Marley Eternit has taken over John Brash & Co, the UK’s largest timber roofing batten supplier for £13m. Above: Tiles and battens together John Brash makes the market-leading JB Red batten and also manufactures cedar roof shingles, non-slip timber decking and timber scaffold boards. It also claims to be the
The operator of Helsinki Airport, Finavia has revealed that they are changing the plans for their ambitious climate programs. The plan that has been put forward by Finavia is to cut the carbon dioxide emissions that are produced by the operations in the company. Finavia manages 21 airports and their
Analysis and exploration of Health and Safety in the workplace shows that businesses can help to address the challenges faced in tackling workplace health and safety. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals third target is to encourage well being for people of all ages and to ensure healthy lives. One
Connell Survey & Valuation has carried out research recently which has shown that the property market experience a dip in May. Connells Survey & Valuation is a subsidiary that is wholly owned by Connells Group. The subsidiary first started operating in 1991 and works with a range of different clients
R&M, the globally active developer and provider of cabling systems for high-quality network infrastructures, based in Wetzikon, Switzerland, is accompanying well-known carriers on their way into the gigabit era. The long-term goal is to provide every home with gigabit-fast Internet connections. And the full-coverage FO cabling of urban and rural
If you are in the construction business there are some obvious tools of the trade you will be using on a regular basis but there are also some equally useful tools that you can download onto your smartphone too. Here is a look at some useful apps that should be
Problems with the design, procurement and installation of the gasification plant at a Glasgow waste-to-energy plant have forced Interserve to make £70m of provisions on the contract. Above: CGI of the completed Glasgow Recycling & Renewable Energy Centre In a trading update to shareholders, Interserve said that the problems had
Three months after putting the brakes on the nascent tidal energy industry with the launch of a review, the government has now named a trusted insider to lead it. Above: Former energy minister Charles Hendry will lead a team of civil servants for an ‘independent’ review of tidal lagoons On
The primary concern of MOSL is “not necessarily consumer protection”. The market operator performs an exchange function, and is therefore “removed from customers”, according to consulting firm PwC. In a report commissioned by the Consumer Council for Water, PwC laid out the first seven success criteria of
Barnsley-based PVC fabrication businesses SASH-Fitrite is under new ownership after a management buy-in. Above: A window by Sash UK The £22m turnover SASH-Fitrite group makes doors and windows under the Sash UK brand and Fitrite fencing and decking. The group employs approximately 180 staff at its head office and main
Marley Eternit has taken over John Brash & Co, the UK’s largest timber roofing batten supplier for £13m. Above: Tiles and battens together John Brash makes the market-leading JB Red batten and also manufactures cedar roof shingles, non-slip timber decking and timber scaffold boards. It also claims to be the only UK batten manufacturer that has an automated grading process that ensures its battens comply with BS 5534. Marley Eternit managing director David Speakman said: “The acquisition of John Brash will reinforce Marley Eternit’s position as the UK’s leading roofing solutions provider. For Marley Eternit, this is the latest step in our strategy to affirm our brand leadership position, delivering on our innovation credentials and providing a total roof system solution that will deliver real value to our customers, from specifiers through to contractors and merchants.” Marley Eternit will retain John Brash’s site at Gainsborough. Following the acquisition, Marely Eternit sales & marketing director Paul Reed will become managing director of the new timber products range within Marley Eternit. John Brash chairman Christian Brash will leave the business and Chris Watson, formerly managing director, will become chairman. Christian Brash said: “Whilst we are sad to see the end of 110 years of ownership by the Brash family, we believe that the business has been left in a fantastic position as the UK’s market leader in roofing battens. The acquisition by Marley should only help strengthen this through the synergies between the two businesses and the combined strengths of both brands in the market.” This article was published on 14 Apr 2016 (last updated on 14 Apr 2016). Source link
The operator of Helsinki Airport, Finavia has revealed that they are changing the plans for their ambitious climate programs. The plan that has been put forward by Finavia is to cut the carbon dioxide emissions that are produced by the operations in the company. Finavia manages 21 airports and their target is to have carbon dioxide emissions down to zero. For Helsinki Airport, it is thought that the carbon dioxide reduction target will be reached this year. This is because the operations for the airport will be powered by a solar power plant. The solar power will be provided by the largest airport solar power plant constructed in the Nordic countries. Another way that the airport will also cut their operations emissions by using renewable fuels to power the busses on site. Finavia is one of the central members of a pledge that has been made by a number of European airport companies that will hopefully result in 100 carbon neutral airports in Europe by 2030. It is great to see companies looking to make improvements and alterations in order to cut carbon emissions. This pledge is connected to an international climate policy that has been agreed on by the majority of countries, The Paris Agreement. The sudden withdrawal by the United States led by President Trump has created a challenge for the Agreement. However, other countries and companies, including Finavia are fully committed to adapt in order to reduce emissions. With the Paris Agreement being signed there could be a change to a number of sectors, not just at airports in order to make sure that the global temperature ceases to increase. In order to combat the amount of greenhouse gasses are emitted the construction industry could be impacted, with the promotion of greener building techniques in order to cut down carbon emissions in the industry.
