Since the emergence of COVID-19 and the UK’s public health countermeasures, many industry suppliers have seen demand for some products rocket. Online retailer, Zoro, supplies businesses across all industries with the tools and equipment they need to get on with the job, over 310,000 products. In recent weeks the company
Bellrock is rolling out a new mobile app to track the health and wellbeing of its remote workforce during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. The technology-enabled property and facilities management services company has partnered with field service management software specialist ,Totalmobile, to deploy its Employee Wellbeing solution for 150 engineers
Social housing must be at the heart of devolved governments’ plans to steer their economies through the impacts of coronavirus, sector bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have said. Lockdown measures imposed by ministers across the UK in a bid to bring the pandemic under control have had a
A disused site in Dorset is set to have fresh life breathed into it with a new commercial property development. Penton Motor Group is building four units on the former Boyland Joinery site in Stony Lane, Christchurch, to create a trading hub for businesses. The hub is to be known
On behalf of Towngate Plc, Caddick Construction has completed a 57,500 sq ft speculative industrial development at Cross Green Industrial Estate, which is set to accommodate around 115 jobs. This is the third unit to complete at the site. Caddick Construction successfully delivered the first two units as part of
How does a medium sized, niche business navigate through numerous conformance requirements to secure its place in today’s construction supply chains? The construction industry has always presented opportunities for the army of innovative and specialised small and medium sized business based in the UK. For every £1 spent by the
CHAS, the Health & Safety accreditation specialist, has signed an agreement with Checkatrade that will see the two organisations work together to help their trade members boost their accredited status and availability for work. Checkatrade is one of the UK’s leading directories of recommended, vetted and monitored trade experts, while
There will be a need to repurpose and redesign buildings, as well as increase space as a result of the current global pandemic, according to a growing number of industry insights. The healthcare, pharmaceutical and food industries, being on the front line during the Covid-19 crisis, have already experienced an
Solihull-based Terra Strategic has received Detailed Planning Consent for a scheme of 36 new homes off Bedford Road (A603) and Park Road in the small rural village of Moggerhanger in Central Bedfordshire. Terra Strategic has worked with the landowners to secure the planning status for the 1.44-hectare (3.6-acre) development, which
AO Business welcome two new hires to strengthen their housebuilder team after a successful six months in the market. Gary Holt and Andrew Robinson joined the business to business division of the online electricals retailer on April 1st. Both have started as Business Development Managers with Andrew Robinson covering sales
Since the emergence of COVID-19 and the UK’s public health countermeasures, many industry suppliers have seen demand for some products rocket. Online retailer, Zoro, supplies businesses across all industries with the tools and equipment they need to get on with the job, over 310,000 products. In recent weeks the company has seen a huge surge in demand , with Zoro’s staff working non-stop to keep UK industry moving and people at home fully occupied. Chris Matenaers, marketing director at Zoro said: “Compared to the same period last year, we have seen demand across some products more than double. “Our office staff are working from home and staff in our warehouse are using appropriate PPE with strict social distancing rules in operation. Our teams are working longer than usual hours to get the much-needed supplies out of the door, to keep UK industry workforces safe.” An NHS nurse commented: “Had a hard time looking for a respirator (I am an ITU nurse in NHS and currently taking care of COVID-19 patients) and I am lucky enough to buy one from Zoro. It arrived after 2 working days (free shipping) and as expected. Thank you very much. Now I am more confident to work.” Zoro are working at full capacity to fulfill orders and customers are being advised to expect a slightly longer delivery time due to the unprecedented demand. Matenaers said: “Delivery times are a little longer than usual as the pandemic takes its toll on both supply chain and demand on courier companies. We appreciate the patience of our customers while we work to get products out of the door.” Although delivery times are slower during this time, a customer on TrustPilot commented: “A lot of sites have increased prices on certain items considerably since lockdown! This company has not! Excellent prices and quick delivery […] highly recommend.” The buying team is focused on finding replacements for out of stock items and working with suppliers to identify new products, such as signs for social distancing signs. Marcus Nelson, managing director of Zoro said: “We are monitoring the situation daily, listening to government advice. The safety of our workforce is of paramount importance and I’m extremely proud of their dedication and hard work every day during this difficult time. “We are proud to be supplying NHS nurses and front line key workers with PPE. I want to reassure our customers that we are doing everything we can to keep the stock that is in high demand coming into our warehouse, then getting it out of the door as quickly as possible.” For more information visit www.zoro.co.uk.
