As a parent, you are always on the lookout for tips and information on managing all the affairs surrounding parenthood. Admittedly being a parent can be tricky, so it helps to access information about how to navigate it while maintaining your sanity. A mommy blog is a beneficial resource for
Metropolitan announces today the award of a 25-year contract to adopt and operate a large-scale district heating network for Quintain’s Wembley Park development: the major regeneration project that is transforming the area around the National Stadium. The heat network will serve 5,200 new homes, developed by Quintain at the site,
Modular construction needs to be at the heart of the Government’s housing strategy A report compiled by the Government’s modern methods of construction (MMC) champion Mark Farmer and Mike De’Ath from architectural group HTA Design suggests that the Government should build 75,000 modular homes every year until 2030. Fulfilling this
Global transport and logistics company DSV has engaged Winvic Construction Ltd – a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects – to design, construct and partially fit out its new industrial facility at Mercia Park in North West Leicestershire. The
Lee Marley Brickwork Ltd (LMB) has appointed Christian Hatherall-Good as the company’s Training Manager. LMB currently offers both brickwork and scaffolding apprenticeships in order to bring the next generation of tradesmen into the construction industry. Christian, bringing 25 years of experience in construction and education, will be charged with developing LMB’s
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) ‘Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards’, showcases the businesses and innovators breaking ground for sustainable buildings. One of this year’s categories, Women in Green Building Leadership Award, celebrates the inspiring female leaders from the movement. Other awards categories include: The Business Leadership in
Construction and civil engineering specialist contractor GRAHAM is underway at a project to support the decommissioning and restoration of Dounreay, described as ‘the world’s deepest nuclear clean-up’. The Advance Transition Works Shaft & Silo Project (ATW S&S) are taking place at Dounreay in Caithness. The firm will be delivering the
The Mecalac 6MCR, 8MCR and 10MCR tracked skid excavators are now equipped with ‘Speed Control’ travel management system as standard. This all-new feature allows the operator to set a maximum travel speed – regardless of engine speed. With 20 speeds available, the transmission essentially acts as a limiter, making it
Revenue for the latest trading period¹ grows significantly to £145m with over 50 new employees joining and a new office opened in Birmingham to serve key clients in the Midlands and North. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors has today announced
“Off the pallet, straight onto the wall” ethos saves time, cost and improves quality, says Vivalda survey Research undertaken by Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest supplier of non-combustible cladding, suggests that sub-contractors could reduce their fabrication costs by up to 50% by outsourcing the process. Vivalda contacted 15 specialist cladding
As a parent, you are always on the lookout for tips and information on managing all the affairs surrounding parenthood. Admittedly being a parent can be tricky, so it helps to access information about how to navigate it while maintaining your sanity. A mommy blog is a beneficial resource for plenty of parents around the world. These blogs share all kinds of information from health and wellness, financial issues to home management tips. For context, here are some ways in which a mommy blog can be beneficial. Provide information on financial issues Meeting the demands of a family can be challenging, especially now with the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is important to be able to access money when needed, especially in case of emergencies and life-threatening situations. To be honest, children can be very susceptible to catching infections and prone to having accidents. Some of these can be serious and demand medical care, which may be quite expensive. These unforeseen events place a lot of pressure on parents to be able to meet these needs. Mommy blogs can help alleviate this as they tend to be a good source of information on how and where to access these funds. This can be in the form of quick loans from various institutions. For instance, if you need money fast, 1AP Capital can help you access loans fast, and at the best interest rates in the market. 