Harris Lamb, the independently owned, Midlands-based commercial property agency that acts for clients nationwide, is moving its established Birmingham office from Edgbaston to Brindleyplace. The company is taking 5,391 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of 4 Brindleyplace as it looks to grow its footprint in the city
As the country enters the second week of the UK general election campaign trail, 12 Tier One UK infrastructure and construction contractors and consultants have today published their Blueprint for Growth, sharing 12 recommendations that the future government should implement to effectively boost the UK’s economic growth and productivity. Collectively
One platform to support build stage progress, excellence and innovation delivery across Quantum homes. Quantum Group, a leading developer in Ireland, has selected Zutec to manage construction project data from a single platform. Zutec leads the way in providing construction and property management software solutions to contractors, housebuilders, developers and
Edinburgh Futures Institute has officially opened its doors to the public in the transformed and revitalised Old Royal Infirmary building. The much-loved city landmark will officially open to the public on Monday 3rd June following an extensive seven-year, multi-million-pound restoration. Built in 1879, the Old Royal Infirmary housed the city’s
New school for Cornwall to be delivered using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Reds10, the vertically integrated off-site construction specialist, has been given the go-ahead by Cornwall Council for Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery in West Carclaze, Cornwall. The new school and nursery has been designed to be net-zero
In line with its strategy to focus on retail parks and reduce exposure to covered shopping centres, British Land has exchanged contracts for the sale of its 50% stake in Meadowhall Shopping Centre to its partner, Norges Bank Investment Management, for £360 million. Earlier this year, the joint venture also
Office Principles North has been chosen to carry out the £1.7 million CAT A refurbishment of an office building in the heart of Milton Keynes’ business district. The office fit out and design consultancy will upgrade c.10,000 sq ft on the ground, second and third floors of One Grafton Mews, Midsummer Boulevard.
NBS’ 2024 Building Safety Survey reveals industry still ‘unsure’ of high-rise legislation… A new study by NBS, the UK’s leading specification platform, has found that nearly half of specifiers are still unsure of the responsibilities attached to the Building Safety Act 2022, a worrying sign that a high number of ‘knowledge gaps’
With sustainability being a key focus for the built environment, encouraging conversation and educating industry professionals on the importance of designing and building future-proof buildings is absolutely essential. To that end, Pexhurst recently hosted an Industry Insights/CPD morning in partnership with Landways and Mitsubishi Electric. The morning, held at
Being part of a global network of Cat® dealerships has many advantages, not least when it comes to securing delivery of more than 80 fully Cat certified machines to Ukraine ready to help rebuild vital infrastructure and facilities in the country. Finning has a long-standing relationship with the Ministry of
Harris Lamb, the independently owned, Midlands-based commercial property agency that acts for clients nationwide, is moving its established Birmingham office from Edgbaston to Brindleyplace. The company is taking 5,391 sq ft of space on the fourth floor of 4 Brindleyplace as it looks to grow its footprint in the city and provide its staff with a highly sustainable, modern and flexible commercial space in an unrivalled location. Harris Lamb prides itself on the quality of its advice, strength of relationships with clients, and the professionalism of its staff, and is looking to build upon this platform further by the move to Brindleyplace. As the city’s premier commercial estate, Brindleyplace is a great fit for the company, offering a quality environment where the new office space will be enhanced with a Cat A fit out and staff can benefit from all of the estate’s amenities and facilities right on their doorstep. Matt Long, asset manager at Praxis, said: “We’re extremely pleased to have another tenant of Harris Lamb’s high calibre join the Brindleyplace business community and add to our established roster of professional services occupiers. “Our continued commitment to refurbishing and repositioning this iconic estate is being recognised not only city-wide, but further afield as companies choose to make us their home. TASK has already been appointed to deliver the CAT A refurbishment of the workspace Harris Lamb is set to move into, and we can’t wait for the firm and its people to join us here at Brindleyplace.” Director of Harris Lamb, Charles D’Auncey, said: “Brindleyplace makes complete sense for us. From a business point of view, it affords us everything we need and more in a Grade A office building. Our space is undergoing an extensive refurbishment, including a new VRF heating and cooling system and LED lighting, which is on target to achieve an EPC A rating. “Outside the building itself, our staff are set to benefit from all of the estate’s amenities right on the doorstep, including an established and growing programme of health, wellness and wellbeing activities (such as yoga and massages) as well as estate-wide events like the film festival and regular markets.” The Brindleyplace estate is well served by public transport and is close to everything the city has to offer, including world-class connectivity, retail, leisure and eating out options. With unrivalled transport connections and situated on the city’s extensive waterways, the estate is a jewel in Birmingham’s crown both as a commercial office destination and as a place where people come together to visit, spend time in, exercise and relax in, and most of all, enjoy. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