Analysis and exploration of Health and Safety in the workplace shows that businesses can help to address the challenges faced in tackling workplace health and safety. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals third target is to encourage well being for people of all ages and to ensure healthy lives. One thing standing in the way of this target being met to its fullest capacity of health and safety in the workplace. This year, it has been calculated that US businesses lose around $1 billion each week to serious but non-fatal injuries that have occurred in the workplace. This figure was taken from the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index which was published this year. This statistic shows that businesses are losing money unnecessarily, when proper health and safety could prevent or lessen the severity of a wide range of workplace accidents. The importance of the role of businesses in workplace health and safety is being emphasised. The more work that businesses put into Health and Safety the fewer injuries illnesses and deaths occur amongst workers. Also to the introduction of more health and safety frameworks lead to healthier and more productive workers. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention published figures in 2015 which showed that US businesses lose $225.8 billion each year because of the productivity caused by absenteeism. If a workplace is safe then it encourages employees to be healthier and more productive. This is good news for the companies as it will help them improve their profitability and bottom line. Tackling health and safety goes further than signage however, with the whole culture and mentality of the business requiring a change in order to effectively establish health and safety procedures. The best way to be successful when implementing health and safety procedures is to involve as many people as possible.
Connell Survey & Valuation has carried out research recently which has shown that the property market experience a dip in May. Connells Survey & Valuation is a subsidiary that is wholly owned by Connells Group. The subsidiary first started operating in 1991 and works with a range of different clients including lenders, house builders, asset managers and housing associations. The research that has been released by Connells Survey & Valuation shows that in May homes being sold in relation to the number valuations taking place for home owners has seen a steady decrease. In May 2010 45% of the market was down to valuations leading to property sales. This figure has dropped to 27% in May 2017. The reason for this is thought to be a lack of incentive to move for homeowners. Other challenges that the housing market faces with which can have an impact on the the number of houses being sold are the recent changes to stamp duty and the lack of homes on the market to choose from. There is also the consideration of economic uncertainty that is hindering the amount of people wanting to sell up. The corporate services director of Connells Survey & Valuation, John Bagshaw has suggested that the limited stock and confused political and economic out look, with Brexit and now the hung parliament has made people not want to move. It is also thought that the long term increase in house values over the course of the past seven years, meaning that they move into higher stamp duty bands, has made people more resistant to move house. At the moment there is more interest in people refinancing instead of selling in order to try get a better value deal because of the increased value of houses and the low interest rates offered by lenders. Refinancing in this way is more beneficial as it can cut monthly repayments making the homeowner more financially stable, and removing the added hassle and expense of having to move house.