Bellrock is rolling out a new mobile app to track the health and wellbeing of its remote workforce during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond. The technology-enabled property and facilities management services company has partnered with field service management software specialist ,Totalmobile, to deploy its Employee Wellbeing solution for 150 engineers that are providing vital maintenance services to public sector customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The system enables Bellrock’s remote workers to use their mobile devices to provide regular updates on their mental and physical health. This includes recording their mood, if they are displaying any coronavirus symptoms and if they have been required to self-isolate and are unavailable to work. Information captured in the field is automatically relayed to Bellrock’s HR and operations teams in real-time who can monitor app use and actions, make timely interventions and track key metrics using analytics tools. The app also provides remote workers with immediate access to approved guidance documents, contacts and support networks. David Smith, CEO of Bellrock, said: “It’s essential to do everything we can to support all employees, particularly those on the front line delivering essential maintenance services to the public sector during this crisis. “Totalmobile’s Employee Wellbeing app gives our workforce a quick and easy way to communicate how they are feeling and access to important resources. “The ability to efficiently monitor and track how hundreds of workers are feeling supports our duty of care and the powerful insights the app generates will help us continually improve the support we provide.” Following the initial successful deployment to engineers, Bellrock plans to roll the solution out to a further 950 employees by the end of June.
Social housing must be at the heart of devolved governments’ plans to steer their economies through the impacts of coronavirus, sector bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have said. Lockdown measures imposed by ministers across the UK in a bid to bring the pandemic under control have had a huge financial impact, but are now slowly beginning to ease. Proponents of investing in social housing argue that it can boost a wide range of industries with less risk attached than with new homes for market sale. Construction and the housing market remain on hold in Scotland as part of the measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19. Sally Thomas, chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “Building affordable housing will need to be at the heart of Scotland’s recovery from coronavirus as part of a government and public sector-led approach, giving confidence to full-scale economic renewal, and at the same time ensuring everyone has the home they need.” She added: “Now more than ever, Scotland needs a long-term housing programme that will help to rebuild our economy, create jobs, and keep our people and communities safe and healthy.”
A disused site in Dorset is set to have fresh life breathed into it with a new commercial property development. Penton Motor Group is building four units on the former Boyland Joinery site in Stony Lane, Christchurch, to create a trading hub for businesses. The hub is to be known as Penton Business Park. Over the past eight years Penton Motor Group has built four new showrooms for its franchised motor business and renovated a further three separate investment buildings. This is a new direction for the long established Wilson family business, which has locations in Christchurch, Poole, Andover and Salisbury, to develop a ground-up commercial investment property other than for its own use. Fellow Christchurch firm John Reid & Sons Ltd (REIDsteel) has designed and manufactured the steel frames, decking, cladding, glazing and doors for the project. An estimated, circa 30 new jobs could be created in a boost for the local economy providing a total of 1,885 sq metres / 20,300 sq ft for trade counter, light industrial, storage and possible gym uses with ample parking for 50 vehicles. Leading national chains have already taken space, with up to 12,000 sq ft remaining available. Simon