As the country enters the second week of the UK general election campaign trail, 12 Tier One UK infrastructure and construction contractors and consultants have today published their Blueprint for Growth, sharing 12 recommendations that the future government should implement to effectively boost the UK’s economic growth and productivity. Collectively directly employing nearly 100,000 people across the UK and representing £25 billion of UK revenue – which can be factored by at least a three-fold economic impact as infrastructure investment generates significant wider economic benefit in the wider supply chain and communities – the Blueprint for Growth represents the asks of a significant portion of the UK infrastructure and construction industry. With the current Government’s Major Projects Portfolio consisting of an unprecedented 244 projects requiring delivery, and an established and clear correlation between investment in infrastructure and GDP growth – with the industry one of the most effective, efficient, and sustainable ways of spreading jobs and skills across the country – the Blueprint for Growth is a clear collective ask to align on a number of key areas: The Blueprint for Growth represents a notable collective commitment from the UK infrastructure and construction industry to collaborate with policymakers, industry stakeholders and government agencies to help develop the twelve recommendations and realise the shared vision of a thriving infrastructure sector which continues to drive sustainable growth, create jobs and build a brighter future for the UK. To read the Blueprint for Growth in full, click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
One platform to support build stage progress, excellence and innovation delivery across Quantum homes. Quantum Group, a leading developer in Ireland, has selected Zutec to manage construction project data from a single platform. Zutec leads the way in providing construction and property management software solutions to contractors, housebuilders, developers and asset owners across the UK and Ireland, and will roll out document, quality, handover and health and safety management solutions to support Quantum in delivering safer, higher standard homes and properties. Patrick Shaughnessy, Construction Director at Quantum Group, commented: “At Quantum, we place a huge emphasis on build quality and excellence, and are proud to lead the way in bringing in specialist and innovative techniques to support our drive to be more effective, efficient, productive, and sustainable. “In a market where quality cannot be overlooked, we required a platform to differentiate ourselves from others and create a framework for quality-driven processes. With innovation at its core, Zutec fitted the bill in terms of an easy-to-use platform that provides solutions, features and functionality that gives us more control over how we manage documents and information related to construction and quality for all our projects – all from one place. This will help us better manage site teams, site progress, suppliers, and sub-contractors, and ultimately raise the standards of the quality and innovation across our developments.” By digitising building information and construction documents, Quantum will use Zutec’s Document Management for planning, design, tenders, procurement, and plot tracking, including the ability to approve drawings for future developments and resolve issues on site as they arise. With project information in one place, Quantum can eliminate inefficient and costly data sprawl, but also save time and costs by having clear visibility of information that enables better understanding of projects and drives more informed decisions that bring projects to completion faster. A suite of integrated Quality Assurance and Health & Safety forms, checklists and inspections will all be delivered to Quantum by Zutec to ensure data is digitised and can be easily collected in a consistent way and housing and apartments are built to the company’s high standards. This will include the ability to upload photos to evidence work done and a snagging register so data can be reviewed, and problems resolved ahead of handover. Data related to safety inspections can be captured on-site in real-time then easily shared with teams to provide safety visibility and mitigate risk. Zutec’s Handover Management means Quantum can effectively manage projects to completion by bringing together O&M (Operations & Maintenance) Manuals, Fire Evacuation Files (FEF) and Health and Safety Files (H&S) in one place to meet asset owner and regulatory obligations. All data can be captured in the field by site teams and subcontractors using the Zutec Field app from any device with or without a Wi-Fi connection. Information is then synced in the Zutec cloud, when a device is online, and uploaded into the Zutec dashboard for reporting and analytics, but also for easy information, site progress and compliance. “As developers and housebuilders look to digitise more construction and quality processes, our aim is to support them with the best solutions that help drive structure and standardisation in data and documentation across their business. Before now, Quantum didn’t have a digital system in place to manage information during the construction stages and relied on manual and paper-based processes. With Zutec they can have all their information in the cloud and