2. Create a social support system Mommy blogs are perhaps one of the best places for parents, mothers especially, to meet others in their situation and assist each other. This can be through sharing experiences and receiving assistance in handling challenges such as postpartum depression. In these forums, mothers understand that their feelings are not isolated to them. They also get motivated by the experiences of those who have successfully handled the same challenges. Mommy blogs offer support systems for various topics such as depression, bringing up children with disabilities, financial tips, and tricks to save money. These blogs also provide useful tips on home management and self-care following motherhood. Occasionally they provide expert information on how to handle changes that occur after being a parent. This can be on topics such as weight loss and fitness programs, and nutrition. 3. Baby care tips and tricks Parenting can be nerve-wracking, especially for first-time parents. Mommy blogs are the perfect sites to visit to get all the information that may keep you up at night as a parent. They discuss child milestones, colic in babies, and even how many times your child should poop and pee. They help alleviate the worries that parents have and provide useful tips such as how to relieve babies from gas and get them to eat their vegetables. They also provide vital pointers on some things to be on the lookout to avoid accidents. Baby proofing tips and techniques are quite popular topics in these blogs. 4. Great chance to make new friends. Mommy blogs are usually one of the best places to make new friends. This is not only for the parents but for the children as well. Stay at home, parents have a way of meeting new people with whom they have a lot in common, which can develop into meaningful relationships. They can result in playgroups for the children and result in creating a community. Mommy blogs can also help by creating awareness on sensitive topics that may not be easy to address. These platforms may raise awareness on issues such as living with disabilities, bringing up children who are differently-abled and creating awareness around them, and focus on creating a positive change. 5. Form good networks and conduct acts of charity Mommy blog creators can also organize events that bring together different people. Some of these events may be for charitable occasions such as providing care to the elderly in the community. This is a good way of giving back to the community. They can also be commercial where the blog or blogging community’s followers can sell their goods or offer each other services. They are also good forums to share information such as emergency contacts and refer medical specialists to those who may need their services.
Metropolitan announces today the award of a 25-year contract to adopt and operate a large-scale district heating network for Quintain’s Wembley Park development: the major regeneration project that is transforming the area around the National Stadium. The heat network will serve 5,200 new homes, developed by Quintain at the site, alongside a capability to serve 90,000 sq. ft of retail and Grade-A commercial buildings. The flexibility of Metropolitan’s approach has enabled a new service framework for Quintain’s innovative heating solution to serve the majority of Wembley Park. Wembley Park is a landmark urban transformation, occupying an 85-acre site, which is a residential led, mixed-use development and when complete will consist of 8,500 homes, shops, leisure facilities, a seven-acre park, nursery, ‘super-gym’ and 0.7m sq. ft. of Grade-A offices. Wembley Park will be the largest Build to Rent (BtR) development on a single site in the UK with over 6,000 of the apartments managed by award-winning rental management platform, Quintain Living. The remaining homes are, and will be, a mixture of tenures including discount market rent, affordable rent and key worker homes from the London Borough of Brent, and for sale properties. The BtR model required a fresh solution. Metropolitan will be on site seven days a week to deliver exceptional levels of customer service. Metropolitan has a direct relationship with homeowners alongside a wholesale agreement with the landlord for the BtR customers. This includes high service standards for individual residents and commercial tenants with enhanced response times. The large plant room at Wembley Park contains two 1.5MWe CHP engines and three 10MW gas boilers, which will be brought into use as the development grows. The heating design has no individual Heat Interface Units (HIUs) in any of the apartments, releasing much valued space for the occupier. Andrew White, Managing Director of Metropolitan, commented: “We are delighted to be involved in such a prestigious, ground-breaking project. Developing the framework to serve Quintain’s mixed-use development at Wembley Park has required a very flexible approach and considerable attention to detail to ensure that the district heat service lives up to the high expectations of Quintain’s team. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with Quintain and delivering the highest possible quality of service for all the residents at Wembley Park.” James Saunders, Chief Executive of Quintain commented: “The exceptional level of service offered by Metropolitan to all working and living in Wembley Park, mirrors that of our in-house Quintain Living team. After a competitive tender process, we chose Metropolitan because their team listened and understood what we needed and worked tirelessly to deliver to our brief.” www.metropolitan-uk.co.uk www.quintain.co.uk
