©Getty The steep fall in prices afflicting Chinese industrial groups slowed last month to its lowest rate in almost two years, as the prices of metals and coal started to rebound. China’s industrial producer price index fell by 1.7 per cent in the year to July, government statistics showed on
Pub operator JD Wetherspoon has appointed Savills and CBRE to handle the disposal of 45 of its pubs. The properties, which are being considered for sale either individually, in small packages or as a portfolio, are located in strong town and city centre locations within England, Scotland and Wales. Of
Veolia UK has said it wants to grow its retail activities in the UK water market, as the industry prepares for market opening next year. Veolia UK chief operating officer for water, John Abraham, told Utility Week: “Veolia is interested in growing retail water activities and welcomes
Property has long been a favourite amongst investors looking for a stable and long term return. Hearthstone Investments has released data that showed over the short term, property could see a return of 7%, with equity seeing a return of 12%. However, after 10 years both investments see return of
Northumberland College has created and launched a training partnership with ORCA LGS Solutions. ORCA is a design, manufacturing and training company that uses innovation and a range of modern construction methods to support the government as well as increase the housing supply across the region as well as across the
Barratt Developments carried out an offsite trail project which has led them to work with Fusion Building Systems on their first live site working together. Fusion started working on the Barratt site at Cane Hill Park development which is located in Coulsdon, Surrey in June. Since then, the designer and
Contractors building the new Mersey Gateway crossing have lifted into place the two giant bridge building machines, ready for work to begin on the main bridge deck. Above: Travelling formwork machines in position at the south pylon in the Mersey Estuary The two 270-tonne form travellers were hydraulically jacked into
John Homer, until recently regional managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction, has joined North Midland Construction as chief executive officer. Above: John Homer John Homer was with Morgan Sindall for nearly 12 years before leaving in February 2016. Previously, he was a deputy managing director at Galliford Try (1998-2004). He
Build a boiler with Worcester, Bosch Group Published: 07 April, 2016 Worcester, Bosch Group is giving eight installers the chance to win a VIP day at its headquarters on Wednesday 29 June, where they will be able to build and take home their very own boiler, as well as test
Highways England has contracted GRAHAM for improvement works to be carried out on four major roads located in the East of England. The work has been granted to GRAHAM in the form of two major packages that will cover improvements to the A47, A11, A1 and A12. The contract has
©Getty The steep fall in prices afflicting Chinese industrial groups slowed last month to its lowest rate in almost two years, as the prices of metals and coal started to rebound. China’s industrial producer price index fell by 1.7 per cent in the year to July, government statistics showed on Tuesday, a relief compared with a 2.6 per cent pace the previous month and lows of 6 per cent deflation in the second half of last year. More On this topic IN Chinese Economy “Easing deflation bodes well for corporate earnings, particularly in upstream sectors,” said Larry Hu of Macquarie Capital, a financial advisory firm. In an economy plagued by industrial overcapacity, corporate overleverage and a long-term growth slowdown, observers have been questioning how much longer China’s industrial profit growth can continue. Industrial profits at large firms in China rose 5.1 per cent year-on-year in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the improvement in industrial deflation in Tuesday’s data compared with the previous month was largely the result of a rebound in prices of metal mining and processing, including steel. The prices of petroleum and natural gas extraction, and of coal mining, continued to rise. In the long term, however, the uptick in steel prices is not likely to have a lasting impact on China’s PPI, said Tomas Gutierrez of Kallanish Commodities. “Steel is generally looking stronger than expected but this is mainly due to low inventories and sustained exports, not really because of the fight against overcapacity,” he added. Meanwhile Zhou Hao, senior economist at Commerzbank, warned that the data could undermine China’s economic reforms, as “rising steel and coal prices may slow down the rate of capacity cutting”. China has come under fire from its trade partners for alleged dumping of excess steel on to the world market. The government has vowed to cut industrial overcapacity as part of its five-year-plan to 2020. But the implementation of capacity cuts has been patchy, with several closed steel mills reopening this spring after the price of steel futures jumped. China’s consumer price index continued to rise, with inflation at 1.8 per cent in the year to July, according to Tuesday’s data. The continuing inflation faced by Chinese consumers, including in imported goods, was largely the result of high food prices. This year’s sky-high pork prices accounted for 0.42 percentage points of the rise in the headline figure, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. In addition, the prices of services such as education, leisure and medical care are rising. Substantial inflation in consumer prices combined with steep deflation in corporate earnings has created an unhappy mix for Chinese consumers, whose wages are affected by corporate profits. 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