R&M, the globally active developer and provider of cabling systems for high-quality network infrastructures, based in Wetzikon, Switzerland, is accompanying well-known carriers on their way into the gigabit era. The long-term goal is to provide every home with gigabit-fast Internet connections. And the full-coverage FO cabling of urban and rural regions is playing a key role in this. “The demand for R&M fiber optic systems for broadband networks increases by ten percent every year. We are extending capacities in our plants in Bulgaria and India accordingly,” explains R&M CEO Michel Riva. With new products, R&M is underscoring its presence in the Public Networks market. The brand-new generation of the Polaris-box reliably facilitates and protects the installation of fiber optic connections for residential buildings and larger building complexes. “We are currently receiving orders for greater numbers which shows that we have the perfect solution for fulfilling FTTH providers’ needs,” says Tobias Münzer, R&M Market Manager Public Networks. The SYNO dome closure with gel sealing technology launched in 2016 is also exactly what carriers are looking for. Telecommunications and broadband providers in Europe and the Middle East are already using thousands of them in their fiber optic networks. The British IT and telecommunications service provider Colt recently succeeded in setting up a new fiber optic route in Switzerland in just a few days with the help of the R&M SYNO dome closure. The dome closure is there to connect fiber optic cables on the “last mile” and to distribute them – whether in shafts, on masts or directly in the ground. R&M has simplified assembly and made it self-explanatory. “The digitization megatrend is revolutionizing the way we communicate. Entire industries are on the brink of upheaval and are facing a change in their business models. A reliable and future-proof communication and data network based on fiber optics is a prerequisite for keeping pace with this change,” empasizes Tobias Münzer. In spite of the expansion of Internet data traffic, major network operators are cautious, with FTTH projects being planned very carefully. Carriers want easily scalable systems and flexible expansion strategies with which they can calculate their budgets in manageable stages and speed up their return on investment. Tobias Münzer: “R&M is reacting to these needs with a consistent portfolio and constant new innovations, such as the recently launched SYNO dome closure and the Polaris-box.” But R&M’s experience shows that it is also essential that carriers receive just the support they require when planning and setting up the fiber optic networks. This is why the R&M sales companies round the globe provide on-site, project-specific consulting services, support from product planning through to logistics, as well as customer-specific cabling solutions. “Proximity to customers and customization are among the strengths of R&M and are the decisive keys to our success in the Public Networks market segment which accounts for around one third of the result,” says CEO Michel Riva. Tobias Münzer adds: “We want to help carriers get the best possible network quality in every phase. Because that is the only successful path into the gigabit era. Precise specifications compliant with local requirements, reliable products, a trustworthy equipment supplier and strict adherence to details in the execution and maintenance phase are also necessary. Apart from that, the infrastructures must be upgrade-capable so the carriers can migrate quickly to new transmission technologies.”
If you are in the construction business there are some obvious tools of the trade you will be using on a regular basis but there are also some equally useful tools that you can download onto your smartphone too. Here is a look at some useful apps that should be on your radar if you work in the construction trade, including how to keep on top of site safety, Safety is always an important factor If there is one thing that all construction professionals are going to agree upon it’s the need to practice good safety procedures and try to keep workplace accidents and injuries to an absolute minimum. An app like SafeSite could help you to achieve that aim. It was designed by construction professionals with a valuable insight into the sort of dangerous scenarios that can occur and it is intended to be used as a tool for achieving safety compliance with the minimum of fuss and paperwork. A lot of safety aspects can boil down to simple common sense and taking sensible precautions. For example, you can get the inside track on weather by Apalon Apps so that you can take preemptive precautions and action if you find that local conditions might influence construction conditions. Getting your calculations right Another area where there is no margin for error is when it comes to making calculations and carrying out measurements. The Construction Master Pro app is one of several that offers you access to all the relevant data such as completing right angle calculations when you need to frame a roof. It’s a handy app to have on your smartphone as it is versatile enough to do most the standard tasks relevant to construction work and you can also easily convert and switch between all of the standard measuring formats. Keeping on top of your workforce If you are relying on a number of employees and subcontractors to help you get the job done on time it can be very time-consuming keeping tabs on who is doing what and whether they are where they are supposed to be. There are a number of apps that help you with time tracking and scheduling including TSheets, which aims to eliminate the need for time cards and helps you stay in the loop and receive alerts if someone does clock in as expected. Being able to see where crew members are in real time via your smartphone should make managing your workforce easier. Keep your technical drawings to hand You will no doubt frequently find yourself referring to construction plans and blueprints, so it makes sense to have an app that offers you easy access to these documents allowing you to have your blueprints with you wherever you go. The PlanGrid app lets you share drawings and plans with anyone instantly and when you sync a master set of drawings you won’t need to worry about the cost and hassle of paper copies. As you can see with these few examples, there are a number of useful apps available for construction professionals that could soon become essential tools and instantly accessible via your smartphone.
Problems with the design, procurement and installation of the gasification plant at a Glasgow waste-to-energy plant have forced Interserve to make £70m of provisions on the contract. Above: CGI of the completed Glasgow Recycling & Renewable Energy Centre In a trading update to shareholders, Interserve said that the problems had dented its whole outlook on the UK construction market. “Our expectations for the UK construction division as a whole have been significantly adversely impacted by a further deterioration in our Glasgow energy from waste contract.” It continued: “The issues relate to the design, procurement and installation of the gasification plant, together with continuing challenges with the supply chain that will result in further cost overruns and delays. As a result the board anticipates a £70m exceptional contract provision to be taken in the first half of 2016, resulting in a similar level of cash outflow spread across 2016 and 2017. We will be pursuing every opportunity to mitigate this situation.” Interserve signed a £146m contract with Viridor to undertake the engineering, procurement and construction of the Glasgow Recycling & Renewable Energy Centre. Completion was originally scheduled for 2016. On top of all else, the project has also been subject to strike action in recent weeks. This article was published on 6 May 2016 (last updated on 6 May 2016). Source link
Three months after putting the brakes on the nascent tidal energy industry with the launch of a review, the government has now named a trusted insider to lead it. Above: Former energy minister Charles Hendry will lead a team of civil servants for an ‘independent’ review of tidal lagoons On 10th February 2016 the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) announced that it was suspending its support for the proposed £1bn Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project pending the outcome of an ‘independent’ review that it was commissioning into the technology. “Whilst progress has been made to understand this technology, more work needs to be done to determine whether they present value for money,” it said at the time. [See our previous report here.] DECC said that the review would be ‘independent’. Three months later, it has now appointed former Conservative MP Charles Hendry to lead it. Mr Hendry was energy minister from May 2010 until September 2012. He will be supported by a team of civil servants. The review will assess the strategic case for tidal lagoons and whether they could play a cost effective role as part of the UK energy mix. The review will also help establish an evidence base to ensure all decisions made regarding tidal lagoon energy are in the best interest of the UK. Its findings are expected to be announced in the autumn, DECC said. This article was published on 9 May 2016 (last updated on 9 May 2016). Source link
The primary concern of MOSL is “not necessarily consumer protection”. The market operator performs an exchange function, and is therefore “removed from customers”, according to consulting firm PwC. In a report commissioned by the Consumer Council for Water, PwC laid out the first seven success criteria of Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL), which it said were all relevant to the household market as well as non-household. The seventh criterion, it said, is the “only truly customer-focused one”. The report considered lessons the water sector could take from other regulated sectors, such as energy and telecoms, which have already opened their household markets to competition. It also looked at how existing success criteria for water market reform could apply to household competition. What does success look like to MOSL? Source: MOSL PwC warned that consumer detriments may be caused by market failure, regulatory failure and/or behavioural bias, and urged regulators to use specific tools, such as licence conditions and standards of conduct, to target detriments or issues arising in markets. Six key success factors for a household retail market in water, set out by PwC, are: Price competition among retailers with a level playing field Customers receive value for money for the price and services offered by retailers Customers are active and engaged in the market, and switching supplier is easy Retailers are motivated to deliver improved services New suppliers can enter the market freely Customers who need extra protection receive it Ofwat is due to publish the final findings of its cost-benefit review of the household water retail market next month. Tools regulators can use to target consumer detriments Source: PwC Source link
Barnsley-based PVC fabrication businesses SASH-Fitrite is under new ownership after a management buy-in. Above: A window by Sash UK The £22m turnover SASH-Fitrite group makes doors and windows under the Sash UK brand and Fitrite fencing and decking. The group employs approximately 180 staff at its head office and main production facility in South Yorkshire. It has been acquired by John Ross and Nick Lilburn, both of whom were part of the former management team at Bradford-based SafeStyle Group. The transaction is backed by private debt fund Praesidian Capital Europe. SASH-Fitrite is the second Yorkshire doors and windows company to be bought out this month. Halifax-based Polyframe was taken over by its management last week on the retirement of the company’s founder. New SASH-Fitrite managing director John Ross said: “It’s great to be back operating in the industry again and Sash, as a long-established and successful fabricator in Yorkshire, provides Nick and myself with the ideal platform for doing so. Our plan for Sash is simple – to continue where the previous owners left off by focusing firmly on the trade, commercial and housebuilding revenue streams of the business.” This article was published on 13 Jul 2016 (last updated on 13 Jul 2016). Source link