Modular construction needs to be at the heart of the Government’s housing strategy A report compiled by the Government’s modern methods of construction (MMC) champion Mark Farmer and Mike De’Ath from architectural group HTA Design suggests that the Government should build 75,000 modular homes every year until 2030. Fulfilling this target would account for 25 per cent of the existing housebuilding goal of 300,000 homes. Here Nick Cowley, managing director of windows and doors supplier for modular builds, Euramax, explains why he agrees that the UK Government should take modular housebuilding more seriously. The Blueprint for a housing led industrial strategy presents MMC as a promising method that will aid the success of the Government’s housebuilding target, and will play a vital role in the construction industry’s COVID-19 recovery plans. Housing delivery faced massive disruption in 2020, and is likely to endure lasting impact. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Government have vowed to “build, build, build” to counteract the deceleration of the construction sector, placing housing at the centre of the recovery agenda. But, with a complicated road to recovery still ahead, the construction sector must use cost and quality effective methods to navigate this path. Let’s look at why we should “build, build, build”, using the modular method. Reaching goals Long before the pandemic hit, the Government outlined targets to increase the performance of the construction industry. Construction 2025, a report published by the Government in 2013, envisioned a 33 per cent reduction in construction costs, 50 per cent faster delivery times and a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases emitted by the built environment. We’re five years away from these proposed targets, and even more pressure has been placed on the industry since 2013. Modular construction is already proving its value in driving the industry towards these targets. The speed of MMC is well known — we only have to consider the speed at which the world’s tallest modular construction was fabricated, with 44 stories craned into place in just 31 months. The increasingly favoured volumetric MMC approach involves fabricating fully finished modules that include assets such as fitted kitchens and bathrooms. These units deliver a complete turnkey solution, with little need for external parties to work onsite, facilitating a smoother collaboration for quicker completion times. Increased sustainability Like all forms of manufacturing, the construction industry faces increased pressure to lower its carbon emissions and contribute towards global climate goals. According to some studies, construction is responsible for up to 50 per cent of climate change, 40 per cent of energy usage globally, and 50 per cent of landfill waste. With the climate and housing crises running in parallel, it’s key that we find ways of building better, smarter buildings. Many modular construction companies are adopting an environmental approach throughout their supply chain. Incorporating eco-friendly building materials is now an innate part of the modular building process, lowering the environmental impact of prefabricated builds and reducing their overall material consumption. The reduction of material waste is largely down to the controlled manufacturing environment that facilitates modular production. Obsolete materials that would typically be sent to a landfill if they were unused onsite can instead by recycled for other projects being hosted at the facility. Constructing modules at an offsite location also reduces the amount of energy that’s required during the project. Everything from bathroom tiles to windows and doors are integrated at once, reducing assembly time and meaning fewer partners need to be called onto the production site. Not only does the UK need to build more homes, but these homes must be built to a higher standard, in less time and help meet pressing environmental targets. Farmer and De’Ath’s Blueprint closes with ambition — that building 75,000 modular homes each year will present the UK’s construction industry as “an international exemplar in innovative housing delivery and [that] drives standards in the rest of the new build housing market.” For Euramax, this call for consideration marks the recognition of modular construction as a viable solution to many challenges in the UK’s built environment — a solution we wholeheartedly support. Euramax supplies PVCu windows and doors and composite doors that can meet the specifications of any modular build. To learn more about our products, visit the website today.
Global transport and logistics company DSV has engaged Winvic Construction Ltd – a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects – to design, construct and partially fit out its new industrial facility at Mercia Park in North West Leicestershire. The Winvic team started on site last week and the project is due to reach practical completion at the end of August 2021. The industrial scheme comprises three buildings and has 34 dock levellers: A 358,000 sq ft steel-framed warehouse containing three mezzanine floors and two single-storey hub offices totalling 4,360 sq ft A 112,000 sq ft cross-dock terminal that contains a 7,050 sq ft single-storey hub office A 35,660 sq ft three-storey office building Winvic will be fitting out all of the office spaces to a high quality and the large stand-alone office building meets DSV’s global design standard. Prominent design features include a glass lift, wood panelled walls in an oak finish and a feature staircase. The external works package includes 381,700 sq ft yard space plus car parking for 406 vehicles, and the programme contains all drainage, retaining wall and hard and soft landscaping works. The project’s progress can be followed via the timelapse cameras streamed on Winvic Live. This news follows the announcement last month that Winvic was appointed by IM Properties to undertake the civils and infrastructure works at the 238-acre employment park, which is located adjacent to junction 11 of the M42. Furthermore, the project has been selected as the first of two schemes where the Computer-Vision-SMART technology will be developed; AI enabled cameras will be placed around the site and operatives will receive alerts via an app to warn them of nearby hazards to health and safety in real-time. Winvic Construction Director, Rob Bull, said: “We’re naturally very pleased that DSV witnessed our client-first approach through our relationship with IM Properties and the vast civils and infrastructure delivery at Mercia Park, and also recognised Winvic as the leading main contractor in the sector that gets the job done right. The project is slightly unusual for an industrial project as the facility comprises multiple buildings with multiple storeys. These will be erected simultaneously and our expert team is confident of meeting the programme as well as DSV’s high expectations. “The scheme is expected to receive much interest from the industry and media due to it being the test-bed site for the recently unveiled Computer-Vision-SMART initiative, where brand new AI technology will be developed. External and – later into the programme – internal cameras will be installed on site, which will detect, recognise and track hazards. Myself and team members who will be working on the site are already excited to be part of the technological advancements and to start receiving risk alerts direct to their mobile or wearable devices.” Brian Winther Almind, Executive Vice President, Group Property at DSV, added: “The new Mercia Park campus in North West Leicestershire is an important new site to DSV as it will become home to all three of our business units, DSV Roads, DSV Solutions and DSV Air and Sea. Our previous collaborations with Winvic have been extremely successful, so we’re looking forward to our ongoing partnership and the strengthening of our relationship through the construction of these modern and efficient facilities at Mercia Park.” One of Winvic’s 2020/2021 cohort of Year In Industry students – Elliot Smith – has been assigned to the DSV industrial warehouse scheme as a Trainee Site Engineer and Winvic’s VR Developer Morgan Hambling who is a construction management student will be working on site as part of a three-month placement. Visit the Winvic blog to read the experiences of those on year out placements. For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.
Lee Marley Brickwork Ltd (LMB) has appointed Christian Hatherall-Good as the company’s Training Manager. LMB currently offers both brickwork and scaffolding apprenticeships in order to bring the next generation of tradesmen into the construction industry. Christian, bringing 25 years of experience in construction and education, will be charged with developing LMB’s programme further and capitalising on the recent change in the pathway of apprenticeship funding that gives employers greater flexibility on delivering the training that they need. What sets LMB’s award winning programmes apart from others is a combination of behavioural coaching and up to the minute technical instruction. The training offered goes beyond current apprenticeship requirements with specialist modules focussing on modern methods of construction, fire safety and quality assurance. Based at their Head Office in Reading, he will be in charge of all LMB apprentices, mentoring and monitoring them throughout from the point of induction, to monitoring and delivering training, through to qualification. LMB’s brickwork apprentices spend four days on site gaining real hands on experience and one day at College while apprentice scaffolders follow a more staged block release programme. Christian is currently looking after 26 brickwork and 9 scaffold apprentices, he has students working on sites such as Oval Village Vauxhall with Berkeley Homes and Chelsea Barracks for Multiplex. Many of the company’s current apprentices are from Brooklands College where he worked for over 8 years as Head of Construction Curriculum and as a bricklaying tutor. But a key part of Christian’s role will be building relationships with other colleges and local authorities in order to identify new talent to join the LMB apprenticeship scheme. Christian, who holds a Professional Certificate in Education focused in Education from Greenwich University, will also oversee personal development and upskilling of LMB’s current operatives including identifying recent graduates of the apprenticeship programme that show managerial promise and encouraging them to take on more responsibility under the wing of an experienced site supervisor and are supported through their SSSTS and SMSTS for brickwork supervisors or their Advanced Scaffolder or CISRS Supervisor qualification for scaffolders. The next step for LMB will then be to open their own training centre that would be at the forefront of brickwork and scaffolding training in the UK. Christian is in the process of looking at funding and accreditation for this, watch this space!
