Hörmann UK have launched a new high speed industrial sectional door, the Series 60 which has been designed and developed to provide the Hörmann guarantee of quality construction, high security, and easy installation. When fitted with the new WA 500 FU operator, the Series 60 can achieve an impressive door
The Briton brand is synonymous with the best in door controls and exit hardware and Allegion is pleased to announce the launch of the newly designed, end-user focused Briton website. Following updates to their brand style, the new Briton website boasts a streamlined, modern design and concentrates on providing customers
Industry body Homes for Scotland (HFS) has responded to this afternoon’s Programme for Government, welcoming the commitment to increased levels of affordable housing whilst warning of deliverability concerns across homes of all tenures in light of material shortages and cost pressures. The organisation also highlights the very real impact that
Research from the national estate agent, Keller Williams UK, explains why UK house price growth could remain buoyant until at least summer 2022. House prices have reached phenomenal highs since the start of the pandemic, a shortage of supply and ever-increasing demand means homes are selling for handsome sums and
PROPERTY, construction and infrastructure consultancy Perfect Circle has been appointed by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) to provide project management, cost management and CDM advice services on a once-in-a-generation transformation of the former Machynlleth Union Workhouse – currently operating as Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital. Based in the heart of Machynlleth, a popular market town
As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability Russell Roof Tiles has recently been awarded Gold status by the Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS). The pioneering pitched roof tile manufacturer previously held the Silver award and has worked with the organisation since the early days of its inception. Launched in
LOVELL, the leading provider of innovative residential developments, has become the first house builder to take proactive steps in a bid to tackle the challenge of asbestos waste. Asbestos still poses a major challenge to the housebuilding industry where it is still sent directly from site to landfill for future
Developers of a 980-unit housing scheme near Pontypool, Wales, reject claims that they are led by outdated ‘‘car is king’’ thinking ‘‘When it comes to new housing developments, local residents are right to raise concerns if they feel the process has not been transparent and they have doubts over its
Construction starts on facility at Andover Business Park, as Berry Bros. & Rudd take space Warehouse set to be the largest fine wine storage facility for private clients in Europe Strategically-located space ideally placed to serve the South East and West of the UK Carbon-neutral site to generate its own
Robin Whitehead appointed new chief executive to oversee operations Ambitious plans to recruit 200+ employees and increase annual turnover to £175 million Company set to open a new operation in Africa to support business expansion Boulting has rebranded as BGEN as part of the company’s ambitious growth plans. The specialist,
Hörmann UK have launched a new high speed industrial sectional door, the Series 60 which has been designed and developed to provide the Hörmann guarantee of quality construction, high security, and easy installation. When fitted with the new WA 500 FU operator, the Series 60 can achieve an impressive door opening speed of up to 1 m/s making it the fastest sectional door on the market. Not only does the Series 60 door offer an exceptional opening speed, but optimised track radii and enlarged rollers result in up to 5 dB(A) quieter door operation together with improved stability, leading to low wear and smoother door travel. Easy fitting and maintenance are aided by reduced components and the provision of press-fitted screws, whilst transition sleeves provide a precise fitting of the track and radius. The door is delivered factory set to the optimum speed but can be easily adjusted and the speed varied to suit individual operational requirements. For added security anti-lift kits are fitted on both sides of the bottom section of the door as standard, and optional RC 2 security measures are available according to DIN/TS 18194. Operator safety is enhanced by the inclusion of an in-line light grill which automatically stops the door if an obstruction occurs whilst the door is closing. The new WA 500 FU operator features soft-start and soft-stop for gentle, smooth door travel, and constant travel speed for both high-lift and vertical track applications. The set-up and commissioning of the Series 60 door is fast and simple with the provision of an innovative Bluetooth app. Accessible using either a mobile phone or tablet, the app provides users with friendly, easy to follow step-by-step instructions and also provides straightforward fault finding and diagnostic data. As part of their strategy to improve and optimise warehouse operations, Hörmann UK are installing four Series 60 doors and WA 500 FU operators at their Coalville headquarters. The doors, which will each measure 5m wide x 4.5m high, incorporate a 42mm insulated panel and triple glazed vision panels providing excellent thermal properties. Kerry Seager, Operations Manager at Hörmann UK comments, “The past 9 months have seen an increased level of vehicle movements in and out of our Coalville facility as our levels of business continue to grow. When it came to replacing our existing sectional doors in our four loading bays the Series 60 was the obviously choice. Not only will they provide us with the opportunity to speed up and streamline our operations, but they will also help to lower ventilation heat loss. Speed and ease of installation is also a crucial factor as we are limited to amount of downtime available for each loading bay, with around 200 vehicle movements in and out the facility on a daily basis there is no room for delay.” To find your local Hörmann please visit Industrial Sectional Doors Industrial Doors from Hörmann (hormann.co.uk) or call 01530 516868