Boyd, Managing Director at 130-strong REIDsteel, said: “We work across the UK, Europe and the world so it is great to work on a project a little closer to home. “We have been able to provide our design, fabrication and manufacturing expertise for the entire building envelope, including its cladding, glazing and decking requirements. “We are delighted to support the Penton Motor Group to create this high-quality development which will bring significant jobs and economic benefits for the area.” The scheme involves demolition of the former Boyland Joinery building on the site to create up to a five unit split measuring from 4,000 sq ft, to 12,000 sq ft. REIDsteel is due to erect the steel work on site when the coronavirus pandemic eases and regulations allow. It will use 65 tonnes of British Steel as well as British made Tata composite panels for cladding. The development will be wholly owned and managed by the Penton Motor Group. Penton Group Managing Director Robert Wilson said: “This new development demonstrates our confidence in the commercial property sector and the Christchurch area. “With the possible creation of 30 jobs, it represents a significant boost for the local economy and regeneration of a disused brownfield site. “It is an exciting circa £2.5m investment for our business, on which we can use our expertise and experience in showrooms and service centre development to expand further into the commercial property market. Jan Dibden our Financial Director and his team have successfully headed up this project and we have been delighted to work with REIDsteel a local firm. “We all look forward to seeing this development progress as soon as conditions allow.” Penton Motor Group is a 100% family business of 50 years standing in the new and used car market with over 120 staff and turnover of £60 million. It has Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and DS new and used dealerships in towns across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire, including Christchurch, Poole, Andover and Salisbury. REIDsteel remains family owned and celebrated its centenary in 2019. It has exported to more than 140 countries to date. The firm specialises in providing entire steel frame and building envelope solutions all under one roof. Thanks to its in-house capabilities and expertise, it is regularly contracted to design, manufacture and supply complete steel structures including the cladding, glazing, louvres and staircases for projects anywhere in the UK, Europe and across the world. They include bridges, hospitals, sports stadia, disaster resilient buildings, defensive structures, churches, schools, industrial & commercial buildings, warehouses and advanced aircraft hangars. Visit www.reidsteel.com for more details and www.pentonmotorgroup.com
On behalf of Towngate Plc, Caddick Construction has completed a 57,500 sq ft speculative industrial development at Cross Green Industrial Estate, which is set to accommodate around 115 jobs. This is the third unit to complete at the site. Caddick Construction successfully delivered the first two units as part of the Towngate Link project, with both being snapped up as pre-lets by wine merchant, London City Bond and Beerhawk. The construction team is also on site delivering a further 17,000 sq ft detached double portal framed building which is due to complete in June 2020. Robert Smith from Towngate Plc said: “Caddick Construction has delivered this third unit to the same high-quality as our earlier phases and as a result is generating a lot of interest in the market. With very little prime industrial space to satisfy the needs of small and medium sized businesses, both this and the well-progressed Towngate Link 5 are set to let swiftly.” Chris Allott, Senior Contracts Manager from Caddick Construction, said: “Towngate Link is a very successful and popular development and the team is pleased to continue to support its expansion.” Cross Green Industrial Estate is just a mile from the M1/M621 motorway and Leeds City Centre. It is one of the city’s largest industrial estates and home to many manufacturing, distribution and warehousing operations, including John Lewis and Amazon. Approximately 3,000 people work at the site.
How does a medium sized, niche business navigate through numerous conformance requirements to secure its place in today’s construction supply chains? The construction industry has always presented opportunities for the army of innovative and specialised small and medium sized business based in the UK. For every £1 spent by the industry in the UK, around 90p remains on-shore, and on top of that, 99.9% of businesses in the sector are classed as SMEs.[1] But large main contractors and public sector organisations are operating under increased demands for accountability, and that means requiring high standards of conformance from every business in their supply chain. How does that look for a medium sized, niche organisation? Founded nearly fifty years ago, Wiltshire manufacturing company Audience Systems is the UK market leader in a very specialist industry – retractable and auditorium seating. Employing around 120 people in the UK, Audience Systems turns over around £11m, with a growing export presence, particularly in North America and Australia. The company tends to work directly with main contractors on new builds and major refits, and with venue managers in sport, education and the arts on refurbishments. Many of its projects are in the public sector. “Ten years ago, the quality landscape was very different for us,” says Managing Director Keith Ritson. “We had strong relationships with clients, and healthy scores on contractors’ databases based on a good record of work. Our products were tested to the relevant standards, and we had an internal quality systems and training schemes in place, supported by industry-wide training such as CSCS.” “But main contractors are being asked by their clients to hold their entire supply chain to the same standards which apply to themselves, and this means that smaller businesses are being held to the same rigorous obligations as large corporate organisations.” Change has come from multiple directions, and Audience Systems has had to innovate to keep up. Some changes have benefitted them – for example, when the Department for Education issued their latest design brief for school premises, it included a requirement for auditorium seats to conform to the relevant British standard at the highest level. That gave the company an immediate advantage. They had always emphasized strength in the design of their products, and most of their range was already certified to that level. Other requirements have proved more onerous. “In the UK, many of our clients have moved to Constuctionline Gold accreditation as a minimum requirement for subcontractors. It’s been a jump up from the Silver accreditation we already had, asking about issues from BIM to GDPR to modern slavery, and although the vast majority of the work has been around creating more official documentation of processes we already had in place, it’s still a big undertaking for a small management team.” Another unexpected challenge was the exclusion of the seating installation trade from the general CSCS scheme. Audience Systems had to innovate quickly, leading the industry in creating a bespoke NVQ programme for all site staff to ensure ongoing access to sites. Again, a major project for a medium-sized manufacturing business to take on. The compliance landscape continues to evolve and work is ongoing across the company, from R&D to Quality to Purchasing to anticipate and meet future requirements. “Of course, much of this work brings benefits – the NVQ scheme for instance, is far more fit for purpose than the old CSCS card scheme. Developing products that conform to US standards has helped us open up a major new market. But it’s also essential for us to still have time to do the things that enthuse us – improving products, developing new products and applications and continuing to expand our export businesses. We don’t just want to be meeting requirements, we want to be doing the exciting things – and doing them well. “The key to it is to make sure that where our customers ask more from us, we accommodate them in a way that works for us. That’s the only way we can avoid being overwhelmed by compliance issues, and use them to our advantage.” [1] https://www.bsigroup.com/Global/BSI%20UK%20SME%20Landscape%20Report%20-%20Stage%201.pdf
CHAS, the Health & Safety accreditation specialist, has signed an agreement with Checkatrade that will see the two organisations work together to help their trade members boost their accredited status and availability for work. Checkatrade is one of the UK’s leading directories of recommended, vetted and monitored trade experts, while CHAS helps construction clients to find certified contractors. The joint venture will enable Checkatrade members to secure discounted accreditation status through CHAS, helping them to compete for work that requires Health & Safety certification. In turn, CHAS members who pass Checkatrade’s robust 12-stage vetting process, will be offered an introductory discount on Checkatrade membership. Commenting on the announcement, Ian McKinnon, Managing Director, CHAS, says: “It has been a challenging period for the construction sector but this new partnership underlines our commitment to providing new opportunities for our members and helping them to recover and strengthen their businesses during this difficult time.” Mike Fairman, CEO of Checkatrade, said “our business is committed to making it easier for trades to find work and grow their business. One aspect of that is easy and affordable access to work tenders where Health & Safety accreditation is a pre-condition. All members that gain accredited status will be able to carry the CHAS logo on their Checkatrade profile pages. They will also benefit from the support of Checkatrade’s reviews and vetting team, creating a portfolio of verified customer feedback that demonstrates the quality of their work. About CHAS: CHAS is the leading provider of risk prevention, compliance and supply chain management services for clients and contractors. Since 1997, CHAS (The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) has been helping to improve health and safety standards across the UK and safeguard organisations from risk. CHAS is an authority and trusted advisor on health and safety compliance, responsible for setting industry benchmarks and providing the new Common Assessment Standards. CHAS’s aim is simple: To standardise and simplify health and safety assessment for contractors To support organisations in efficiently managing their supply chains To deliver a full suite of supply chain management tools. Find out more at: www.chas.co.uk About Checkatrade: Checkatrade, founded in 1998, is one of the UK’s leading directories of reviewed, vetted and monitored Trade Experts. Owned by Homeserve Plc, Checkatrade has over 38,000 trade members and boasts over 4 million customer reviews allowing potential new customers to find the perfect trade or service for them, sure in the knowledge of their pristine track-record and verified ability. Last year over 12 million people trusted Checkatrade to help them find a reputable tradesperson. The idea for Checkatrade was born in 1998 after a tornado hit the small West Sussex town of Selsey. Trades poured in from across the country, but not all proved to be reputable. A local businessman realised there was nowhere to check out the traders’ credentials and the company that became Checkatrade was formed. For more information on Checkatrade, please contact CheckatradeTeam@redconsultancy.com
There will be a need to repurpose and redesign buildings, as well as increase space as a result of the current global pandemic, according to a growing number of industry insights. The healthcare, pharmaceutical and food industries, being on the front line during the Covid-19 crisis, have already experienced an immediate upsurge in emergency construction for more space. Belfast City Hospital is a good example, where an entire tower block has been repurposed; and in other cases, requirements have included isolation rooms, clean manufacturing and storage. These ways of immediately tackling a crisis tend to lead to changes that impact forever; things simply do not go back to how they were. So, as the situation plays out, there is likely to be a need for greater space, enabling individual workers to distance themselves safely from colleagues and site visitors. In the food industry, for example, people often work shoulder-to-shoulder, and Klipspringer’s blog, ‘Just How? Social Distancing in Food Factories’ suggests a number of measures to improve safety, including strong ‘Keep your Distance’ signage which demonstrates the need to keep two metres apart, and “Additional entrances and exits…to spread out the people flow, with additional doors available and a turnstile entrance and exit system. This doesn’t just mean in and out of the factory, but from area-to-area.” Klipspringer also suggests factory zoning and physical segregation barriers, all of which could suggest that more space would be an important part of the solution in many factories. Kerry Foods ‘Insights’ blog ‘6 Lessons from China’s Recovering Food & Beverage Sector after Covid19’ says there will be more “Demand for visibility on product sourcing and safety,” and that the industry will be “more keenly aware of strict hygiene and food safety.” Foodnavigator.com says the same in its ‘Market Trends’, “Food safety has attracted significant concern from consumers, who want to know whether the coronavirus can be transmitted by imported food…”, which surely will create the need for food producers to take, and promote, measures to allay these fears. This is highly likely to include the ongoing need to keep individual workers distanced from each other, an area that has not up until now been a necessary consideration in most manufacturing environments. In the UK over the last few decades, as a nation we have gradually lost a lot of our ability to produce goods in an effort to keep reducing costs. Many reports suggest that there is likely to be a strategic move to rebuild domestic manufacturing in order to improve our self-sustainability, flexibility, and our ability to react to crises in the future. So, even though for some manufacturers, demand has ‘dropped off a cliff’, leaving them with the same operational costs without the sales in the short term, in the medium-to-long term it is likely that there will be a resurgence in the sector. Chris Griffin, Commercial Manager at Hemsec said, “Whilst automation is going to increasingly develop not all processes can be automated. Manufacturing still requires humans to be part of the process including being physically onsite to run, maintain and repair machines, as well for those processes that a person still needs to do. Commercial teams and contractors will still need to come onsite from time to time as well as. This means space management is going to become part of our business continuity planning, not just a nice to have. In all of those areas where businesses have critical functions where people need to be involved, including customers, the distances between those people will now need to be reconsidered to plan for a business being able to continue working safely through any similar public health crises in the future.” Increasingly, organisations may require business continuity facilities and, in some sectors, emergency health