Pub operator JD Wetherspoon has appointed Savills and CBRE to handle the disposal of 45 of its pubs. The properties, which are being considered for sale either individually, in small packages or as a portfolio, are located in strong town and city centre locations within England, Scotland and Wales. Of the 45 pubs, 33 are being brought to the market for the first time. The outlets have strong exposure to London and the South with 23 of the 45 outlets located in these regions. The launch of the portfolio by JD Wetherspoon follows the successful sale of packages of pubs in recent months to operators including Amber Taverns, Brewhouse & Kitchen, Hawthorn Leisure, Stonegate and Urban Pubs & Bars. Full details of the properties is available at www.jdwdisposals.com The properties are as follows: Banbury – Fleur-de-Lis Bathgate – James Young Berwick upon Tweed – Leaping Salmon Birmingham – Soloman Cutler Bootle – Merton Inn Boscombe – Sir Percy Florence Shelley Bradford – Sir Titus Salt Cheadle Hulme – King’s Hall Dagenham – Lord Denman Dartford – Paper Moon Didsbury – Milson Rhodes Ellesmere Port – Thomas Telford Forest Hill – Capitol Fulham – Oyster Rooms Hammersmith – Plough & Harrow High Wycombe – William Robert Loosley Hull – William Wilberforce Ipswich – Golden Lion Islington – Glass Works Lichfield – Gatehouse Lincoln – Forum Maidenhead – Greyhound Mansfield – Stag and Pheasant Milton Keynes – David Garrick Mitcham – White Lion of Mortimer Newbury – Diamond Tap Newcastle upon Tyne – Union Rooms Newport – Tom Toya Lewis Newquay – Cribbar North Finchley – Tally Ho Nuneaton – Felix Holt Putney – Railway Reading – Monk’s Retreat Rugby – Lawrence Sheriff Sittingbourne – Summoner Stirling – Proposed Pub & Hotel Site Sunderland – Lambton Worm Swindon – Groves Company Inn Tamworth – Silk Kite Torquay – London Inn Trowbridge – Isaac Pitman Walsall – Imperial Walton on Thames – Regent West Kirby – Dee Hotel Worthing – Sir Timothy Shelley Source link
Veolia UK has said it wants to grow its retail activities in the UK water market, as the industry prepares for market opening next year. Veolia UK chief operating officer for water, John Abraham, told Utility Week: “Veolia is interested in growing retail water activities and welcomes further competition that enables us to deliver our global innovation and experience to the UK.” Veolia Water Projects – part of the Veolia Group – is a member of Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL), and currently provides water and sewerage services to domestic and commercial customers in the Tidworth and Perham Down area in Wiltshire. Because these areas fall within the supply area of Wessex Water, Ofwat has granted Veolia an inset appointment license to provide these services. The company is now looking to increase its activities within the water market. “Retail water, resource management and sludge treatment and disposal are all areas where we can provide investment, technology and global best practice, which promote greater sustainability and efficiency,” said Abraham. With the English business water retail market set to open in April next year, many small water companies are gearing up to compete with incumbents. Scottish supplier Castle Water has said it would consider buying the business customers of English water companies looking to exit. Chief executive John Reynolds told Utility Week he thought the level of change in the water retail market in England would be “more revolutionary than anticipated”. The company has applied to Ofwat for a water and sewerage supply licence, as has fellow Scottish supplier Clear Business Water. Other Scottish suppliers, including Scottish Water subsidiary Business Stream and new entrant Everflow, have told Utility Week they are considering buying into the English market when it opens. In January, Portsmouth became the first water company to reveal that it would exit the market when competition is introduced. And, early in March, Severn Trent Water and United Utilities (UU) stated their intention to team up and create a new, separate, and yet-to-be-named retail business. Read Utility Week’s analysis: Severn Trent and United Utilities ally: the dawn of a new era? Of the remaining water-only companies (WOCS), Affinity Water, Bristol Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water and Cholderton and District Water all tell Utility Week they plan to remain in the market, with South East Water and Cambridge/South Staffordshire Water refusing to comment. And of the WASCs, eight of nine say they will not exit the retail market, with Southern Water saying it is “undecided”. Other companies have begun positioning themselves for market opening, with Northumbrian Water announcing a rebrand of its business retail arm to ‘Wave’. Utility Week understands Anglian Water and at least one other WASC are set to follow suit. Read Utility Week’s analysis: one year to market opening and WICS chief executive Alan Sutherland’s advice on how to prepare Source link