workflows in place to ensure the right people have the right information at the right time, empowering teams to deliver builds more efficiently and to higher-quality standards, while giving site managers complete control and confidence over works completed. One solution for everything,” said James Cannon, Chief Revenue Officer at Zutec. To find out more about how Zutec is helping customers deliver quality work the first time around, please visit www.zutec.com. Alternatively, book a demo and experience solutions for yourself: https://zutec.com/book-a-demo Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Edinburgh Futures Institute has officially opened its doors to the public in the transformed and revitalised Old Royal Infirmary building. The much-loved city landmark will officially open to the public on Monday 3rd June following an extensive seven-year, multi-million-pound restoration. Built in 1879, the Old Royal Infirmary housed the city’s main hospital until 2003 and was once described by The Illustrated London News as “the best planned hospital” in Britain. Now home to the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Futures Institute, the category-A listed building will bring together people finding innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. The 20,000 sqm redevelopment is now one of the largest institutes for interdisciplinary learning, research and innovation in Europe. Edinburgh Futures Institute is building on the University’s expertise across disciplines ranging from artificial intelligence to philosophy to deliver educational programmes, collaborative research projects and partnerships. The Institute brings together students, researchers, partners and civic society to focus on the responsible use of data to address global challenges including ethics of artificial intelligence, social inequality and climate change. The building, which unites modern design with restored historic architecture, will also bring benefits to the local community. Alongside new access points from Middle Meadow Walk, a new public square has been created along with a café and exhibition and performance spaces. The building’s signature wide and airy Nightingale Wards have been retained and are now reused as teaching and workspaces. Collaborative spaces are also available for external organisations and partners, with incubation areas for start-up businesses and labs for innovation and prototyping. Once opened, the Institute will also host a range of events and opportunities for members of the public and University of Edinburgh community. In August, the Institute will host the Edinburgh International Book Festival and will become a permanent home for this annual event. The Futures Institute sits within the University’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. It is one of six innovation hubs supported by the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation programme. Through the University of Edinburgh’s participation in the City Region Deal, the Institute has received £56m in capital funding from the UK Government and more than £2m from the Scottish Government. The University worked with a project design team led by Atkins Realis, including architects Bennetts Associates and construction partner Balfour Beatty, to restore, extend, and upgrade the building. Professor Kev Dhaliwal, Interim Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute, said: “The amazing restoration of the Old Royal Infirmary has created an inspiring place for us all to collaborate. It opens up exciting opportunities to co-locate students, staff and external partners to innovate and address local and global challenges together. The Institute is a place that asks questions and strives to find solutions for the challenges of where data meets society.” Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Edinburgh, said: “So many people in Edinburgh have a connection to this historic building and we want to ensure that it fulfils the pledge set in stone above the main entrance, ‘patet omnibus’ – open to all. Edinburgh Futures Institute’s new home will allow us to connect the University community with local and global groups, organisations and industries in new and meaningful ways.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New school for Cornwall to be delivered using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Reds10, the vertically integrated off-site construction specialist, has been given the go-ahead by Cornwall Council for Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery in West Carclaze, Cornwall. The new school and nursery has been designed to be net-zero in operation and will be delivered using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The 1,750m2 Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery will accommodate 210 pupils in the school and 26 places in the nursery on the site of the wider residential development at West Carclaze Garden Village. With Reds10 acting as principal contractor and architecture and interior design undertaken by Sense of Space Architects, design proposals have been developed in close association with the Department for Education (DfE) and the Kernow Learning Trust, which provides education, training and support to schools in Cornwall. Utilising Reds10’s wholly-owned MMC factory facility in East Yorkshire, 87% of the new two-storey school building will be manufactured in Driffield before being transported to West Carclaze to be assembled on site, maximising productivity, quality and control and minimising disruption. Sustainable features are embedded throughout, with air source heat pumps providing heating to the building and PV panels and windcatchers on the roof, in line with the energy strategy for the school. Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery is designed to be net-zero in operation and complies to the Department for Education (DfE)’s net-zero in operation guidance, Spec21. Sense of Space has worked with Reds10 to produce a design which will integrate with the wider West Carclaze Garden Village development using a combination of local and contemporary materials. The new school will be clad in local stone at the lower level with hard-wearing fibre cement panels and metal cladding above, and complimented by soft planting across the site, with areas of short and long grasses, native tree planting and a dedicated habitat area for study. Informal hard playground space will facilitate the link between the key outdoor play areas and the internal classroom layout. A fenced Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and grass playing field are enclosed by a soft landscape buffer around the perimeter of the site with tree planting to provide shade, shelter, and interest throughout the year. The new school will be located at the heart of the Carclaze Garden village centre with direct access from the adjoining neighbourhood facilities, supporting sustainable transport via a network of footpaths and cycleways. Groundworks for Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery begin on site in Spring 2024, with first modules arriving on site in Autumn 2024. Clare Crowle, CEO of Kernow Learning, said “We are incredibly proud of Sky and its first cohorts based at Eden. We are feeling excited at the progress towards finally arriving at our permanent site – building the future for Sky before our very eyes.” Joe Shepherd, Director & Education Sector Lead for Reds10, said “Delivering sustainable, high-quality and cost-effective new schools is an ongoing challenge for the education sector but the broadly similar requirements of school buildings in the UK make them particularly amenable to the standardisation that MMC delivers. Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery is a fantastic opportunity to illustrate the benefits of MMC and we are very pleased to get the go-ahead from Cornwall Council and the DfE.” Richard Addenbrook, Managing Director at Sense of Space, said: “We are looking forward to seeing this highly sustainable project take shape, initially in Reds10’s factory and subsequently on site in this beautiful location.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In line with its strategy to focus on retail parks and reduce exposure to covered shopping centres, British Land has exchanged contracts for the sale of its 50% stake in Meadowhall Shopping Centre to its partner, Norges Bank Investment Management, for £360 million. Earlier this year, the joint venture also sold some ancillary land for £7 million (British Land’s share). Together, these deals value the entire Meadowhall estate at £734 million, which is 3% above its September 2023 book value. After accounting for net debt of approximately £200 million, the expected proceeds are around £156 million. The impact on FY25 NTA per share is projected to be negligible, with an estimated FY25 EPS dilution of 0.6p prior to reinvestment. The transaction would reduce HY24 proportionally consolidated LTV by 2.7 percentage points. As part of the agreement, British Land will continue to serve as the asset manager for Meadowhall Shopping Centre, earning fees in line with current terms. The transaction is anticipated to complete in July 2024, with the proceeds being utilised for general corporate purposes, including reinvestment into retail parks. Simon Carter, Chief Executive of British Land, said: “We have had a successful partnership with Norges over many years and are delighted to continue to work alongside them as asset managers of the centre. Following the sale of Meadowhall, 93% of our portfolio is now in our preferred segments of retail parks, campuses, and London urban logistics. We will continue to grow our retail park portfolio; with low capex requirements, parks offer attractive cash returns and at 99% occupancy, we are delivering strong rental growth.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Office Principles North has been chosen to carry out the £1.7 million CAT A refurbishment of an office building in the heart of Milton Keynes’ business district. The office fit out and design consultancy will upgrade c.10,000 sq ft on the ground, second and third floors of One Grafton Mews, Midsummer Boulevard. The new design will enhance tenant amenities through a brand new ground floor reception/welcome area, featuring social and collaborative spaces. Office Principles North will remove existing lift lobbies on the second and third floors to create additional, open plan office accommodation. New lighting will be installed, and washrooms and common areas will be refreshed. Sustainability is at the heart of the refurbishment, which will see the installation of new energy efficient M&E systems. There will also be low VOC paints, sustainable flooring products and finishes, while existing doors and raised access floors will be retained. New fire curtains will be introduced to ensure compliance with building control regulations.Office Principles North has been appointed to deliver the refurbishment following a competitive tendering process. The fast-tracked project will be completed in just 12 weeks by a team also featuring TFT, Burnley Wilson Fish and KJ Tait. Bray Fox Smith and CBRE are the letting agents. One Grafton Mews offers more than 20,000 sq ft of office accommodation and is part pre-let to Woodfines. Occupiers benefit from the use of facilities at The Pinnacle, an adjacent office development of 190,000 sq ft, home to MHA, Dentons and RSM. Tina Batham, joint managing director of Office Principles North, said: “We’re excited to be delivering this CAT A office refurbishment. One Grafton Mews is sited in a terrific location in the centre of Milton Keynes, right next to The Pinnacle, and within minutes of the train line. This project is all about making best use of that positioning by enhancing the arrival experience for occupiers and visitors, and maximising the building’s available space. We’re looking forward to the challenge of completing the refurbishment within an incredibly fast-paced programme.” For more information on One Grafton Mews, please contact retained agents, CBRE and Bray Fox Smith. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NBS’ 2024 Building Safety Survey reveals industry still ‘unsure’ of high-rise legislation… A new study by NBS, the UK’s leading specification platform, has found that nearly half of specifiers are still unsure of the responsibilities attached to the Building Safety Act 2022, a worrying sign that a high number of ‘knowledge gaps’ persist within the industry. Findings from NBS’ Building Safety Survey showed that half of respondents were either unsure or had no idea of duty holder responsibilities for Higher Risk Buildings (HRB). What’s more, just 12% felt ‘very clear’, demonstrating that more industry-wide training is needed in the run-up to the 1st of April 2024, when the grace period around the Act ends. The figures could be seen as concerning given that around two in three respondents (66%) have past experience working on HRB projects (although these are more likely to be suppliers and contractors than architects). Delving deeper, nearly half (44%) of respondents are unsure or have no idea what steps to take within the new building safety regime. These figures come nearly a year after the BSA was passed in Parliament, first introduced back in July 2021. Surprisingly, the figures are almost identical to that seen in NBS’ 2022 report (43%), showing that understanding of legislation has seen little improvement in this area. Worrying still, was that attitudes towards the Golden Thread and the crucial role it plays within HRBs appeared lax. As well as providing a continuous flow of information throughout the entire lifecycle of a building, it ensures all relevant safety-related information is readily accessible and up to date. However, only around half of respondents (45%) were clear as to how they would manage building information to realise the Golden Thread and just one in ten had a solid plan in place. Again, these are similar to 2022 figures, where in fact, more people felt confident managing building information than they did in 2023 (+2%). This is despite the increasing number of advanced construction-tech platforms designed to help specifiers capture each decision-making stage to form the Golden Thread. However, despite the obvious informational disparities, the study did highlight some more reassuring stats, particularly around third-party testing and the information being supplied by manufacturers – which is increasing safety within specifications. The report flagged that nine out of ten suppliers now provide ‘clear and accurate’ building product data in a digital format. At least eight out of ten also provide third-party certification with their products and have robust internal sign-off and version control processes. Commenting on the survey’s results, David Bain, NBS’ Research Manager, said, “Consistency is the backbone of progress and the stakes have never been higher when it comes to HRBs. These studies serve to highlight ‘trouble spots’ and importantly, offer an understanding of how to take the industry forward as a whole.” Russell Haworth, Chief Executive Officer UKI at Byggfakta Group, NBS’ parent company, said “At our Construction Leaders’ Summit last October, Dame Judith Hackitt told the audience, in no uncertain terms, that regulatory change is coming, and it’s unstoppable, so the construction industry needs to be fully prepared. Fast-forward to April 2024, and our research shows many specifiers are struggling to get to grips with the requirements, and this needs to be resolved. All designers must have the correct approach to specifications if the industry is to raise the bar on building safety. This includes getting to grips with the ‘nitty gritty’ of the BSA if they want to operate in the new regulatory landscape.” To download NBS’ Building Safety Whitepaper, click here. To find out more about NBS, its services, and expertise, click here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
With sustainability being a key focus for the built environment, encouraging conversation and educating industry professionals on the importance of designing and building future-proof buildings is absolutely essential. To that end, Pexhurst recently hosted an Industry Insights/CPD morning in partnership with Landways and Mitsubishi Electric. The morning, held at Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in Liverpool Street, London, began with a warm welcome and registration at 8.15am, followed by breakfast that provided all attendees with an opportunity to network and connect with like-minded professionals from various sectors across the industry. Landways delivered the opening CPD session on multi-use digital and DC power infrastructure design and how this can help deliver smarter, greener solutions. The in-depth Q&A session that followed allowed those attending to engage directly with the experts, address queries about the sustainability advantages it could bring and deepen their understanding. Mitsubishi Electric then took to the stage to present the importance of retrofitting building stock and why choosing heat pump technology as a low-carbon solution could be pivotal for the future of