centre/isolation rooms, but more than that many manufacturers may need to expand their buildings to accommodate the increased distancing mentioned above. Our current factory was built using some of our products over 50 years ago, we have extended it over the years. The Hemsec composite panels, both steel and timber faced, are an excellent way to quickly create a dry, temperature stable extension on to a building with fewer civil engineering requirements. As a manufacturer ourselves, we understand the need to have high quality supply readily available, and we are committed to ensuring our customers get what they need. If you foresee a high level of demand, let’s start a conversation now, with a view to developing a supportive supply partnership to meet your needs when the time comes. Please email us at contact@hemsec.com or call +44 (0)151 426 7171
Solihull-based Terra Strategic has received Detailed Planning Consent for a scheme of 36 new homes off Bedford Road (A603) and Park Road in the small rural village of Moggerhanger in Central Bedfordshire. Terra Strategic has worked with the landowners to secure the planning status for the 1.44-hectare (3.6-acre) development, which lies opposite the historic park and gardens of Moggerhanger Park. The scheme was created by residential design specialist A2 Urbanism & Architecture. The land was previously unused and designated for agricultural uses. The scheme will deliver 36 high quality family homes to the village, consisting of 10 two-bedroom homes, 19 three-bedroom designs, and seven four-bedroom executive homes. 13 of the two and three-bedroom dwellings have been allocated for affordable housing. An area of public open space has been incorporated into the design for the scheme to encourage safe family play. All homes will also have private rear gardens and a generous provision of soft landscaping to fore gardens. James O’Shea, Managing Director of Terra Strategic said: “Our Moggerhanger scheme is a great example of how we have worked with the landowner, the Parish Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and Hayfield to promote the concept of a high quality residential scheme on land previously designated for agricultural uses. “We are delighted to have been awarded planning permission and our look forward to watching the development commence later this year. Having engaged in constructive pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority and then having worked closely with key consultees throughout the planning application process, we have built on the positive working relationship we had already established with the Council and Local Planning Authority. “These 36 family homes will be a high-quality addition to this small rural village and will add vibrancy to the area. The location – in close proximity to Moggerhanger Park – together with the public open space that has been designed into the centre of the scheme, will ensure these homes will be popular with local families, as well as those looking to move into the area.” The new development will be constructed with a mixture of red brick and render. 34 of the homes will be two-storey, with two being single-storey dwellings to reflect the large number of single-storey properties found in the village. Terra Strategic is an experienced residential land specialist, which enters into agreements with landowners and then pursues, funds and secures an agreeable planning permission. It also has the financial resources to secure land with or without residential planning consent to assist landowners looking for a quick sale process. Terra Strategic has a national reach, having secured residential land in Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, The West Midlands, Wiltshire and Worcestershire.
AO Business welcome two new hires to strengthen their housebuilder team after a successful six months in the market. Gary Holt and Andrew Robinson joined the business to business division of the online electricals retailer on April 1st. Both have started as Business Development Managers with Andrew Robinson covering sales in the North and Scotland while Gary Holt will cover the South of England. AO Business entered the competitive housebuilders market last year to transform the way appliances are purchased for new developments. After only six months, they have secured the contracts to supply appliances for over 12,000 new building plots. Robinson joins AO from furniture manufacturer VitrA UK, with experience in the housebuilder market following a Business Manager role specifically for housebuilders at Made Better by Ellis. He previously spent 16 years as a National Sales Manager at bathroom manufacturer Accent Kitchens, where he was responsible for securing group agreements with many regional developers. Prior to joining AO, Holt was at German-based manufacturer Westag and Getalit AG where he spent 5 years as Area Sales Manager for Retail before moving into a new role as Business Development Manager. In the worktop industry, he worked in the developer and housebuilder sectors, and his projects included Royal Air Force redevelopments and various university sites around the country. Anthony Sant, MD of AO Business said: “We’re thrilled to have both Gary and Andy joining us on our mission to improve the way that housebuilders purchase appliances. With their wealth of sales experience and contacts in the industry, we are now in an even better position to provide a solution to the everyday challenges facing housebuilders.” With next day delivery, renowned customer service and over 20 years’ experience of selling electricals to the public, AO Business offer a unique proposition for time-pressed housebuilders.