The Briton brand is synonymous with the best in door controls and exit hardware and Allegion is pleased to announce the launch of the newly designed, end-user focused Briton website. Following updates to their brand style, the new Briton website boasts a streamlined, modern design and concentrates on providing customers with improved functionality and a wide collection of essential resources. The website brings together the full product portfolio of Briton Door Controls and will be updated frequently to ensure users have access to the latest information in a bid to assist users throughout the product selection process. Adopting a user-friendly navigational system, the website will act as a central resource hub and will include detailed product listings with features and specifications details, downloadable certification information, and a refreshed set of supporting product datasheets and literature. In addition, a new automatic Door Closer Calculator and useful product selectors will further help users by recommending the most suitable products for their projects. Pete Hancox, Country Manager at Allegion UK comments: “With more than 100 years of history, Briton is a trusted brand with a reputation for providing an extensive range of high-quality products that are fully certified and built to last, and we felt it was time the brand’s web presence embodied that. With that, we’ve created the new Briton website, detailed with fresh branding and one that works much harder for our customers, with improved usability and a comprehensive portfolio of the Briton door controls range. “We wanted to make it easier for people who know and use Briton products to access the information they need throughout their journey, from product selection through to installation and maintenance. Our hub of resources is something we’re extremely proud of, and we believe it will consistently support Briton customers for years to come.” Highlights of the new website, which went live on 3rd September include an updated design, extensive product support resources and streamlined user experience across all devices. Following the launch, Allegion is now proudly inviting users to view the website and its new content, including the latest installation guides and maintenance toolkits on all Briton door controls. For more information, visit: www.briton.co.uk.
Industry body Homes for Scotland (HFS) has responded to this afternoon’s Programme for Government, welcoming the commitment to increased levels of affordable housing whilst warning of deliverability concerns across homes of all tenures in light of material shortages and cost pressures. The organisation also highlights the very real impact that ignoring the plight of Scottish First Time Buyers (FTBs) will have on the future prospects of our young people. HFS Chief Executive Nicola Barclay said: “With public and private housing delivery so crucial to our social and economic outcomes, the announcement of an extra 10,000 affordable homes as a result of the recent SNP-Green co-operation agreement is very much welcomed. “However, the present issues surrounding material shortages and consequent price increases are causing significant difficulties for all housing developers, regardless of tenure. Unless the situation quickly returns to more normalised levels, we could see longer term problems being created. “This is also the case with the planning and regulatory systems which are in need of increased resources to enable local councils to cope with the levels of demand for new homes. Although the move to a digital planning application platform, as announced in today’s Programme, is encouraging, active support for more homes must go much further than that, as we emphasised in our recent response to the Scottish Government’s call for views on economic transformation. A disappointing omission from the Programme for Government in Barclay’s view was the lack of any substantial assistance (beyond LBTT relief) for FTBs: “One of the document chapters is ‘Scotland as a Land of Opportunity’ which talks about supporting young people and promoting a fairer and more equal society. In the context of the disadvantage now facing FTBs as a result of the sudden closure of the First Home Fund and main Help to Buy scheme earlier this year, coupled with the fact that 82% of Scotland’s population aspire to own their own home, it is disappointing not to see any policy intentions on this. This is in stark contrast to other parts of the UK where the First Homes initiative has recently been launched, providing discounted home ownership as an integral part of affordable housing delivery. Only by providing the full range of housing options will we meet the needs of our population”.
Research from the national estate agent, Keller Williams UK, explains why UK house price growth could remain buoyant until at least summer 2022. House prices have reached phenomenal highs since the start of the pandemic, a shortage of supply and ever-increasing demand means homes are selling for handsome sums and at breakneck speed. It has left many industry experts and commentators asking when prices will start to fall again, having already defied expectations by climbing even after the end of the initial stamp duty holiday. Keller Williams has analysed how the four seasons impact house prices and market demand over the past 36 months, a project that reveals prices are very unlikely to drop until at least June 2022. This is because, by splitting the calendar year into seasons, it is clear that the UK housing market follows a predictable cycle. The average house price in autumn – September, October, November – over the past three years has sat at £240,000. Always a busy time of year, this goes a long way to explain why prices and demand are still so high today. As the year moves into winter – December, January, February – the average house price climbs even further. Over the past 36 months, the average house price in winter has been £243,998. Moving into Spring – March, April, May – prices rise again to an average of £245,000. It is only with the arrival of summer that prices start to decline. Over the past three years, the average house price in the summer season has sat at £237,980, the lowest price for the whole year. So the data suggests that having already seen a summer of hot house price growth, we should now see property values continue on their upward trend until summer 2022, at the very least. CEO of Keller Williams UK, Ben Taylor, commented: “The stamp duty holiday has spurred an incredible run of upward house price growth and despite many predicting a market slump, we’re yet to see any let up. Season trends suggest this could be the case for the rest of this year and much of next as the market tends to perform at its best during the autumn, winter and spring seasons. “For buyers, this is difficult news to stomach, especially those who are hoping to move sooner rather than later. But it will no doubt be welcomed by sellers who should continue to secure a very good price when entering the market.” Table shows seasonal average house prices and transactions from the past 36 months (June 2018 – May 2021) Season Average transactions Average (median) price Summer 232,302 £237,980 Autumn 246,694 £240,000 Winter 217,232 £243,998 Spring 160,287 £245,000 Source HMLR – Price Paid
PROPERTY, construction and infrastructure consultancy Perfect Circle has been appointed by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) to provide project management, cost management and CDM advice services on a once-in-a-generation transformation of the former Machynlleth Union Workhouse – currently operating as Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital. Based in the heart of Machynlleth, a popular market town at the head of the Dyfi estuary in mid-Wales, the redevelopment of the Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital will ensure residents have access to leading healthcare facilities in the heart of their community. In addition to improving primary care facilities, the project will provide space for local authority and third sector teams to work collaboratively, encouraging efficiency and quality of care. The £15 million project will see contractor Willmott Dixon deliver an integrated health and wellbeing centre in collaboration with Perfect Circle via SCAPE Consultancy, a direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings. Victoria Brambini, managing director of Perfect Circle, said: “We are delighted to be overseeing the regeneration of the Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital, with all of its wonderful heritage. Originally built in 1860, it has since served several purposes, including a WWII Red Cross auxiliary hospital and the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Much of our work will involve breathing new life into the historic building, restoring it as an important asset to the local community.” Appointed due to its extensive healthcare credentials, Perfect Circle will be working in partnership with Willmott Dixon, the local community and stakeholders to ensure engagement throughout. By modernising the hospital and centralising the GP practice, local people will benefit from a comprehensive, cross-service approach to their health and wellbeing needs. Mike Petersen, principal regional lead for Wales at Perfect Circle, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to not only create a modern facility but overhaul the way in which the community accesses healthcare. Perfect Circle is delighted to be leading the project and rejuvenating a building of such significance both in the past and for the future.” Construction commenced in May 2021, with contractor Willmott Dixon taking the lead on the ground via the SCAPE Construction framework. Works are expected to complete by the end of 2022. Ian Jones, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are proud to be working alongside Perfect Circle via the SCAPE framework to deliver this integrated health and wellbeing facility for the Powys Teaching Health Board. The project builds upon our proud history of delivering first-class healthcare projects in Wales and will create vital facilities for the people of Machynlleth and the surrounding areas.” The SCAPE Consultancy framework offers direct access to the most extensive property, construction and infrastructure consultancy services available to the public sector. The fully OJEU-compliant procurement route brings together the strongest collaborative team with value for money, while contributing substantially to local social value. Mark Robinson, group chief executive of SCAPE, said: “Modern, best-in-class healthcare facilities are the foundation to ensuring thriving, healthy communities in Wales. SCAPE is proud to help accelerate this important project, which will see a much-needed update to Bro Ddyfi Community Hospital that also respects the significant heritage of Machynlleth Union Workhouse. “Perfect Circle, Willmott Dixon and Powys Teaching Health Board are regenerating a historically significant building into a future-proofed facility that will deliver a lasting benefit to residents for years to come.” For more information on Perfect Circle, please visit www.perfectcircle.co.uk.
As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability Russell Roof Tiles has recently been awarded Gold status by the Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS). The pioneering pitched roof tile manufacturer previously held the Silver award and has worked with the organisation since the early days of its inception. Launched in 2012 the Supply Chain Sustainability School, is a multi-award-winning initiative which represents a common approach to addressing sustainability within supply chains. With over 50,000 users, the school provides free practical learning and support for the UK built environment, through sustainability training, networking, e-learning modules, tailored assessments, and online resources. The aim of the organisation is to provide upskilling those working within, or aspiring to work within, the built environment sector. The school covers all aspects of the built environment, and focuses on five main topics: sustainability, offsite, BIM, Lean construction and management. Mark Parsons Technical Director says: “Described by the school as an ‘Outstanding Achievement’, our SCSS Gold Status is the highest level we can achieve and is a key accreditation, acknowledging our work with the major national house builders and construction companies.” The SCSS is part-funded by CITB and other industry Partners, where resources are shared to inspire the UK built environment to drive positive change. In addition to this accolade Russell Roof Tiles was the first British roof tile manufacturer to have achieved an “Excellent” rating for BES 6001 – The Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products, recognising the company’s dedication to sustainability. Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent pitched roof tile manufacturer supplying products for the top housebuilders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects. The company produces thousands of tiles every week that are used on roofs across the UK, for all of the UK’s premier housebuilders, architects and developers. www.russellrooftiles.com
LOVELL, the leading provider of innovative residential developments, has become the first house builder to take proactive steps in a bid to tackle the challenge of asbestos waste. Asbestos still poses a major challenge to the housebuilding industry where it is still sent directly from site to landfill for future generations to tackle. Lovell has been the first to act, collaborating with Thermal Recycling to safely package and convert asbestos waste into a safe and reusable cement substitute. Lovell completed a pilot project under a licence from the Environment Agency with Thermal Recycling, who were assisted by its research partners at Wolverhampton University. The trial was a complete success and saw 25 tonnes of asbestos removed from three demolished buildings at Lovell’s Castleward development in Derby city centre. Steve Jones, regional health safety and environmental manager for Lovell Midlands, said: “We have made a commitment to move towards reducing the amount of asbestos going to landfill. As such, this was an important environmental initiative for us to trial with Thermal Recycling and one that has proven that it is possible to solve the problems asbestos poses to the industry and future generations. This is a great step in our approach to circular economy, ensuring materials are recycled and reused rather than taken to landfill. “One of the reasons that asbestos waste continues to be sent to landfill is hesitance from the industry to change processes and practices. Our demolition partners have confirmed this, and we’re pleased they had a similarly positive experience.” Opened in September 2020, Thermal Recycling currently operates from a demonstration plant in Wolverhampton and has a licence to treat up to 30,000 tonnes of cement bonded asbestos each year when their full-scale plant is built. The asbestos is treated using the latest developments in thermal technology to change its composition to make it safe. The cement is stripped by a state-of-the-art kiln and turned into a sustainable aggregate for use as a building material. Graham Gould, chairman of Thermal Recycling said: “Thermal Recycling is delighted to be working with a Lovell and their contractors. They have all recognised that there is now a viable alternative to sending asbestos to landfill and have the determination and commitment to embrace that change.” Steve continued: “Lovell is committed to making the necessary changes to ensuring its removal is safe and environmentally friendly. Lovell has a target of recycling 100% of its asbestos waste which we are delighted to be working with Thermal Recycling to achieve through further schemes in the future.” For more information, please visit https://www.lovell.co.uk/
Developers of a 980-unit housing scheme near Pontypool, Wales, reject claims that they are led by outdated ‘‘car is king’’ thinking ‘‘When it comes to new housing developments, local residents are right to raise concerns if they feel the process has not been transparent and they have doubts over its environmental credentials. ’’ Amelia Womack, Green Party deputy leader, former Senedd Candidate for Newport West, South Wales. In the countdown to November’s cop26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow, questions are being asked around the ‘car is king’ planning approach of a new 980-dwelling urban village near the ancient rural hamlet of Mamhilad, Pontypool, located within walking distance from the historic and environmentally-sensitive Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Property development company, Johnsey Estates, owners of the brown field development land near Mamhilad, Pontypool, reached initial agreements with Torfaen County Council on several key aspects of Mamilad Urban Village development last summer, but local residents complained of a lack of detailed information and transparency. Critics of the scheme pointed out that the location will encourage car-use with an estimated 1,400 vehicles based at the residential site. Residents in the nearby communities of Little Mill and Mamhilad fear future road bottle-necks at new access roads and a general built-up of local traffic. Concerns have also been raised about the lack a basic emissions-limiting strategy covering electric-vehicle charging points and no attempt to integrate alternative energy generation into the scheme. Further questions have been raised over whether environmentally-friendly building materials and high-efficiency insulation technology will be used. Now, in the light of the United Nations Special Report on Climate Change and the cop26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, local residents and campaign groups are demanding that the environmental planning around the proposed development be changed from ‘‘urban village’’ to ‘‘eco-village’’. ‘’Major traffic snarl-ups are inevitable’’. ‘’Things have moved on from the initial plans were proposed in 2013,’’ said Storm Singleton, whose stone cottage in Upper Mamhilad overlooks the development site. ‘’The starting point of the project should have been should have been a truly green, sustainable and inter-connected plan.’’ ‘’The main concern is the massive increase in car-use and traffic congestion in the area. A new community of almost 1,000 homes means many vehicles based on-site and addition to all the regular delivery and service vehicles. There’s going to be chaos at peak-times during travel-to-school and working day. Major traffic snarl-ups are inevitable. The developers seem to be blind to this.’’ Mr Singleton and his neighbours have struggled to acquire information from Johnsey Estates and Torfaen Borough Council. Questions about an access road to a new school, development of a proposed new roundabout and projected statistics on increases traffic flow have been blocked. ‘’When it comes to traffic, road-usage and on-site parking issues, there’s a sense of evasion and a lack of transparency, ’’ said Mr Singleton. In a review of the Mamilad Urban Village plans in 2017, the Design Commission for Wales stated that ‘’car parking will be one of the biggest challenges of the scheme’’ and added that there were ‘’clear concerns about on-plot, on-street and small parking courts.’’ Retired health administrator, Marie Skiller, lives in the village of Little Mill, near the busy main road from Mamhilad to Usk. Mrs Skiller told Impact News: ‘’It’s not just the increase in traffic on the main road through the village. There’s also a lack of clarity about health service provision for that new community and the knock-on impact on existing villages. From my own time in health provision administration, I know how challenging setting up a long-term staffing of a new community surgery is. Since the Covid pandemic, there are now huge additional healthcare staffing issues.’’ The view of environmental-concerned building consultants: Alleged critical gaps compared to ecologically-aware projects in England In England, housing developers and local councils in Surrey, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire are taking advice on decarbonisation and emissions. Abingdon-based Green Square Energy Centre, is one of the UK’s leading building consultants for low carbon, eco-friendly house-building. The company is a market leader in the installation of solar heating, solar panels, biomass stoves and boilers, heat bank storage, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps. Advice is also available on the allocation and positioning electric-charging points for electric vehicles. A spokesperson for Green Square said: ‘‘Truly eco-friendly planning at Mamhilad appears to have some critical gaps compared to the kind of ecology-aware projects we work on. The building industry should be working alongside local councils to agree a forward-looking and architecturally-enlightened approach to building future communities. Why build an urban village when you can create a ground-breaking, eco-friendly community?’’ Green Square highlighted three award-winning housing developments as the gold standard for environmentally-aware house building in the 2020s and beyond: Claims are ‘‘completely unfounded’’ Johnson Estates refute claims that the car-friendly Manhilad Urban Village was a concept more suited to the twentieth century rather than the 2020s, saying they were ‘‘completely unfounded’’. A spokesperson for Johnsey Estates told Impact News: “This is a brown field site that was first allocated in the Local Development Plan in 2013 and we have since worked closely with a number of leading multi-disciplined consultants and the Local Authority to develop a robust and thorough master plan. We are now in the process of finalising an agreement which will include significant contributions to public transport, active travel infrastructure, and a new park-and-ride facility so as to deliver a sustainable development co-located with extensive existing employment uses.’’ ‘’Wales and the wider UK should have a clear roadmap for what net zero looks like…’’ Amelia Womack. In response, Green Party deputy leader and Green Party Senedd Candidate for Newport West, Amelia Womack said: “We are facing a climate emergency, so it is vital that every level of government does all it can to ensure that any new development is genuinely sustainable. Residents are right to raise concerns if they feel the process has not been transparent and they have doubts over its environmental credentials. In the year of the most important COP climate
Construction starts on facility at Andover Business Park, as Berry Bros. & Rudd take space Warehouse set to be the largest fine wine storage facility for private clients in Europe Strategically-located space ideally placed to serve the South East and West of the UK Carbon-neutral site to generate its own energy supply Goodman has broken ground on a 117,500 sq ft warehouse at Andover Business Park for Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd. The bespoke warehouse is set to be the largest fine wine storage facility for private clients in Europe, with the capacity to store more than 14 million bottles of wine at optimum temperature in a humidity-controlled environment. Spanning almost 100 acres of highly sought after serviced land, Andover Business Park is ideally placed to serve the South East and West of the UK. A prime e-commerce and distribution destination, already home to the Co-operative Group and global bakery firm Rich Products, those operating from the area benefit from direct access to the A303 and close proximity to the M25, A303 and A34, providing links to Southampton via the M4 and M40. The leading-edge facility will be carbon neutral, generating its own energy supply alongside utilising rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle (EV) charging points. George Glennie, Development Director at Goodman, said: “Our approach is to meet the increasing demand for strategically located logistics space with easy access to large consumer markets. “This site at Andover Business Park is set to become the largest fine wine storage facility in Europe. On completion, it will provide Berry Bros. & Rudd with state-of-the-art, flexible and carbon neutral space to service their clients’ rising demand.” Edward Rudd, Business Investment Director for Berry Bros. & Rudd, added: “To offer the largest fine wine storage facility for private clients in Europe will help us realise our ambition to support fine wine collecting now and in the future. We are delighted to make this investment to position the UK as a leader in Europe and the world for fine wine collecting.” Winvic’s Director of Industrial, Distribution and Logistics, Danny Nelson, commented: “We have a lot of experience with temperature-controlled facilities, so we’re delighted to be working with long-standing client Goodman once again on this cutting-edge fine wine storage warehouse. “This project offers us the opportunity to showcase our strong BIM Level 2 skills and digital design resource – as well as expertise in delivering carbon neutral projects – and we are looking forward to delivering this ultra-secure facility in Andover for Berry Bros. & Rudd.” Goodman and its construction partner Winvic are delivering the facility, with Berry Bros. & Rudd set to be operational in Summer 2022.
Robin Whitehead appointed new chief executive to oversee operations Ambitious plans to recruit 200+ employees and increase annual turnover to £175 million Company set to open a new operation in Africa to support business expansion Boulting has rebranded as BGEN as part of the company’s ambitious growth plans. The specialist, multi-discipline engineering solutions business, has appointed a new chief executive to oversee plans which include a recruitment drive to support a significant planned increase in turnover, alongside the opening of a new operation in Africa as the company expands its global footprint. BGEN, with a mindset focussed on next generation engineering, has promoted Robin Whitehead from managing director of its Technology business unit to chief executive of the new operation. Robin began his career with East Midlands Electricity Board and has been in the engineering sector for more than 25 years. He has spent the last 18 years at Boulting where he has helped to significantly grow the size and remit of the technology business. “Robin’s appointment was the obvious choice,” says John Sugden, Executive Chair at BGEN. “Robin has an excellent affinity with employees and customers alike having started his career as an electrician, before joining the company in 2003 and working his way up through the business. The board has confidence that he will oversee the ambitious plans we have for the company over the next year and beyond.” The next 12 months will see BGEN go on a major recruitment drive, looking to expand its workforce from 860 to more than 1,000 employees, and hit an annual increased turnover in the region of £175 million*. The company is looking to recruit a number of positions, from mechanical engineers and electricians to design engineers and technical project managers, as the company continues to service its existing client base whilst expanding operations. September will see BGEN open its African operation in Lagos, Nigeria, focusing on continuing to serve BGEN’s global clients that are looking to maintain and grow their business in that continent. This expansion is on the back of decades of project delivery experience in Africa and will enable the company to grow its offering efficiently with local resources, backed by an experienced UK management team. “It’s an exciting time for the company, having recently been awarded a number of long-term frameworks in the utility sector which is testament to the quality of work we deliver”, comments Robin Whitehead. “While we’re proud of our heritage and will continue to serve those segments, we’re now working with customers in specialist sectors such as food, nuclear and pharmaceutical, on areas such as digitalisation and net zero emissions.” For further information, visit www.b-gen.co.uk.