the industry. Additionally, the session highlighted what good looks like and how it can be achieved. Following the event, the attendees completed a survey to review the Industry Insights morning and give their feedback. The respondents highlighted the importance of face-to-face interactions and the networking opportunities in-person events offer. One attendee commented: “The morning was incredibly informative and there was a good mix of clients and consultants in attendance. Great work team Pexhurst!” Delighted with the turnout for the event and the conversations created, Pexhurst Director Nick Tagliarini said: “This was our second Industry Insights/ CPD morning, following the success of our first, last year. We were absolutely thrilled with the turnout and the attendees were keen to learn and engage with the content. “It was another hugely successful event and we were incredibly grateful for the valuable contributions from our partners, Landways and Mitsubishi Electric.” Pexhurst remains committed to industry excellence and creating opportunities for professionals to keep up-to-date on the latest advancements and best practices in the industry. Follow us on LinkedIn to stay informed on all relevant industry news – https://www.linkedin.com/company/pexhurst-services-limited/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Being part of a global network of Cat® dealerships has many advantages, not least when it comes to securing delivery of more than 80 fully Cat certified machines to Ukraine ready to help rebuild vital infrastructure and facilities in the country. Finning has a long-standing relationship with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the UK, having worked with them over the past 20 years, previously providing generators as well as customised wheel loaders and excavators. In November the MOD, on behalf of the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine, placed a contract with Finning, the world’s largest dealer of Cat machines, parts and services, for 82 fully operational machines delivered to Ukraine by the end of April. The equipment was primarily needed to support rebuilding works on important parts of the country’s infrastructure including reclamation works on sites damaged during the conflict as well as clearing buildings, reinstating infrastructure and repairing underground utilities. Given the variety of tasks, Finning worked with the MOD to select a combination of machines – including excavators, a variety of D6 dozers, and various wheel and track loaders – providing the greatest flexibility when on the ground in the Ukraine. Having agreed on the machines required, Finning then looked at availability, given the tight deadline for delivery of April 2024 for all 82 machines. Finning began looking at its stock of used equipment available in the UK and widened this out to identify suitable machines to meet the MOD’s needs from other Cat dealerships in the US, Europe and Canada. “Being part of a global dealer network, meant we were able to mobilise the required used machines from across Europe and the US to meet the MOD’s requirements,” explained Adam Smith, Head of Used Equipment at Finning. “Over half of the machines were sourced from our stock of used equipment here in the UK. However, we were able to meet the demands of the full machine requirement by sourcing equipment from Cat dealerships in the US, Norway, Spain, Germany, and France. “This really emphasises the strength of the dealer network across the world and with all dealers adhering to the same inspection standards – we were able to provide absolute reassurance for the MOD on the quality and performance of the machines. All Finning used machines undergo an end-to-end, full 140-point service inspection prior to delivery. To this end, all the machines were prepped at one of 10 Finning service workshops in Glasgow, Leeds, Winsford, Cannock, Chesterfield, Dublin, Lisburn, Ashford, and Llantrisant. The end-to-end service inspection includes a full function test and visual inspection of the machine itself. Then checks to the hydraulic system, powertrain, axels and gearbox are carried out. This includes fluid analysis checks to determine engine health and a full inspection of the undercarriage, tyres and any work tools. Finally, all the electrical systems on the machines are tested to ensure they are fully operational. Adam continues: “Carrying out such a detailed inspection means we can provide a standard Cat warranty package in line with the machine’s age, hours on the clock and general condition, and includes providing a full-service history. “This is standard practice across the sale of our used equipment and is universal across all Finning dealerships to provide customers buying used equipment with complete peace of mind and confidence that their equipment has been fully inspected and is fit for the job it needs to do.” “The next stage involved us preparing all the equipment for transit. This required us to remove any blades, guides, belly guards and rippers so they wouldn’t be damaged en-route. We then had the task of coordinating with hauliers and shipping agents to manage their journey.” Finning delivered the first 25 units by the end of December 2023, with the balance of machines due to be delivered by the end of April 2024. Maj Gen Anna-Lee Reilly, Head of Strategic Capability, Engagement and Operations at DE&S, said: “We’ve been impressed with the level of expert input and service from Finning, which had a real task with sourcing such a range of machines in a very short time. The company has applied their proven expertise and combined it with creativity to find a solution which delivers a huge benefit to Ukraine.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals