Young people in schools and colleges across South London are being encouraged to consider an apprenticeship in a bid to help fill the shortage in the construction industry. An initiative has been launched to find more construction apprentices who can help ensure building projects across the city are completed on
The priority for managers in charge of safety is the health and wellbeing of their employees. But, when those leaders try to implement transformational measures, getting approval for the budget needed to guarantee and improve the safety levels can prove an obstacle. Demonstrating the value of safety in an organisation
Leading construction and fit-out company, Gilbert-Ash has underlined its commitment to its supply chain by organising a Meet the Buyer event where sub-contractors can learn how to build lasting partnerships with the award-winning company. The event, which is open to both new and existing suppliers, will take place on Wednesday
LEADING housebuilder Lovell has furthered its commitment to support left behind people and communities across the West Midlands by working with Standing Tall – a charity that gives power to people experiencing homelessness by providing employment opportunities. The charity, which was established to help people move away from the streets for good, is currently
ADDING to a brimming trophy cabinet, specialist retrofit decarbonisation turnkey provider Sustainable Building Services (SBS) has been named Retrofit Contractor of the Year by The Retrofit Academy. The expertise and collaborative approach of SBS’s team has been recognised with the retrofit decarbonisation sector’s most acclaimed national accolade. The Retrofit Contractor
Toni Wikberg, MBA has been appointed as Business Development Director at Nuuka Solutions. In the selection, we valued Toni’s long experience in building technology, building automation and facility management services. Toni has previously worked in international management and business development roles at CBRE, Honeywell, Trend and ISS. Toni will be
Baxi will be supplying its 100% hydrogen boilers for the H100 Fife Project, a world-first hydrogen-to-homes demonstration delivered through a partnership between gas distribution company SGN and Fife Council in cooperation with industry regulator Ofgem. Baxi attended an event hosted by SGN on 8 March to mark the beginning of
The architects behind Bearsden’s new Allander Leisure Centre, which opened its doors yesterday, are hailing the facility as a potential future flagship for community-led, combined leisure and adult day care projects. The £42.5m facility – designed by architects Holmes Miller for East Dunbartonshire Council – replaces the original Allander sports
In an industry that has traditionally been predominantly dominated by men, Cannock-based housebuilder Jessup Partnerships is looking to encourage talented women into the workforce and inspire other women to consider a career in construction. Site Manager, Kirsty Lynch, 50, who is originally from Edinburgh worked at Jessup five years ago
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture and fitout specialists, has announced a record order intake of around £24m in the last six months. The business is now anticipating its highest ever turnover in 2023, which is projected to rise to £22m. This will be an increase of £2.8m compared
Young people in schools and colleges across South London are being encouraged to consider an apprenticeship in a bid to help fill the shortage in the construction industry. An initiative has been launched to find more construction apprentices who can help ensure building projects across the city are completed on time. The campaign includes two virtual information events, which are taking place later this month. Former apprentice Matt Alder is now a Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Services Manager working with Walter Lilly on a number of their sites across the city. He said that getting work experience before applying for his apprenticeship gave him a clear idea of the career he wanted. “When I was at school I knew a few other people that went into construction and it seemed like a good career for me,” said Matt. “I did work experience for a week during the last week of school with an electrical company where I ended up doing my apprenticeship. I decided that getting out and learning on the job was a better way forward for me.” Matt studied for an electrical NVQ which included a mixture of on-site learning as well as going to college. “As the apprentice went on it became more site-based with less time in college,” he said. “As well as learning a range of electrical skills I also saw an increase in my ability to communicate and talk to different people at various senior levels. As my apprenticeship progressed I became more responsible and thought about my career and the future I wanted for myself. “I manage the installation of services on more than one project, and that can include being on-site or sat in a meeting room looking at the drawings and coordinating everything that goes into a job. Anyone thinking of becoming an apprentice should just go for it – you gain the skills you need to do the job, you get paid while you learn and it’s a job for life.” The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) released its annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) report which shows that Greater London needs 22,800 extra workers by 2027 – that means an annual recruitment boost of 4,560. The initiative by South London Partnership (SLP) is supported by the Mayor of London and highlights the shortage of workers on building sites across the city. The South London Partnership is a sub-regional collaboration of five London boroughs: Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton. Apprenticeships are available in hundreds of careers including 3D Visualiser, Gas Service Installer, Building Technician and Glazier. Tutors from a range of backgrounds are also needed to help apprentices achieve the qualifications they need to progress in the construction industry. They will be responsible for providing the support needed for apprentices to develop their technical skills as well as professional attributes such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork abilities. The virtual events include one for anyone wanting information on becoming a tutor on March 27 at 5pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/become-a-tutor-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576344861997 and one for apprentices on March 30 at 4.30pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apprenticeships-in-construction-find-out-more-tickets-576195144187 For more information email csl@southlondonpartnership.co.uk or visit http://southlondonpartnership.co.uk/skills/mayors-construction-academy-hub/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The priority for managers in charge of safety is the health and wellbeing of their employees. But, when those leaders try to implement transformational measures, getting approval for the budget needed to guarantee and improve the safety levels can prove an obstacle. Demonstrating the value of safety in an organisation is not easy. That’s why Antonio Pereira, from MSA Safety, has prepared five tips for creating a business case that can effect change and help drive your safety transformation strategies forward. Tip one: Share the mission A shared safety mission does several things: It articulates the safety goals and values that should resonate throughout the company, unites workers and managers, and provides a single purpose that engages all employees. It also supplies some direction for creating a safety management system. In short, it drives safety at a company and is the first step toward creating a safe culture. A shared mission is an effective way to bring people together. The mission should be simple, straightforward, and meaningful. Fortunately, with safety, the mission is clear: “reduce risk and boost productivity.” When presenting your case in support of a transformational safety strategy, make sure everyone stays focused on the mission. Repeat it often, so that others will be able to repeat it, too. Tip two: Define and communicate the goal If you’ve ever heard the expression, “Let’s get everyone on the same page,” then you know exactly what this tip is about. As the safety professional, it’s your job to ensure that everyone understands what you’re asking for. Keep in mind that your goal is more defined than your mission. A goal is a clear and tangible achievement that supports the mission. Productivity experts suggest using SMART goals in which the goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. The point here is to encourage you to take the time to think through what you’re asking for and why, then write it out in a format that’s easily understood. Smart Goal Example: Connected Safety Program, moving to the Altair io™ 4 Tip three: Offer insight Part of building a business case for change is to inspire a mindset shift in those who are potential barriers to safety transformation. Position your case for success by educating others, giving them information about how what you’re asking for aligns with both the safety mission and overall organisational objectives. One way to help gatekeepers understand and accept the change is by sharing success stories with them. Learning of others’ success is both inspiring and informative. More importantly, it adds evidence that supports your case and, ultimately, informs the business decision. Tip four: Demonstrate the benefits Of all the tips, perhaps this is the most crucial. It’s also the most challenging. Why? Because at the heart of this tip is an idea that is likely the complete opposite of the gatekeeper’s idea about expenditures: This is an investment, not an expense. Such an investment is a business decision not a personal one, so it’s up to you to substantiate the proposal by providing appropriate facts and figures. This is the time to talk about ROI considerations, with respect to both productivity and cost. Remember, your goal is to overcome the objection about spending time and money. So, here’s an example of how to pivot the discussion from expenditure to investment using elements of The MSA Connected Work Platform, driven by the ALTAIR io 4 Gas Detection Wearable. Tip five: Invest in future-forward solutions We live in a connected world and now safety has the technology that can connect workers, worksites, and workflows. Connectivity with an MSA+ subscription enables remote live monitoring, allowing managers to see all active users at any given time, including their live location gas exposures and man down alarms. The move to an MSA+ subscription provides the ability to act at speed, reducing workplace injuries and providing actionable data, so you can have a better, more proactive control of your detection programme. Build Your Case for a Connected Work Platform Having a proven plan of action based on these five tips can help you prepare for and present your case most effectively. Because you probably want to garner buy-in from others, it’s important that you prepare them for transformation by taking them on the journey to it. You know – and they soon will, too – that creating a connected safety program is not only the practical thing to do, it’s how you’ll help advance the safety mission and support organisational objectives. If you need additional insight or help in creating a stronger, proactive culture of safety and performance, learn more about MSA Connected Work Platform here or request a call back from our specialists here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading construction and fit-out company, Gilbert-Ash has underlined its commitment to its supply chain by organising a Meet the Buyer event where sub-contractors can learn how to build lasting partnerships with the award-winning company. The event, which is open to both new and existing suppliers, will take place on Wednesday March 22 at the Royal College of Pathologists in Alie Street, London. The location is well-known to Gilbert-Ash as they constructed the multi-award winning new seven-storey headquarters in 2019. Against a challenging backdrop for the construction industry, the Gilbert-Ash team, including Managing Director Ray Hutchinson OBE, will update on plans for 2023, including policy issues and provide insights into upcoming workload. In the afternoon there will be an opportunity for Gilbert-Ash to introduce themselves to new supply chain partners and share valuable insights into the qualities they seek from suppliers. The event will also provide an opportunity for the company to outline its strategy to reach net zero by 2040 as well as revealing what will be expected of supply chain partners to help meet this target. Gilbert-Ash Managing Director Ray Hutchinson said: “The construction industry has been dealt a number of challenges over the last few years. “We are working in a landscape where the project delivery time and cost given two years ago to the client must now contend with unforeseen fluctuations in price and longer lead in times brought on by Brexit. “It is a challenging environment, but engagement and collaboration with suppliers throughout all stages of our projects has mitigated the impact of the market. “The last two years has seen significant growth for Gilbert-Ash. We want to build on this momentum and bring supply chain in early on plans for the future so we can work as one every step of the way. “The Meet the Buyer event will provide an opportunity to update new and existing partners on exciting plans for the future including our net zero strategy and how they will decarbonize their operations. Gilbert-Ash has committed to engaging with 80% of its suppliers within the next 48 months on net zero, increasing to 100% by 2030. By 2040, the company aims for its supply chain to also be committed to implementing net zero strategies. The award-winning company has already implemented a number of sustainable practices, including the introduction of its Green Fleet Policy in 2021 to reduce carbon emissions and established an Environmental Sustainability Team. Looking ahead to 2023, Gilbert-Ash will align with the Science Based Targets initiative and introduce a Green Electric Policy at all of its sites and at its headquarters. Also in 2023, all Gilbert-Ash projects will have eco cabins installed while supplier and sub-contractor carbon footprints will be vetted. Existing supply chain members can reserve a spot here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gilbert-ash-meet-the-buyer-event-tickets-547712000337 New supply chain members can reserve a spot here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-buyer-event-tickets-560431855767 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING housebuilder Lovell has furthered its commitment to support left behind people and communities across the West Midlands by working with Standing Tall – a charity that gives power to people experiencing homelessness by providing employment opportunities. The charity, which was established to help people move away from the streets for good, is currently operating in London, Manchester and Birmingham. Individuals undertake a three-month trial with an employer, which is paid for by Standing Tall, with the potential to complete valuable training and be offered a full-time position at the end. In addition to this, Lovell will also finance Construction Skills Certificate Scheme cards for those on the scheme, which are a necessary qualification to work on UK construction sites. Stuart Penn, regional managing director at Lovell’s Midlands office, said: “The work Standing Tall does is as commendable as it is important, and has helped many people impacted by homelessness to move away from the streets and into real living wage jobs – changing their lives in the process. The people they help don’t just receive a handout, they’re given the chance to find a better place in society where they can use their skills and learn new ones to find long term employment. “We’re immensely proud to be working with Standing Tall and doing our bit to support its work in our region. We hope that by supporting Standing Tall, we can reach those who may otherwise not have the chance to learn a trade as well as encouraging different skills and a diverse range of people into the construction industry. We’re looking forward to sharing the great success stories that come from working together.” Christy Acton, founder and CEO of Standing tall said: “There’s a certain stigma around people experiencing homelessness, and a public perception that gets in the way of individuals realising their hidden potential. Our work is about breaking this stigma, discovering and bringing out the skills needed to improve their situations. “With Lovell’s support, we’ll be able to continue this mission and help more people in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. The experience gained from working on a Lovell site will be invaluable to the future of those supported by the scheme. “As long as homelessness continues, our work will be ongoing, and we’re delighted to have the backing of a responsible business such as Lovell that shares our values.” To learn more about the work Standing Tall does, visit the website here: https://www.standingtall.org.uk/ To learn more about Lovell, visit here: https://www.lovell.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
ADDING to a brimming trophy cabinet, specialist retrofit decarbonisation turnkey provider Sustainable Building Services (SBS) has been named Retrofit Contractor of the Year by The Retrofit Academy. The expertise and collaborative approach of SBS’s team has been recognised with the retrofit decarbonisation sector’s most acclaimed national accolade. The Retrofit Contractor of the Year award endorses excellence, meeting PAS 2035 principles, consistent delivery of high-quality resident engagement, innovation, high-quality whole house retrofit projects, and providing career pathways within the retrofit sector. Derek Horrocks, owner and chairman at Sustainable Building Services, said: “This award goes to show that expertise and compliance will always succeed. Being named Retrofit Contractor of the Year ahead of multiple, large-scale Tier 1 contractors is down to our demonstrable understanding of the how and why the different aspects of a decarbonisation project must fit together. “Fundamental to this is providing the highest level of PAS compliance, which is required for delivering works under specific funding regimes but each principle is deployed on each and every scheme we work on. “As leaders in this field, we’re often breaking new ground and leading the way in housing decarbonisation through innovation and experience. Our team is committed to providing high quality support and expertise, on all the projects we work on, taking a bespoke approach to every home to ensure there are no disappointments with the results.” SBS holds a wealth of specialist experience in delivering housing decarbonisation work and is one of a small number of contractors that have delivered projects at scale under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Demonstrator and Wave 1, the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) and the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG). It provides full ‘turnkey’ large-scale retrofit services to social housing providers and owner-occupiers, upgrading the energy efficiency of thousands of homes every year – delivered to PAS2035:2019 compliance standards. The prestigious national win follows swiftly from EEM’s Building Communities Awards, at which SBS won both ‘Carbon Reduction Project of the Year’ and ‘Refurbishment Project of the Year’. EEM’s award submission was a joint entry with Rykneld Homes for the expansive work being delivered on more than 400 homes for North East Derbyshire District Council. With funding from the Local Authority Delivery Fund, SBS was appointed by Rykneld as principal contractors on a two-year, £12m multi-phase, multi-measure retrofit decarbonisation scheme. This work has led to a £23m Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 application. Derek said: “All three awards from both EEM and the Retrofit Academy are greatly valued as recognitions of our ongoing work. We consider them to represent a benchmark we shall continually strive for moving forward and are excited to build upon this success into the future.” The Building Communities Awards are highly esteemed within the industry and is entered by leading property and construction organisations every year, vying for a win. SBS and Rykneld Homes was also named runner up for the ‘Collaborative Working Award’. To discover more about Sustainable Building Service’s mission to decarbonise the UK’s housing stock, visit its website at: www.sustainablebuildinguk.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Toni Wikberg, MBA has been appointed as Business Development Director at Nuuka Solutions. In the selection, we valued Toni’s long experience in building technology, building automation and facility management services. Toni has previously worked in international management and business development roles at CBRE, Honeywell, Trend and ISS. Toni will be responsible for the development of the partner channel in accordance with the company’s new strategy. The new strategy is based on providing energy savings to building owners with AI optimization applications, in cooperation with Nuuka’s new partner network. The company’s previous business development director Olli Parkkonen is taking on new challenges in a new position outside the company. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Baxi will be supplying its 100% hydrogen boilers for the H100 Fife Project, a world-first hydrogen-to-homes demonstration delivered through a partnership between gas distribution company SGN and Fife Council in cooperation with industry regulator Ofgem. Baxi attended an event hosted by SGN on 8 March to mark the beginning of construction of the H100 Fife hydrogen homes demonstration facility. Due to open to the public this summer, the new facility will comprise two hydrogen show homes where visitors will be able to try out domestic hydrogen appliances, including Baxi’s 100% pure hydrogen boilers. The H100 Fife project enables households in the Buckhaven and Denbeath areas of historic Methil on the south Fife coast, to opt-in to be supplied with hydrogen through a new network which is due to go live in 2024. The scheme has already signed up over 300 householders who want to be part of the first 100% green hydrogen-to-homes zero carbon network anywhere in the world. Their participation will provide important behavioural and social evidence critical to help the UK decarbonise home heating. Green hydrogen will be supplied via the dedicated ORE Catapult 7MW wind turbine connected to an on-site electrolyser and storage facility. Modelling shows the turbine could provide the energy to produce enough hydrogen for up to 900 homes a year. The H100 Fife Project is the latest in a line of hydrogen projects to benefit from Baxi’s involvement, with the leading heating specialist having already supplied its full hydrogen and 20% blend compatible boilers to residential projects such as HyDeploy, Hy4Heat, HyStreet, Northern Gas Network’s 100% Hydrogen Home near Gateshead. In the commercial heating space, Baxi also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H2GO Power to deliver the world-first commercial hydrogen boiler and demonstrate the technology’s potential to decarbonise multiple industries. Karen Boswell, managing director of Baxi UK and Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to be providing our 100% hydrogen boilers to another innovative, world-first demonstration project. It’s great to see the support for this project from the local community and hands-on involvement from Fife council and other important stakeholders in the area. With such projects, we can help the public, Government and wider heating industry to better understand the potential of hydrogen to provide safe and low-carbon heating in the future, alongside other options available today such as heat pumps, hybrid systems and heat networks.” For more information, visit www.baxi.co.uk/about-us/the-future-of-heat Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The architects behind Bearsden’s new Allander Leisure Centre, which opened its doors yesterday, are hailing the facility as a potential future flagship for community-led, combined leisure and adult day care projects. The £42.5m facility – designed by architects Holmes Miller for East Dunbartonshire Council – replaces the original Allander sports complex, built in 1978. It also now accommodates support services for adults with learning disabilities, previously offered at the Kelvinbank Resource Centre in Kirkintilloch. The new centre features an 8-lane swimming pool, sauna and steam room, hydrotherapy pool, gym, spin room, an 8-court games hall, two squash courts and a café, while also offering dementia, rebound, sensory and physiotherapy treatment rooms, training kitchens and arts and crafts, dance and music rooms. A second phase of the project includes a new ‘sports dome’ with two football pitches and a tennis court, which is expected to be completed this autumn. The new building was designed after a thorough 12-month consultation, involving community workshops and extensive dialogue with users of both facilities, to ensure local people had the chance to shape their building. The focal point of the centre’s interior is a naturally-lit, timber-clad triple height entrance atrium that serves as a flexible events space for the community, and also houses a café. To reflect changing trends in sport and recreation, multi-purpose spaces have been designed in throughout, giving the flexibility to meet changing levels of demand throughout the year while catering for local sports club requirements. Ian Cooney, Project Director at Holmes Miller said: “As the design of health and wellbeing facilities adapts and evolves to ensure local authorities can provide good value for their communities, Allander is a leading project and representative of this new trend. “When we were asked to bring leisure and adult day care facilities together into one inclusive community hub, we saw this as a chance to break down barriers and make a real difference to the lives of many different groups of users.” Nada Shehab, Project Architect at Holmes Miller added: “We wanted to create a distinctive and timeless design that is welcoming, open, and of civic architectural quality – with a calm and simply designed internal environment. By collaborating closely with East Dunbartonshire Council and our partners, at the new Allander Leisure Centre we have delivered facilities that we hope will give local people an exceptional quality of experience and improve lives, both now and in the future.” Councillor Gordan Low, Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, added: “The new leisure centre gives people the chance to have fun, get fit and improve their health – both physically and mentally. I’m pleased the project also includes services and facilities for adults with learning disabilities. This is a great facility which will benefit people across East Dunbartonshire.” The project is being delivered as part of the Scape- Major Works UK Framework. The project team also includes McLaughlin & Harvey (main contractor), Harley Haddow, Davie & McCulloch, Barton Willmore and Brown & Wallace. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In an industry that has traditionally been predominantly dominated by men, Cannock-based housebuilder Jessup Partnerships is looking to encourage talented women into the workforce and inspire other women to consider a career in construction. Site Manager, Kirsty Lynch, 50, who is originally from Edinburgh worked at Jessup five years ago and recently returned as Site Manager at the housebuilder’s Lower Valley Road development in Dudley. Kirsty previously worked in Health and Social Care for over 20 years, however, decided to take the plunge into the construction industry in her 40s. Kirsty said: “After a long and successful career in Health and Social Care, I decided I needed a new challenge so, I retrained, and gained the necessary qualifications for site management. “I applied for around 500 jobs to get myself onto site- having no trade background and being female, I did not feel like I was taken seriously. After a while, I eventually obtained a role, but I had to travel around 600 miles a week for work. This position was for a Trainee Assistant Site Manager which led to me being promoted to Assistant Site Manager within two years. “I’ve had to work incredibly hard to prove myself. Being a woman brings a different dynamic to a construction site. For the most part, all the sub-contractors, the supply chain and the community, embrace and support my role, however a minority have to be challenged with education and training. Equality and diversity are the starting points ensuring we have equal rights such as pay, career progression and a voice. “This journey has not always been easy, near impossible at times, with archaic and outdated attitudes. Like all good career paths if you want something you have to work at it. Having a supportive employer makes a massive difference, one who supports and embraces the diversity we bring to the role. Changing the rhetoric, change the perspective.” The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that in Q4 of 2022, 2,171,000 people in the UK worked in construction1. Out of those people, just 321,000, 14.7 per cent, were women2. With a number of female employees already in a range of roles across the company, the developer is keen to break the stereotype around women working in construction. Michelle Howe, who joined Jessup Partnerships in 2022 as Health and Safety Advisor, previously worked for a large precast concrete manufacturer as a Health and Safety Co-ordinator. Michelle, who works on sites across the West Midlands said: “Since joining Jessup, I have felt well-supported in my career progression and have received the relevant training to enable my transition from manufacturing to construction. “I feel well supported by my manager and the site teams that I work with on a daily basis, and my opinions are listened to and valued. I have never felt anything other than welcomed and accepted by the site personnel. “If I could give any advice to women thinking about starting a career in construction, I would tell them that they absolutely should pursue it. I think that working in construction is far more inclusive than it was five years ago, and there are now a lot more women actually working on site.” Chris Timmins, Managing Director at Jessup, said: “We are extremely proud to be part of the collective effort to drive more women into the construction industry. “We hope we can inspire more women to break the stereotype and build a career in construction.” Watch Jessup’s International Women’s Day 2023 video below. For further details about Jessup Partnerships visit https://jessuppartnerships.co.uk/or follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JessupPartnerships or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jessuppartnerships/?hl=en 1https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/timeseries/i4el/lms 2https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/timeseries/i4ej/lms Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture and fitout specialists, has announced a record order intake of around £24m in the last six months. The business is now anticipating its highest ever turnover in 2023, which is projected to rise to £22m. This will be an increase of £2.8m compared to last year. Since the start of 2022, production volumes have continued to rise steadily as Deanestor’s factories returned to pre-pandemic levels of turnover and profit. Turnover in 2022 increased sharply by 35 per cent to £19.2m in comparison with 2021. The record intake is for fitout projects for both new and long-standing repeat clients and contractors and are across a diverse range of markets from build-to-rent and student living in the private sector, to healthcare and education. The latest orders include: William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said, “Towards the end of 2022 and at the start of this year, we have seen our highest ever order intake. Confidence has definitely returned. Build-to-rent is extremely buoyant, and the student living and education sectors remain strong. We are also seeing an increase in the size of our projects for residential schemes as well as a trend for taller buildings to deliver more homes for rent.” “Enquiries remain at healthy levels, and we now have a record quote book which is another very positive economic indicator.” “The acute challenges in labour and materials costs after the pandemic have now stabilised and with such a strong order pipeline, we expect our growth to continue for the next 24 months and beyond. We are creating around 12 new jobs this year to support our growth.” Deanestor’s Scottish business is based in Fife and continues to perform well. It has recently been awarded its largest education contract to date – a £5m project for BAM to manufacture furniture and fitout two high schools on the Dunfermline Learning Campus. Established in 1948, Deanestor provides furniture solutions to construction clients and contractors for healthcare, education, student accommodation, build-to-rent and laboratory projects – both new build and refurbishment. Its manufacturing and distribution facilities in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire now span 220,000 sqft across five sites and it employs around 150 staff. For further information, visit www.deanestor.co.uk, call 01623 420041 or email enquiries@deanestor.com . Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals