everyone to use it and not to let it become another footnote in the history of things we could have done to combat climate change, but let the opportunity pass us by.” The BECD consists of two databases for carbon assessments, for assets – at a building or project level – and products, typically from EPDs (environmental product declarations). Projects can be added, with either full visibility to other users or anonymously, with different assessments covering the stages from design through to operation. The BECD is being launched with more than 34,000 data entries from EPDs, with users urged to add data from their own projects. Find out more about the BECD at www.becd.co.uk As the BECD grows, BCIS is also launching a free Carbon Newsletter, which will keep subscribers informed about new developments and provide commentary on the latest carbon news in the built environment. For more information about BCIS, visit the website at www.bcis.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Arco Professional Safety Services, the UK’s leading safety products and services provider, is expanding its equipment hire capabilities nationwide with new funding into four fully stocked hire centres in key locations across the UK. The expansion of hire products will enable customers to access a wider range of hire equipment from leading specialist suppliers, including quality-assured confined space, gas detection, respiratory protective and other fall arrest prevention equipment. All hire orders will be available direct from the Arco Bracknell, Doncaster, Linlithgow and Warrington Safety Centres or can be ordered and collected at local Arco stores via a new collection service. Arco offers two types of hire solutions, standard hire, for short term requirements with a minimum contract of one week that can be extended as needed and contract hire that is offered for longer terms, up to five years, that also includes inspection, servicing and maintenance of equipment during the hire term. Alongside this expanded hire proposition, customers can also purchase any of the equipment from Arco’s range of safety products should they require a permanent solution. Gareth Liptrot, Hire & Maintenance Manager, Arco Professional Safety Services said: “As experts in safety, we are committed to providing a joined-up approach for customers offering accessible, high-quality equipment that can be acquired in the most convenient way. “Our increased investment in hire stock at our nationwide Safety Centres and our new store collection service demonstrates our commitment to improving customer convenience and will enable greater access to quality stock and ease of service for any job our customers are undertaking.” To find out more about Arco’s comprehensive hire offering, visit: https://www.arcoservices.co.uk/equipment/equipment-hire Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Hayley Ivin promoted to marketing director as Cardiff-based firm is on track to reach the £60-million turnover mark High-growth company Paramount has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Hayley Ivin as marketing director to accelerate its advance to the £60-million turnover mark. The Cardiff-headquartered design, build, fit-out and refurbishment specialist has promoted Hayley from her role as marketing manager to spearhead the firm’s marketing strategy and maintain its “impressive” growth trajectory. Hayley joined Paramount in February 2020 and her promotion marks further expansion of its management team to support company progress, which was boosted earlier this year following a strategic move into the construction sector. Hayley successfully led Paramount through a company rebrand in 2021. Since then, she has delivered continued growth for the Paramount brand through effective market-entry campaigns into the South West and expansion of its core offering into the construction sector under the ‘Build’ pillar, following Paramount’s 30-year history in fit-out. Commenting on her new role, Hayley said: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my time with Paramount and I’m relishing the opportunity to work with the management team and senior leadership to ensure our dynamic company keeps moving in a positive direction. “These are really exciting times for Paramount as we expand our geographical reach across England and Wales and embrace opportunities across new sectors. Paramount is a company where creativity and curiosity thrive, and I’m committed to developing a strategy that not only promotes our difference but shines a light on our in-house talent and culture.” Hayley is now part of a management structure headed by Chief Executive Officer Richard Jones and will work in synergy with Paramount’s senior leadership team. Richard Jones, Paramount’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “I’m absolutely delighted that Hayley has accepted my invitation to join our management team. “She’s an outstanding marketing professional and the qualities she has displayed since joining Paramount epitomise everything that is good about the company and her promotion underlines our commitment to developing talent and promoting from within. “Hayley is a brilliant addition to our management team and I am confident her blend of experience and expertise as well as her tremendous work ethic and people skills will ensure she plays a key role in our ambitious growth strategy.” Paramount, whose turnover currently stands at £38.5 million, employs 61 people who still own a majority shareholding of the business – 51 per cent – following completion of an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) scheme, in May 2021, a deal which marked a major milestone for Paramount after a period of sustained growth The company is well known across Wales and England where it has created high-quality inspirational space for a number of leading companies. These include the multi-million-pound redevelopment of Hodge House in central Cardiff, refurbishment of the Development Bank of Wales HQ, transformation of the Dock House office complex on historic Welsh Back in Bristol and acclaimed office revamps in Bath for American software company SmartBear and financial services consultancy Equisoft. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals