Installers predict bright future for renewable heating Published: 22 September, 2016 A live poll conducted among installers by Daikin UK has revealed that nearly 80% of installers predict future growth in the sector, with running cost savings highlighted as the biggest driver of the market. The survey, taken at Daikin
©Dreamstime LafargeHolcim, the newly merged Swiss-French cement group, said it remains on track to achieve its earnings and synergy targets — despite reporting a sharp drop in operating profit in the first quarter of the year. Shares in the Zurich-based company fell in early trading on Thursday after it reported
The call from the NHF – which represents the associations – was based on a think tank report arguing that they could keep building even if a Brexit-induced recession meant private housebuilders could not make effective use of housing funds, which have been reserved for shared ownership and Starter Homes.
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Apr 1st 2016 Housebuilder Barratt Homes is celebrating after receiving a major national award from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday The company has achieved a 90% customer
King & Co has jointly instructed Savills and Carter Towler as the letting agents at 1 Canal Place in Leeds, following a comprehensive refurbishment. The three-storey historic warehouse has been converted to provide creative office and studio space totalling 9,046 sq ft (840 sq m), featuring exposed brick walls and
5 September 2016 | Marino Donati Ampersand has won a five-year contract to be the catering partner for the British Medical Association (BMA). Under the contract Ampersand will provide catering services to 29 individual event spaces, including courtyard and garden, at BMA House, the association’s conference and events venue
Londoners opting to improve not move With house prices predicted to fall and the high cost of moving, more Londoners could opt for improving the space they have rather than move. Robert Wood from London-based loft, extension and basement specialist Simply Construction Group says: “To date, the impact of Brexit
Aircrete block supplier H+H UK has named from Wavin boss Calum Forsyth as its new managing director. He will take over on 1st May from Mark Oliver who leaves the company after eight years in the job. Above: Calum Forsyth Calum Forsyth was managing director of IAC Acoustics for two
A carpenter’s daughter has developed a new type of kneepad for construction workers after witnessing her father suffering with osteoarthritis. Above: Vicky Hamilton and her Recoil Kneepads Recoil Kneepads have springs sandwiched between two layers acting as a shock absorbing and pressure reduction system. Pressure is reduced across the entire
Following a pre-let to Care UK, Savills, on behalf of AK Property Investment Ltd, has agreed the off market sale of a new purpose built 59-bed care home, Sherwood Grange, in Kingston Vale, London to LaSalle Investment Management. The developers of the 0.55 acres (0.22 hectare) site, secured planning permission
Installers predict bright future for renewable heating Published: 22 September, 2016 A live poll conducted among installers by Daikin UK has revealed that nearly 80% of installers predict future growth in the sector, with running cost savings highlighted as the biggest driver of the market. The survey, taken at Daikin UK’s first ‘Key Conference’, revealed a number of insights into the impact of legislation and customer requirements on the renewable energy sector, including the changing awareness of heat pump technology, perceived barriers to growth, the demand for smart technologies as well as the impact of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the set-up of the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). When considering the transfer of the energy remit from the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) into BEIS, half of those surveyed felt that the change would make no difference to the market, while nearly 20% said the heat pump sector should be more aligned with business and innovation. Three-quarters of respondents felt that running cost savings were the strongest driver for the market, with building regulations and an interest in new technology each being identified by 10% of voters. Just five percent identified sustainability targets as the strongest driver. This response was further supported by responses to the question ‘how strongly has the RHI driven heat pump sales?’, with more than 40% of installers saying the RHI had been a strong driver, and 35% saying it had had a modest influence on sales. When asked whether awareness of heat pump technology among homeowners and specifiers had changed over the last two years, two-thirds of the KEY Conference attendees believed that awareness had increased. However, when asked what was the biggest barrier to selling heat pumps, 53% of installers identified it as the cost compared with a boiler or other renewables, while 22% said that clients’ lack of understanding of the environmental or cost benefits remained a barrier to purchase. Discussing the results, Nancy Jonnsson, commercial director for domestic heating and renewables at Daikin UK, said: “At Daikin UK, we believe in listening to the market and encouraging input from our KEY Members, Partners and Associates. So it is a hugely positive sign that nearly 80% of our top installers anticipate either major or modest levels of growth in the coming years. “However, increasing awareness of the cost saving benefits of heat pump technology is of paramount importance to ensure growth remains on an upward trajectory. By delivering extended warranties, free training and marketing support through the KEY Installer Scheme, Daikin UK is fully committed to ensuring the success of our KEY Members, Partners and Associates.” Source link
©Dreamstime LafargeHolcim, the newly merged Swiss-French cement group, said it remains on track to achieve its earnings and synergy targets — despite reporting a sharp drop in operating profit in the first quarter of the year. Shares in the Zurich-based company fell in early trading on Thursday after it reported that adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation had fallen by a larger than expected 21.5 per cent, to SFr824m ($851m), during the quarter, compared with a year earlier. More On this topic IN Construction LafargeHolcim blamed the fall largely on pricing pressures, as well as one-off effects that had flattered the comparable period a year earlier. Eric Olsen, chief executive, said the group had already secured price rises in two-thirds of its markets this year — including Nigeria and India, where price falls were particularly severe in 2015. However, prices are still lower than at this point a year ago. Mr Olsen added that he expected to see “momentum building through the year”, and noted that the construction industry in North America and Europe is often hit by bad weather in the first quarter, meaning results are “not indicative of our full-year performance”. LafargeHolcim’s share price is now down almost 40 per cent in 12 months, amid investor fears about its ability to deliver merger benefits in tough global economic conditions. Thursday’s results added to these concerns, said Phil Roseberg, an analyst at Bernstein. “Investors were anticipating a bad result,” he pointed out, “but not to this extent.” Acknowledging a need to do more, Mr Olsen said he was accelerating programmes to reduce expenditure. “I have sent out internal targets for our organisation to cut much deeper into costs,” he told the Financial Times. He noted that in China LafargeHolcim has managed to cut costs faster than prices. “So we actually made more money in China in the first quarter versus the first quarter of last year,” he said. Mr Olsen also expected the global economic environment to become more favourable, with demand for cement picking up. Combined with the benefits of lower energy costs, he said this would enable LafargeHolcim to achieve “at least a high single-digit” like-for-like increase in adjusted operating ebitda in its full-year results. In Europe, during the first quarter, the group experienced falling levels of activity in Russia and Azerbaijan, but found that France and Switzerland showed signs of improvement. In the UK, activity slowed at the start of 2016, but Mr Olsen said he did not believe it was caused by uncertainty over the country’s referendum on membership in the EU. “I don’t see the direct link,” he said. “Big infrastructure projects or big commercial expansion projects — these are all things that are planned well in advance.” LafargeHolcim was created last July through the €41bn merger of the French and Swiss cement companies Lafarge and Holcim, after they overcame a series of regulatory and management hurdles. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
The call from the NHF – which represents the associations – was based on a think tank report arguing that they could keep building even if a Brexit-induced recession meant private housebuilders could not make effective use of housing funds, which have been reserved for shared ownership and Starter Homes. Analysis for the NHF by the Centre for Economics and Business Research warned that a construction slowdown may be looming, with housebuilder share prices, exchange rates and financial markets all hit by post-referendum uncertainty. Show Fullscreen CEBR housing infographic It said the £4.7bn earmarked by the government for building shared ownership homes, and the £2.3bn for remediation of brownfield land for Starter Homes, could be diverted to associations to build homes of any tenure if a downturn meant builders could not use it. The federation also said local authorities should be freed from restrictions on borrowing to build homes in return for meeting commitments on new supply. NHF chief executive David Orr said: “The warning signs are flashing amber – housebuilding may be set for a slowdown but housing associations have a track record of building through tough times. Demand for good-quality rented homes remains high.” Chartered Institute of Housing chief executive Terrie Alafat said: “There are already signs that the housing market is beginning to weaken. It is critical government takes action now to ensure the supply of new housing we need to address our national housing crisis does not falter.” The CEBR report A Role for Housebuilding in Times of Economic Uncertainty said post-referendum economic uncertainty meant it would become “challenging” to meet the government’s Starter Homes and shared ownership targets. “Housing associations have greater flexibility [than housebuilders] to move more rapidly, not least due to their sustainable business models,” the report said. “Having housing associations assume a greater role in supply during the period of uncertainty would also help prevent the loss of momentum in the delivery of new homes that has been built up since the recession.” It said the decline in housebuilders’ share prices was “an early indication of the loss of investor confidence in the UK construction sector and property market as an investment prospect…the future remains highly uncertain and the risks are on the downside”. An analysis in Construction News this week by Gleeds partner Stuart Senior said the referendum vote had been “a hammer blow” for the industry. However, housebuilder Barratt Developments said earlier this month it retained a positive outlook for the housing market but had contingency plans in place to reduce risk arising from referendum uncertainty, including reassessing land approvals. Source link
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Fri, Apr 1st 2016 Housebuilder Barratt Homes is celebrating after receiving a major national award from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday The company has achieved a 90% customer satisfaction score and 5 star rating after it took part in a nationwide survey. It is the only major national housebuilder to have been awarded the maximum 5 star rating for seven years in a row by the HBF. Barratt Homes took part in the UK-wide survey of more than 45,000 homebuyers which revealed that over 90% of its customers would recommend the homes to a friend. The high customer satisfaction for Barratt Homes comes from checking more than 400 details throughout the build process and three separate inspections are involved before any front door keys are handed over. The HBF’s star rating scheme is designed to provide home buyers with information to help guide their decision. Lynnette St Quintin, sales director for Barratt Homes in the Southern Counties region, said: “We are tremendously proud that Barratt Homes has recognised as a 5 star housebuilder yet again. It’s testament to the dedication of all staff, who go above and beyond every day to exceed our customers’ expectations.“ Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation said: “The customer satisfaction survey is an established barometer for measuring house builder’s customer service levels. The scheme is an independently monitored survey of the people who really matter to our industry, our customers. To achieve such a high level of customer satisfaction, especially at a time when housing output overall is increasing rapidly, requires commitment from board room to site, and is a fantastic achievement.“ Source link
King & Co has jointly instructed Savills and Carter Towler as the letting agents at 1 Canal Place in Leeds, following a comprehensive refurbishment. The three-storey historic warehouse has been converted to provide creative office and studio space totalling 9,046 sq ft (840 sq m), featuring exposed brick walls and LED lighting throughout. The landmark building is located adjacent to the A58 motorway and less than a 10 minute walk from Leeds railway station and the city’s retail core. Paddy Carter, associate director in the office agency team at Savills, comments: “Following a major refurbishment, 1 Canal Place combines the character of its previous life as a canal side warehouse with high quality office accommodation. The building would be well-suited to occupiers seeking creative space close to Leeds city centre.” Quoting rents at 1 Canal Place are £14.50 per sq ft (£156 per sq m). Source link
5 September 2016 | Marino Donati Ampersand has won a five-year contract to be the catering partner for the British Medical Association (BMA). Under the contract Ampersand will provide catering services to 29 individual event spaces, including courtyard and garden, at BMA House, the association’s conference and events venue and headquarters in Tavistock Square, London. Ampersand will also provide catering for the newly refurbished 1832 Café and Restaurant. Sarah Bright, head of events for BMA House, said the association was impressed by Ampersand’s versatile approach, which would accommodate the BMA’s wide range of needs. “We believe Ampersand’s strong connections with healthy eating, led by award-winning nutritionist Amanda Ursell, provide the perfect fit with the BMA’s vision for a healthy nation, we are excited to be working with them,” she said. Bright added that services from Ampersand’s sister company ITA, a venue booking service, would open up new market opportunities. Ampersand is the specialist venue and visitor attraction catering division of CH&Co. Source link
Londoners opting to improve not move With house prices predicted to fall and the high cost of moving, more Londoners could opt for improving the space they have rather than move. Robert Wood from London-based loft, extension and basement specialist Simply Construction Group says: “To date, the impact of Brexit on our business has been minimal. We’ve had quite a few clients delay decisions by a couple of weeks since the referendum result, but are now deciding to move forward as there doesn’t appear to be any short-term financial risk.” Opting to renovate your home with a basement, loft or extension can give you the space you crave and can add value to your house. London has experienced a boom in renovations with basements generating the most headlines. As the nation comes to terms with the result of the EU referendum, which saw 52% vote for Brexit, and a new government in place, people are starting to get their confidence back despite the backdrop of uncertainty. Wood said: “We don’t know what will happen in the long term. That all depends on the deal we get and how the market reacts to it.” Wood is no stranger to economic headwinds. He began his business in 2008, the start of the Great Recession, with his wife Helen Wood. However, this did not stop them winning work. “It was the fall in house prices in 2008 and 2009 that saw the trend for improving not moving,” said Wood. “In unstable times people look for certainty and offering fixed prices helps clients to feel reassured. What homeowners don’t want is any surprises. “ Source link
Aircrete block supplier H+H UK has named from Wavin boss Calum Forsyth as its new managing director. He will take over on 1st May from Mark Oliver who leaves the company after eight years in the job. Above: Calum Forsyth Calum Forsyth was managing director of IAC Acoustics for two year until August 2014. Before that he was with Waving for more than 10 years, latterly as UK and Ireland managing director. “I am excited to be joining H+H to build on the strong legacy that the H+H Management team have created under Mark’s leadership,” Mr Forsyth said. “The business has been through a major turnaround to become the clear market leader and a very successful business. Through my experience I believe I can bring further value to H+H UK and build on its success.” Group chief executive Michael Andersen said “We welcome Calum to the H+H Group to lead our UK business into its next phase of development which will include upgrading our Borough Green plant to make it the most advanced aircrete facility in the UK.” This article was published on 12 Apr 2016 (last updated on 12 Apr 2016). Source link
A carpenter’s daughter has developed a new type of kneepad for construction workers after witnessing her father suffering with osteoarthritis. Above: Vicky Hamilton and her Recoil Kneepads Recoil Kneepads have springs sandwiched between two layers acting as a shock absorbing and pressure reduction system. Pressure is reduced across the entire knee joint rather than focusing on one small area. The double layer system pivots so the user can kneel from side to side without the kneepad slipping away and the strap rests on the shin rather than the back of the knee, improving comfort. Vicky Hamilton, aged 25 and from Glasgow, originally developed Recoil Kneepads as part of her final year project while studying product design engineering at the University of Strathclyde. She was inspired to help her dad, Gordon Hamilton, 48, who suffers from osteoarthritis, which he believes has been caused by his lifelong career as a joiner. After graduating, Vicky had a safe job offer waiting for her but instead, with the support of entrepreneurial organisations including the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, she decided to turn Recoil into a business. Vicky said: “The idea for Recoil came about one evening when I was listening to my dad complain about his sore knees at the dinner table. None of the kneepads he had tried were helping and it suddenly clicked that I could create something that would improve life for him and other tradespeople. “A huge amount of research has gone into the development of Recoil Kneepads over the last four years to create a product that outperforms those already available on the market.” The kneepads have been put through their paces at the University of Strathclyde laboratories, with tests finding they decrease pressure by 76%, making them more effective at reducing pain than the major competitor brands. The nearest competitor reduces pressure by 60.7%. Her father, Gordon Hamilton (pictured with Vicky below), said: “I am extremely proud of what Vicky has achieved. She has certainly found a solution to a problem myself and many others in the trade suffer from. I find Recoil Kneepads extremely comfortable and they make prolonged kneeling a lot more bearable. I never thought my complaining would have resulted in such a fantastic product!” Vicky added: “I want Recoil to have a positive impact within the UK business community. We manufacture the kneepads in the UK in Edinburgh, and I plan to invest in job creation over the next year. I’m also very interested in connecting with potential stockists over the next few months.” Recoil Kneepads weigh 445g and measure 26cm x 14cm x 13cm. They are available for £39.99 including at: www.recoilkneepads.com. Further Images This article was published on 21 Jun 2016 (last updated on 21 Jun 2016). Source link
Following a pre-let to Care UK, Savills, on behalf of AK Property Investment Ltd, has agreed the off market sale of a new purpose built 59-bed care home, Sherwood Grange, in Kingston Vale, London to LaSalle Investment Management. The developers of the 0.55 acres (0.22 hectare) site, secured planning permission and the support of the local residents association, who welcomed the idea of a care home to the area. Care UK has agreed to a new 25-year lease upon completion. Shaun Reed, National Director at LaSalle, comments: “There is a strong need for care homes in London and good quality, future-proofed assets constructed well above minimum standards are in high demand. As with build to rent or student housing, care homes let to leading operators offer our clients attractive long term, index-linked returns.” Colin Rees Smith, director of healthcare at Savills, says: “At a time when there is some adverse publicity in the sector, this deal reflects the strong appetite to invest in the healthcare market. This was a complicated site to develop, given its size and former petrol station use and we are very pleased to have sold the completed investment to LaSalle having secured the pre-let to Care UK and to coincide with the site’s practical completion in mid April.” LaSalle Investment Management was advised by Gerald Eve LLP. Source link