Property has long been a favourite amongst investors looking for a stable and long term return. Hearthstone Investments has released data that showed over the short term, property could see a return of 7%, with equity seeing a return of 12%. However, after 10 years both investments see return of around 8% and after 15 years, property can achieve a return of 12%, whereas equities return less and 8%. Due to its stability, especially during the political climate and future impacting the stock market, investors focus on the popular buy-to-let market. This market looks even more appealing considering the price of houses means that more of the younger generation are spending longer in the private rental market before managing to get onto the property market. However, the Government have been making changes in order to discourage this investment, increasing stamp duty for second home purchases and reducing the amount of tax relief received by landlords. This means that more and more investors are moving on, focusing their attention on the Luxury market, with a number of different property investment funds suggesting that you could receive double digit returns on investments in the luxury sector. Luxury property investment does need more capital, which is a daunting prospect for those new to the investment market. The Luxury Property Show at London Olympia is a perfect opportunity to meet other like-minded people and look at a number of different investment possibilities. Over the last decade this show has become a central event for those in the luxury investment sector, with a wide range of networking and learning potential. The Luxury Property Show also gives investors to in with developers and those working in real estate to discuss the current key trends as well as match those looking to invest with the perfect property or fund to suit them.
Northumberland College has created and launched a training partnership with ORCA LGS Solutions. ORCA is a design, manufacturing and training company that uses innovation and a range of modern construction methods to support the government as well as increase the housing supply across the region as well as across the UK. A White Paper was published by the Department for Communities and Local Government in February which illustrates the government plans to improve the housing market through the increase in the supply of new homes in England. The plan that has been laid out includes the target to build a million new homes by 2021. The Construction Leadership Council has commissioned the Farmer Report in order to explore and highlight any actions that could be taken to cut back the vulnerability felt by the housing industry in term of skills shortages. The Farmer Report showed that the government target of a million new homes cannot be achieved by the industry unless the output is significantly increased. However, as part of the government plan to increase the amount of houses available on the market, ORCA has set an aim to deliver 10,000 units of affordable housing over the course of five years. The company intends to focus on the use of off-site mobile manufacturing, which is a process that will employ and train more local people for labour as well as make the most of Light Gauge Steel which will mean that construction projects are delivered at a 50% increased speed. Northumberland College has ORCA have formed a partnership in order to offer support to the UK government mandate which will lead to the house building sector left less vulnerable to skills shortages by increasing the use of offsite construction methods. With housing construction, it is thought that 85% of houses employ traditional construction methods of masonry and timber while offsite manufacturing accounts for 15% of the market. The offsite construction industry is getting more and more popular and does also have a massive potential for growth in the future.
Barratt Developments carried out an offsite trail project which has led them to work with Fusion Building Systems on their first live site working together. Fusion started working on the Barratt site at Cane Hill Park development which is located in Coulsdon, Surrey in June. Since then, the designer and manufacturer of light gauge steel superstructures has managed to erect two of the five apartment blocks that have been contracted by the development company. Barratt Developments is the largest housebuilder in the UK, and their project at Cane Hill Park will see the creation of 86 residential units to be used for private and social housing markets. Fusion Building Systems are working as part of the project in the design and manufacture of individual wall and floor panels that will be used on the four storey apartment buildings. These panels will be installed on the site using a crane and a team of just five people on the site. The external wall s that will be used on the development use Fusion’s patented pre-insulated systems. This construction method allows for a reduction in build times as well as cutting down on the number of different trades that are required on site and also provide a 0.2W/m2K thermal efficiency. Before the partnership was agreed upon for the construction of the Cane Hill Park Site, Barratt and Fusion spent around 18 months in discussions to explore all of the different ways collaboration could improve construction methods and make offsite construction a more viable option. After this, Fusion successfully completed the building of nine properties, using their manufactured light gauge steel systems at one of Barratt’s developments located in West Sussex. Following the success of this trail, Fusion and Barratt have entered a supply-chain partnership which will be beneficial to both of the companies going forward. As part of this, Fusion has also been contracted to deliver a number of projects that have been valued at more than £3 million.
Contractors building the new Mersey Gateway crossing have lifted into place the two giant bridge building machines, ready for work to begin on the main bridge deck. Above: Travelling formwork machines in position at the south pylon in the Mersey Estuary The two 270-tonne form travellers were hydraulically jacked into place at the south pylon in the Mersey estuary. The machines, which act as movable concrete formwork, are positioned 26 metres above the river bed. Workers are now making preparations to cast the first part of the bridge deck from the south pylon, which will take place in May 2016. Three pairs of form travellers – one pair for each pylon – will be used to cast the spans between the three bridge pylons to create the 1km reinforced concrete bridge deck. This is expected to take around 12 months to complete. The form travellers will be lifted into place at the north pylon later this month, while the machines for the central pylon will be positioned in the summer. The Mersey Gateway bridge is on schedule to open in autumn 2017. Halton Borough Council is the client for the project and it awarded a 30-year contract to design, build, finance and operate the project to the Merseylink Consortium in 2014. Equity partners are Macquarie Capital Group, BBGI, and FCC Construcción. The construction joint venture is made up of Kier, Samsung C&T and FCC. Further Images This article was published on 15 Apr 2016 (last updated on 15 Apr 2016). Source link
John Homer, until recently regional managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction, has joined North Midland Construction as chief executive officer. Above: John Homer John Homer was with Morgan Sindall for nearly 12 years before leaving in February 2016. Previously, he was a deputy managing director at Galliford Try (1998-2004). He started his career as a chartered surveyor with Kyle Stewart, rising to divisional director of successor company BAM Construct UK. His arrival at North Midland Construction (NMC) follows the recent announcement that the company’s chairman and chief executive Robert Moyle would be stepping down from his role as chief executive but would remain as executive chairman. “I am extremely pleased that John has joined the group,” said Mr Moyle. “He has a wealth of experience in the construction industry and will embrace our culture. He will play an important role in the future growth and development of the group.” This article was published on 3 Jun 2016 (last updated on 3 Jun 2016). Source link
Build a boiler with Worcester, Bosch Group Published: 07 April, 2016 Worcester, Bosch Group is giving eight installers the chance to win a VIP day at its headquarters on Wednesday 29 June, where they will be able to build and take home their very own boiler, as well as test their skills against a series of manufacturing challenges in the company’s factory. The promotion follows the launch of the manufacturer’s factory tour, which offers engineers a glimpse into what goes into every Worcester boiler. Attendees will be able to see first-hand how a boiler is produced, tested and packaged, before visiting the various departments that make up Worcester’s wider support network. Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester, said: “Retaining the confidence of the industry’s heating engineers is vital to our business, and we are always trying to go the extra mile whenever an installer comes to visit us. For the lucky winners of this competition, we’ll be taking this even further by offering them a real VIP experience at our state-of-the-art facility. “What’s more, the most technically-minded out there will be able to test themselves against a series of challenges in our innovative lean manufacturing system – culminating in the unique opportunity to build and take home their very own boiler.” To be in with a chance of winning visit www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/VIP. Source link
Highways England has contracted GRAHAM for improvement works to be carried out on four major roads located in the East of England. The work has been granted to GRAHAM in the form of two major packages that will cover improvements to the A47, A11, A1 and A12. The contract has been valued at £19 million and will also see a number of safety improvements made including surfacing structures and technology schemes. The civil engineering work that will be carried out by GRAHAM will greatly improve the road users experience of the network being improved as well as hopefully the reduction of journey times for the hundreds and thousands of people who use these routes. The road improvements will extend between Peterborough, Norwich and Lowestoft via Great Yarmouth. GRAHAM has been delivered these two major project packages as a part of a collaborative delivery framework. This means that projects have been grouped together in terms of the area of completion. The team from GRAHAM have already been working on the project by communicating with stakeholder groups as well as the communities where the work will be carried out in order to create and develop a strong and effective relationships as well as make sure that clear lines of communication are in place while the work is being carried out. For GRAHAM it is great to be working with Highways England, who will be developing their long-term collaborative relationship even more through the completion of this prestigious contract. Throughout this civil engineering contract, GRAHAM is focused on keeping the local community and local stakeholders involved in the project in order to make the most of the local knowledge of the roads and the improvements that will be beneficial to local and long-distance travelers. This new civil engineering contract is the most recent and significant contract to be awarded to the constantly expanded civil engineering division of GRAHAM.