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) ‘Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards’, showcases the businesses and innovators breaking ground for sustainable buildings. One of this year’s categories, Women in Green Building Leadership Award, celebrates the inspiring female leaders from the movement. Other awards categories include: The Business Leadership in Sustainability Award presented to Cundall, and The Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance Award presented to CoEvolve Northern Star by CoEvolve Estates, Chai Wan Campus for the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong by Ronald Lu & Partners, Paramit Factory in the Forest by Paramit Malaysia Sdn Bhd, and Special Recognition to Arthaland Century Pacific Tower by Arthaland Corporation. Women in Green Building Leadership Award In a traditionally male-dominated industry, the Women in Green Building Leadership Award represents a significant step to encourage women and diversity in leadership. WorldGBC recognises the increasingly important role that women have to play as sustainability champions and is proud that almost half of the CEOs from its 40 Established Green Building Councils are women. This award was designed with the support of WorldGBC’s regional partner, AkzoNobel. Ye Qing, winner of the Women in Green Building Leadership Award, is a renowned green building leader from China. She is acknowledged for her 20 years’ service as an ardent advocate for sustainability in the built environment. As President at the Shenzhen Institute of Building Research (IBR), Ye Qing has driven the design of over 60 million square metres of green buildings, and the planning of 6,000 square kilometres of green cities in China. In 2005, Ye Qing initiated Shared Design, a methodology to bring the project owner and design team together to ensure a balance between people, nature, buildings and cities. Shared Design has now been incorporated into national standards, following its proven impact. In 2019 Ye Qing also helped to develop the China Assessment Standard for Green Building. Ye Qing, said: “Women have a natural affinity with Green buildings. Green means nature and embodies our living world, our mother earth. Women are an icon for all life and love. With the symbiosis and sustainability in nature, women can instil the essence of love in the development of green building. So as global society recognises the importance of green buildings to protect our world, it is also a fitting platform for the promotion of diversity, gender equality and for women’s social status and career development”. Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards 2020 The biennial event, first held in 2014, celebrates Asia Pacific’s brightest achievements towards a more sustainable built environment. An independent panel of high-profile judges assessed nominations from Asia Pacific Green Building Councils and selected winners in three awards categories: The Women in Green Building Leadership Award The Business Leadership in Sustainability Award The Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance Award (Residential, Institutional, Commercial) Other winners: Business Leadership in Sustainability Award Winner: Cundall (Australia) – awarded for Cundall’s commitment to reducing its impact on the planet by developing a sustainability policy with impressive targets and action plans, from zero carbon energy to ethics and equity. David Clark, Director & Partner, Cundall: “Climate change, health and wellbeing and the biodiversity crisis are just some challenges we face as a global society. Is there any moral alternative other than taking action? This humbling recognition is an opportunity to share our journey and highlight the initiatives we’ve implemented so far. If we can inspire others to embrace sustainable approaches, that would be the best result to come from winning the Business Leadership in Sustainability Award.” Leadership in Sustainable Design and Performance Award (Residential) Winner: CoEvolve Northern Star by CoEvolve Estates (India) – the highest rated green building in the state of Karnataka. Spokesperson, CoEvolve: “It is a great honour to be recognized by the World Green Building Council. This is our second nomination after Asset Aura (2016). Our relentless efforts in building sustainable communities has been validated by this award. Sustainable living is not only the right way forward but THE ONLY way forward. We hope this recognition will motivate others to go green. CoEvolve Estates remains committed to a sustainable future.” (Institutional) Winner: Chai Wan Campus for the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) by Ronald Lu & Partners (Hong Kong) – a campus designed as a vertical community-centric green space. Spokesperson, Ronald Lu & Partners: “We salute WorldGBC who recognises the THEi New Campus at ChaiWan as a new benchmark for high-density-low-carbon sustainable campus, and our client – the Vocational Training Council who is committed to such vision at the outset. The Campus is the making of a community for learning, innovation and knowledge creation, where urban climate is harnessed, sky-rise biodiversity is nurtured, social inclusiveness and wellness are fostered”. (Commercial) Winner: Paramit, Factory in the Forest by Paramit Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) – a case study of industrial biophilic design, integrating nature with complex climate-control systems. Spokesperson, Paramit: “Industrial Buildings conceived and oriented in ‘sustainable thinking’ will reduce operational cost, meet functional goals and uplift human spirits. Our mission was to urgently make this point in a rapidly developing region with hundreds of large factories coming up every year. This award helps us make that point and we are honored to have received it.” Special Recognition for Advancing Net Zero goes to Arthaland Corporation (Philippines) for its net zero carbon Arthaland Century Pacific Tower. Jaime C. González, Vice-Chairman and President, Arthaland Corporation: “As a real estate company fully committed to the development of green and sustainable properties, we are delighted that our efforts have been recognized. We are particularly proud of the Arthaland Century Pacific Tower, the first certified net zero carbon building in the Philippines. I wish the World Green Building Council – Asia Pacific Network and its members more power and thank you for this very much appreciated recognition.” Read more information about each winner.
Construction and civil engineering specialist contractor GRAHAM is underway at a project to support the decommissioning and restoration of Dounreay, described as ‘the world’s deepest nuclear clean-up’. The Advance Transition Works Shaft & Silo Project (ATW S&S) are taking place at Dounreay in Caithness. The firm will be delivering the Civils and Structural works on behalf of Nuvia, acting as sub-contractor and an influential partner on the scheme. Background The Dounreay Shaft in Caithness was originally constructed in 1956 as a means of removing waste from the Dounreay site liquid effluent discharge tunnel excavation. The Shaft goes approximately 65m deep underground and was used to store radioactive waste until 1977. A connecting ‘stub’ tunnel linked the base of the Shaft to the effluent discharge tunnel. This was sealed in 1956 by the construction of a concrete plug to produce a water- tight seal, before the Shaft was then allowed to flood with groundwater. Disposals to the Shaft ended following an explosion occurred in May 1977 and the facility has been under care and surveillance ever since. Decommissioning and restoration Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) is currently working to decommission and restore the site. Part of this Programme is the D3300 Project, to retrieve, process and package waste from the Shaft to render it suitable for long-term storage and future disposal. During the project, new headworks will be constructed over the Shaft that will contain remote handling equipment to retrieve the solid and sludge waste. GRAHAM’s project team will be delivering and supporting the following scope of works as part of the project: Establish secure Site Boundary and site accommodation – provision of hoarding, fencing and barriers around the construction areas and any site accommodation facilities. Facilitate safe (as low as reasonably practicable) and efficient (best practical means) access to D1225 to prepare for dismantling and breakout of the existing Shaft headworks (steel platform, concrete cover slab, concrete capping slab). Dismantling the existing D1225 enclosure and constructing an appropriate robust replacement facility. The replacement must fully integrate with D3300 (construction to follow later). Installing and protecting coordinated services diversions and replacements that will provide for continued interim functioning of D1225 and integrate with the future D3300. Installation of the D3300 Shaft Extension Module lower section (SEM 1). Accommodating the future constructability of D3300 Process Cell equipment and structures. Subsequent D3300 construction to be safeguarded from potential releases of radiation/contamination from the Shaft. Peder Andreasen, Contracts Manager for GRAHAM, said: “We’re excited to be beginning work at this hugely important project at this historic nuclear clean-up scheme. “Our nuclear sector expertise and safety critical approach will be vital in the delivery of the ATW S&S scheme and enable us to safely prepare the shaft headworks and provide a secure enclosure by undertaking these hazardous and challenging works.”
The Mecalac 6MCR, 8MCR and 10MCR tracked skid excavators are now equipped with ‘Speed Control’ travel management system as standard. This all-new feature allows the operator to set a maximum travel speed – regardless of engine speed. With 20 speeds available, the transmission essentially acts as a limiter, making it easy to drive at very low speeds for applications such as mowing or planing. This enables operators to concentrate on the task in hand and prioritise safety. This technology evolution forms part of Mecalac’s ongoing commitment to simplifying the lives of users without compromising on performance. For further information see: Speed Control Video & MCR range. For more information, or to find your nearest UK dealer, visit www.mecalac.com/en.
Revenue for the latest trading period¹ grows significantly to £145m with over 50 new employees joining and a new office opened in Birmingham to serve key clients in the Midlands and North. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics, distribution, pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors has today announced its results for the latest trading period which confirms significant growth driven by key contract wins across the UK and within the key specialist sectors in which it operates. During the period 29 project instructions were received leading to a growth in revenue upto £145m. To further fuel this growth 50 new employees were hired, and a new office opened in Birmingham to serve a growing number of key clients in the Midlands and North. Speaking about the results Glencar Managing Director Eddie McGillycuddy said: “From the outset one of the company’s founding principles is to handle growth in a sensible and sustainable manner. By investing in our people, processes and infrastructure we are creating the solid foundations by which to operate and for the business to succeed. Despite these unprecedented times we are living in and the obvious social and economic challenges we are faced with revenue for the period has grown exponentially – driven by key contract wins with a broad range of new customers and through retaining key customer relationships. We have also maintained a high degree of profitability which places Glencar on a strong financial footing. We have strengthened our senior leadership team considerably and more than doubled our head count so I am confident we have the right people in the right places to continue to press forward. With a committed forward order book of over £180m Glencar is showing no intention of slowing down and looks forward to 2021 with a firm sense of optimism. On behalf of my fellow directors I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the hard work and exceptional efforts of everybody at Glencar to reach this notable achievement”. ¹ Trading Period taken over an 18-month period. Glencar made the decision to change their accounting reference date to 30 September, for operational and administration reasons.
“Off the pallet, straight onto the wall” ethos saves time, cost and improves quality, says Vivalda survey Research undertaken by Vivalda Group, the UK’s largest supplier of non-combustible cladding, suggests that sub-contractors could reduce their fabrication costs by up to 50% by outsourcing the process. Vivalda contacted 15 specialist cladding contractors across the UK and asked them to provide their hourly rates for three specific processes; standard board drilling, specialist drilling, and fixing of brackets to boards. The differences between quoted sub-contractor rates and those charged by Vivalda were surprising. Here are the key findings: Standard drill holes for rivet and screw fix. Assuming 12 holes per m2, average sub-contractor labour rates quoted were up to 50% higher than those charged by Vivalda. Specialist ‘secret fix’ drill holes. The price difference between specialist off-site fabrication and on-site labour rates quoted was equally remarkable. Overall, prices quoted for this more complex procedure were approximately 20% higher compared to the cost of standard drilling. Sub-contractor labour rates for this work came out at approximately 40% more expensive when compared to prices quoted by off-site, high precision material engineers such as Vivalda. Fixing brackets / secret fixings to board. This too came out at around 35-40% higher compared to rates typically charged by third party suppliers. Commenting on the findings, Chris Meyerhoff, branch manager at Vivalda’s Hull branch said: “We are seeing a major trend towards off-site fabrication, with contractors increasingly turning to us to cut boards to size, drill holes and even fix brackets so that facades can be installed as soon as they arrive on site. Despite the proven cost savings and quality guarantees offered by outsourcing, we wanted to understand why a hardcore of contractors continue to do this job in-house. After all, it’s a notoriously time-consuming job that a lot of subbies don’t like doing on-site. That’s why we undertook this research into the relative costs quoted for this activity. “Given the very clear savings contractors could make by outsourcing elements of their cladding fabrication process, we have to ask why aren’t all sub-contractors using third party specialists to prepare boards ready for on-site installation? Is it about control and quality? With damaged and poorly cut boards as the likely outcome, I cannot imagine this is good reason. Also, our use of CNC technology ensures boards are cut to within the tightest tolerances, with brackets fixed using the right tools in well lit, warm surroundings as opposed to rainswept, building sites with restricted space and strict on-site working regulations. “Perhaps some sub-contractors don’t consider the cost of fixings as being that significant? Well, for a project comprising 5,000m2 of cladding, our investigation suggests that this could cost anywhere from £300,000 to £600,000 in fixing labour costs – depending on the location and complexity of the project. That’s not chicken feed in anyone’s book. I’d urge any contractors out there to reconsider this part of their supply chain as it could improve quality, reduce accidents and boost profits in one fell swoop.” Based on its recent survey, Vivalda Group’s UK-wide fabrication facilities could save sub-contractors between 35 and 50% on labour costs, while significantly improving the accuracy and quality of the cladding systems prior to installation.