Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge), an award-winning, multi-discipline property and construction consultancy, has appointed a new Partner in its Expert Witness and Advisory Services (EWAS) team. Tim Haynes, who has joined the Ridge office in London, will focus on quantum and delay matters. As an expert in construction-related disputes, Tim
North East company, Seymour Civil Engineering, has recently been appointed to Yorkshire Water’s Minor Civil Framework, worth up to £290million, and is set to deliver requirements around the entire operational area of Yorkshire Water. Yorkshire Water has recently awarded £1billion of Civils Frameworks for 2020-2025, covering the full range of
With over 125 years of experience in the construction industry, Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is looking ahead to a prosperous future with a forward pipeline of works of circa £90million in both the public and private sectors. The Derby-based construction group has been successful across all sectors, including education, commercial
Among the many decisions an exhibitor has to make, picking the best venue for the exhibition is the most difficult. Before you find a provider of exhibition products or the caterer, you first have to find the venue. You should identify a venue for your exhibition 4-6 months before the
From Allegro to oodlique, Zalando to Game, European online marketplaces are booming. European online marketplaces receive 804.4m visits per month, a figure which shows no sign of waning. These online communities are connecting, engaging and extending relationships with customers, employees and partners across all sectors and helping customers get more
Create the best prospects for sports with high-quality sport flooring. Why you might ask? Well, because sports floors are not just floors. The right floor can help athletes perform their best at all times. It gives the ultimate freedom of movement and ensures that every athlete can fulfill his/her full
Bureau Veritas has launched Circular+, a new approach to sustainability, built on a comprehensive suite of services to help companies transition to a circular business model. The launch comes at a time where sustainability is at a turning point, with governments and businesses around the world seeking ways to meet
Housing developer Story Homes is delighted to announce that it has been recognised by the prestigious UK Property Awards, winning three accolades for ‘Best Residential Development’. Aspen Grange in Carlisle, Chancel Place in Longhoughton and Willows Edge in Wrea Green have all beaten strong competition to win an award for
Kite Packaging’s Midlands based Regional Distribution Centre has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support as their nominated charity for the year, a charity that provides an incredible support service for all those with a cancer diagnosis. Managing Partner for Kite’s Midlands RDC, Justin Filby, visited Macmillan Cancer Support team last month
UK Plumbing Industry Background In the UK, research has suggested that the plumbing, heating, and air conditioning installation industry generates approximately £16 billion in revenue and employs 149,098 individuals among 36,800 businesses. This year the industry is said to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.8%. It’s safe to
Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge), an award-winning, multi-discipline property and construction consultancy, has appointed a new Partner in its Expert Witness and Advisory Services (EWAS) team. Tim Haynes, who has joined the Ridge office in London, will focus on quantum and delay matters. As an expert in construction-related disputes, Tim will bolster the team’s wealth of experience in providing expert advice and evidence in litigation, adjudication, and arbitration, as well as adding to the expertise in claim preparation and defence. Tim has more than 30 years of experience, particularly in the analysis and resolution of commercial and contractual problems on major building, infrastructure, rail and petrochemical contracts in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Lucy Osborne, who leads the EWAS team at Ridge, said: “Tim is a very important hire for us who will help to strengthen our established EWAS team. Our growing team continues to operate globally, and prides itself not only in providing outstanding experts, but also in having a continuing involvement in live projects.” Tim Haynes added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to join a highly-regarded team within the property and construction industry and I’m delighted to be working closely with Lucy to continue to build upon the fantastic work already undertaken. As a specialist in commercial and contractual audits on major projects, with experience across both private and public sectors of the construction industry, I hope to add strength and breadth to the multidisciplinary services Ridge provides.” Ridge now employs over 625 people in 11 offices across the UK and offers a unique range of property consultancy services. Since 2018, the business has grown by over 40 consultants, with plans to recruit more in 2019. About Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge) Ridge offers a unique range of property consultancy, planning, project and cost management, architecture, surveying, design, engineering, health and safety and expert witness services. Founded in Oxford in 1946, Ridge now employs more than 625 people in 11 offices across the UK, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Oxford, Reading and Winchester. The business operates internationally and has successfully delivered projects in over 75 countries worldwide. A dynamic, forward thinking business, Ridge takes an innovative approach to delivering buildings, infrastructure and engineering and property and construction solutions for its clients.
North East company, Seymour Civil Engineering, has recently been appointed to Yorkshire Water’s Minor Civil Framework, worth up to £290million, and is set to deliver requirements around the entire operational area of Yorkshire Water. Yorkshire Water has recently awarded £1billion of Civils Frameworks for 2020-2025, covering the full range of civil engineering requirements across its clean and wastewater assets with a total of 18 partners after a 12-month procurement process. Seymour is the only company to be appointed within both Yorkshire Water’s Minor Civils Lot 1 and 2 and will be carrying out civil engineering works to existing assets on operational treatment and distribution facilities. This will also include refurbishment and repairs to clean potable water and wastewater structures including reservoirs respectively. Karl Brennan, Pre Construction Director at Seymour Civil Engineering, said: “This is a key milestone for the business to achieve this strategic growth in Yorkshire and it provides a platform for further growth and development. “The work will commence later this year or early 2020 and will last over an eight-year period with a review after five years. “This will result in creation of jobs and many opportunities to deliver social value as well as reinforcing our position as a multi discipline specialist civil contractor in the region.” The journey began in 2017 with a strategic objective to grow the business, as Seymour’s skillsets suit the water industry. This therefore made sense to look at Yorkshire Water as their ‘neighbouring water authority.’ Seymour were aware of the AMP 6 cycle coming to an end and that Yorkshire Water would soon be publicising notices for AMP7 frameworks. They attended the AMP 7 supplier events and were impressed by the actions Yorkshire Waters procurement team were taking, to engage with suppliers, stating that they wanted to achieve a ‘collaborative and family feel.’ Mark Baker, Head of Programme Delivery at Yorkshire Water, commented: “We are excited to see the conclusion of this process and welcome our partners to support our ambitions and challenges into AMP7. “They will assist in the formation of a truly collaborative, innovative and efficient delivery vehicle to help meet our Enterprise delivery model aspirations. “The alignment of our objectives and a Programme First approach is a new direction for Yorkshire Water and we are confident that our partners can support this ambition.” Karl Brennan continued: “As Seymour has grown from a family business, this appealed to us and the decision was soon made to declare an interest in the Minor Civils framework. “The framework was a three-stage process and we competed against some of the UK’s main contractors before securing our position. It took a lot of resource, input and effort from our team to get to this position and we are proud of our achievement. “We are now in the process of implementing our proposal to go and deliver the work and build our relationship with Yorkshire Water.”
With over 125 years of experience in the construction industry, Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson is looking ahead to a prosperous future with a forward pipeline of works of circa £90million in both the public and private sectors. The Derby-based construction group has been successful across all sectors, including education, commercial and residential. The family business – which was named as a top 10 contractor in the East Midlands by a recent construction industry survey* – has re-modelled the company to take into account the recent changes in the economy. This strategy has been beneficial as the business looks towards 2020 with a greater emphasis on the more buoyant markets of residential, facilities management and the logistics sector. Construction Frameworks also still play a significant part in G F Tomlinson’s business with a consistent client base and focus. In order to ensure it has the skill base and resources it needs to build on this strategy, G F Tomlinson continues to provide technical apprenticeships to many young people looking for a career in the construction sector, something they have done consistently for the last 40 years. Following in the footsteps of his recently retired father, Barry Sewards, group chairman and managing director, Andy Sewards said: “Having been established for over 125 years, we have a tremendous breadth of experience throughout the industry, with forward-thinking values to back this up. “We are now at a point in time where we are re-modelling the business to look ahead to the future, embracing new ideas to capitalise more on the buoyant sectors in the marketplace. This approach will ensure the company is well placed, providing greater opportunities for continued success for many years to come”.
Among the many decisions an exhibitor has to make, picking the best venue for the exhibition is the most difficult. Before you find a provider of exhibition products or the caterer, you first have to find the venue. You should identify a venue for your exhibition 4-6 months before the exhibition and sign an agreement with the venue provider to that effect. The following will provide you with tips in choosing the venue for your next exhibition. 1. Location If you intend to hold a local exhibition, choose a location that is close to your target attendees. For instance, if your exhibition is targeting students, pick a location with a high concentration of students. If the attendees are from out of town, a venue close to an airport and a hotel for accommodation would be ideal. You can provide the potential attendees with a mobile event app that will give directions to the venue. 2. Capacity You might find a venue at a great location but it may not hold the number of attendees you hope to have. Find a venue that is not too small or too big; this is because a very large space gives a feeling of emptiness while one that’s too small seems overcrowded. Also, consider movement of people during the exhibition; do they have to move from one stand to another or everything is in one spot? 3. Parking Your venue must have ample parking facilities if you want more people to attend. A person should not struggle to find a parking spot as they might decide to leave if they cannot park their cars at a considerable distance from the venue. Reserving and paying for parking space is one way of ensuring your attendees are sorted. Another way would be to organize for shared transport. This can be done by having a common pick up point where you will pick the attendees and drop them at the venue then take them back afterwards. For instance, you can organize for parents to drop their kids at school where you will pick them then take them back after the event. 4. Amenities and Services One thing you should consider while choosing the venue is the availability of catering for your event. Is there a kitchen at the venue? If not, does the venue provider have a partnership with food providers? If there is such an arrangement, make sure to sample the food before the event. If you are not satisfied with your services, ask if you can bring in a caterer of your choice. Does the venue provide amenities such as chairs, tables, or linen? If they are available and are to your preference, it will save you money as you won’t have to hire from outside. Some venues provide audio-visual equipment which is a plus for you if they do, but if they don’t, you’ll have to bring your own. Other venues also have clean up and set-up crews who keep the venue clean and help in setting up your displays. If there are none and the venue is great, you can find a team to do this at a small fee. 5. Accessibility Your venue should be accessible by everyone especially those with special needs. Since you do not know who will turn up for your exhibition, ensure that your venue can be accessed by people with special needs, such as, a person using a wheelchair. 6. Flexibility of Event Date If your choice of venue is a popular place among event planners, you can have different date options. If you choose to fill up a date that is open for the venue provider, you may earn yourself a discount in pricing. 6. Insurance An exhibition is attended by people from different backgrounds. Having this in mind, you should be open to the idea that accidents may strike during the course of the exhibition. Most venue providers require exhibitors to have insurance for the event. This is to exonerate them from any liability in case an accident occurs during the exhibition period. You should have this ready when going out to look for a venue for your exhibition. 9. Acoustics Poor acoustics disrupt communication during an event. The event may be too loud or too low making you strain to hear what the other person is saying. A room with a low ceiling will elevate the sound once it is packed while a room that is too large will produce echoes. Consider these factors when choosing your venue. In conclusion, since you cannot hop from one venue to the next, you can contact a convention bureau for assistance. Provide them with a list of your venue needs and they will in turn provide you with several venues which you can check out.
From Allegro to oodlique, Zalando to Game, European online marketplaces are booming. European online marketplaces receive 804.4m visits per month, a figure which shows no sign of waning. These online communities are connecting, engaging and extending relationships with customers, employees and partners across all sectors and helping customers get more value from their products and services. Included in the top 50 European marketplaces is the UK which sees 90m visits per month to its 10 biggest online marketplaces. Success stories Some of the world’s largest online marketplaces have some interesting success stories to tell. eBay was founded in Pierre Omidyar’s San Jose living room back in September 1995 and from the start was meant to be a marketplace for the sale of goods and services for individuals. Today eBay has become an online person-to-person trading community and has both streamlined and globalized person-to-person trading, which traditionally used to be conducted at car boot sales, collectables shows and flea markets. Mumsnet was created by Justine Roberts back in 2000 after a disastrous family holiday. Originally conceived as a website where parents could simply swap family holiday and other advice, it has since grown into an online phenomenon, championing high profile campaigns which challenge both businesses and government over attitudes to children and parenting. Mumsnet is now the UK’s busiest social network for parents, generating almost 7m visits and 50m page views every month. Etsy was set up in 2005 as an online platform for craftsmen to sell their handmade and vintage goods. Today Etsy has created an online community of craftsmen featuring over 60m items and attracting 7.4m sellers and over 39.4m buyers. Builders Bay is another great example of an online marketplace which has brought together a unique online community. Buildersbay.co.uk was born out of the desire to solve the problem of dangerously excessive construction waste by enabling nationwide suppliers to sell surplus products to builders, renovators and DIY enthusiasts. The UK is a nation of DIY enthusiasts who spend £1.5bn annually on building products, yet 13% is never used and enters the country’s waste system. Builders Bay also solves the problem in the DIY retail market of unsold and surplus end of line stock either clogging up prime retail space or having to be stored, all costing the retailer money. Products bought on buildersbay.co.uk cost a fraction of the usual price. For example, some brand-new appliances are up to 45% cheaper than anywhere else on the internet. The site features over 16,000 products offering customers savings of £8m. Connecting people What all of these communities, and the hundreds of others like them, are doing is connecting likeminded people. For customers, online communities are a great way of getting more value from products and services and for businesses, online communities can help improve the way they enhance their products and services and help to better develop them. According to Forrester Research’s 2015 Customer Lifecycle Journey report, we are now living in the age of the customer. A time when customers, not brands, control the business agenda and technology and social media have given more power and influence to customers. More than ever, customers want to have a voice and influence business decisions which is why to remain viable, companies need to build stronger customer relationships, and online communities allow businesses to do this.
Create the best prospects for sports with high-quality sport flooring. Why you might ask? Well, because sports floors are not just floors. The right floor can help athletes perform their best at all times. It gives the ultimate freedom of movement and ensures that every athlete can fulfill his/her full potential. But why invest in high-quality sport flooring as a sports association, high school or college? Well, the answer is perhaps not as straight forward as you might expect. Yet it is unbelievably simple. Great sport flooring helps prevent injuries and by preventing injuries you play a role in helping athletes grow with their sport. The key features behind floor safety You might not know a great deal about the technical qualities of sports flooring and, as a result, might beprone to opt for a cheaper option to cut costs – but don’t. Floor safety and performance are closely intertwined and below you can read the key factors behind the floors’ safety and technical properties. These are the key factors which Junckers, who has provided sport flooring since 1930, has identified as being highly important for the overall experience. Shock absorption Shock absorption is the impact of energy absorbed by the floor when landing after a jump. As a result, a shock-absorbing floor minimizes the risk of injuries particularly knee and ankle injuries. Friction The correct friction rating is equally important to prevent injuries, especially, with regards to ballplayers, where it is important the floor is not to smooth as this means ballplayers cannot move rapidly or change direction without slipping. Friction rating should be between 80 and 110 for sports involving any kind of balls. If the friction value is below 80 the floor is too smooth and over 110 it becomes too solid. In both instances, it increases the risks of injuries. Ball bounce Ball bounce refers to the balls’ rebound when hitting the floor. A good rebound increases the speed of the game and control over the ball. When buying sport flooring, you will see that the ball bounce is measured in percentage. This percentage is the rebound achieved by the sports floor compared to the rebound measured on a normal concrete floor. Vertical deformation Vertical deformation is an indicator of the floors’ ability to absorb shock. It depends on its flexibility when exposed to dynamic load/impact from light running.
Bureau Veritas has launched Circular+, a new approach to sustainability, built on a comprehensive suite of services to help companies transition to a circular business model. The launch comes at a time where sustainability is at a turning point, with governments and businesses around the world seeking ways to meet commitments to preserve scarce resources, combat climate change, and reduce pollution. Earlier this year, the UK government continued to lead the march on climate change, becoming the first major economy to set out new legislation designed to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. Meanwhile, for years, businesses have focused on managing environmental impacts: today, they are looking to go beyond that to meet future regulatory requirements and exceed customer expectations. For many, this means evolving towards a circular economy model – a regenerative business model in which resources are continuously reused and recycled. “Public awareness of the threats posed by climate change has grown dramatically in recent years, and governments and companies are increasingly focusing on reducing energy use, resource consumption and waste generation along the product or service life-cycle”, said Sébastien Fox, Vice-President Certification at Bureau Veritas. Many are turning towards a more circular business model to understand and optimise their use of energy, as well as natural resources such as wood, metals and minerals. However, the circular economy is disruptive: it requires businesses to rethink their existing linear business models which generate waste at each stage of production and consumption, and demands new skills for product and process design. It can be challenging to adopt, particularly for large companies in traditional industries. As a global leader in environmental and sustainability certification, Bureau Veritas is now supporting organisations of all sizes with its suite of sustainability advisory, training, auditing and certification services. Ours is a powerful, customisable, standards-based approach that works for all businesses and achieves buy-in from employees and clients alike. Bureau Veritas’ Circular+ services provide organisations worldwide with a practical framework to rethink their processes step-by-step. “Circular+ is a holistic approach that offers process audit and management system services to help organisations manage both their environmental and social impacts,” explained Sébastien Fox. “A range of advisory, training, independent verification and certification products enable businesses to tackle both individual processes and entire business models at a customised speed, revealing supply chain issues and improving transparency. Audits provide a way to identify issues, report on the effectiveness of controls, and track the achievement of objectives over time.” The ISO 14001:2015 standard for environmental management systems is central to the Circular+ approach; it encourages a lifecycle view of products and services, and provides a framework for addressing impacts. Bureau Veritas is also supporting clients on energy management via training, audits and certification to ISO 50001. Risks relating to raw materials are addressed through dedicated schemes, for example FSC and PEFC for wood-based products, or ASI for aluminium. Companies today also face a number of social concerns: two of the most important being health and safety and ensuring the use of ethical labour practices throughout the supply chain. To accompany clients in these areas, Bureau Veritas offers accredited certification the new ISO 45001:2018 standard for health and safety management, can conduct ethical trade audits (SMETA), and delivers social accountability (SA8000®) certification. For more information on Circular+, to download a copy of the whitepaper, please click here: https://www.bureauveritas.co.uk/sustainability-services/circular-economy Alternatively, please call 0345 600 1828 or visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk
Housing developer Story Homes is delighted to announce that it has been recognised by the prestigious UK Property Awards, winning three accolades for ‘Best Residential Development’. Aspen Grange in Carlisle, Chancel Place in Longhoughton and Willows Edge in Wrea Green have all beaten strong competition to win an award for the Best Residential Development in the Cumbria, Northumberland and Lancashire categories, respectively. Now in its 26th year, the UK Property Awards are the most demanding and rigorous in the property sector. The awards are judged by an independent panel of over 80 industry experts, focussing on design, quality, service, innovation, originality and commitment to sustainability. The level of the awards that Story Homes has won will be revealed at the awards ceremony which will take place on 25 October 2019 at The Royal Lancaster hotel, London. The highest-scoring winners from each region will be entered into the overall International Awards, which ultimately determine the world’s finest property companies. Colin Wood, Chief Operating Officer at Story Homes said: “We are very proud that three of our developments have won UK Property Awards – it is fantastic to be recognised by the industry for our hard work. We take great pride in achieving the highest standards, from the overall design of a development through to the individual finishing on each property, and these wins really demonstrate the care and attention to detail that goes into the homes that we build.” Founded in 1987 by current CEO Fred Story, Story Homes is a housing developer building more than 900 new homes in 2019/20 across Cumbria, North West and North East England and Southern Scotland. The housebuilder’s mission is to design and build quality homes that people aspire to live in. As a family-owned business, Story Homes goes to great lengths to craft houses that are not only strong in build, but in character too. It is proud to challenge the conventions of mass produced new-builds and stand apart from the crowd. For more information please contact Katie Brown, Communications Partner on 01228 891528 or email katie.brown@storyhomes.co.uk.
Kite Packaging’s Midlands based Regional Distribution Centre has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support as their nominated charity for the year, a charity that provides an incredible support service for all those with a cancer diagnosis. Managing Partner for Kite’s Midlands RDC, Justin Filby, visited Macmillan Cancer Support team last month with a Kite colleague, where they met with Pauline Lewis a Senior Fundraiser for the charity, The Kite team were proud to pledge their support and hand over a cheque for £1,000. The donation will help provide the funding for a Macmillan nurse for almost one week in support of care for people living with cancer, as well as ensuring their families receive essential, medical, practical and emotional support. A member of Kite’s Midlands team has experienced the incredible support from Macmillan first hand with a loved one being given emotional and practical support throughout a very difficult time. Donating to Macmillan Cancer Support is a very fitting cause for Kite Midlands team. If you would like to make a donation towards Macmillan Cancer Support or to find out more about the charity, visit https://www.macmillan.org.uk/
UK Plumbing Industry Background In the UK, research has suggested that the plumbing, heating, and air conditioning installation industry generates approximately £16 billion in revenue and employs 149,098 individuals among 36,800 businesses. This year the industry is said to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.8%. It’s safe to say that this multibillion-pound sector is a big deal. The APHC and BREC Partnership In 2018, it was reported that the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) and British Plumbing Employers Council (BPEC) would join forces to establish a partnership. The purpose of this merger involves developing qualifications, courses, learning materials, and overall raising the standards across the industry. Both the APHC and BPEC are leading entities in the expanding plumber industry, so one year on we’re looking at what innovations this parthership has inspired. Once partnered, one of the first action items both the now joint companies implemented was training programs which included one-day courses on Water Regulations, Legionella Cold Water Risk Assessment & Disinfection, Sanitary & Above Ground Drainage and Wet Room Design & Installation. These subjects are taught by experienced trainers who are considered experts in their field. It seems the partnership has improved the way tuitors are selected for the programs. The reasoning behind this training stems from the fact that the corporate leadership of this collaboration recognizes that the plumbing and heating industry is continually evolving and to keep up one has to be consistently investing. Specifically, investing in the knowledge and abilities of the employees associated with the company. Improvement to teaching standards has benefited both niche courses such as Unvented Cylinder Installation basics and more general training programs like Gas Appliances basics which is an obvious step in the right direction for those who are looking to achieve their Gas Safe card. Furthermore, in addition to technical skills, the executives have made it a point to personally and on a company-wide perspective, keep up with new technology and legislation. This updated pervasive technique of instructing and informing plumbers is set to revolutionize the industry in different ways. To provide incentive, the APHC has offered 100 rewards aimed at companies that apply for and complete the course. Plumbers are no longer discrete entities that are immune to the growing pace of the world. Now, they are integrated service workers that must be consciously aware of their intercontinental surroundings. How does the APHC and BREC partnership change the training scene of the plumbing industry in the UK The partnership between APHC and BREC is set to positively impact the training scene of the plumbing industry. Together they set to increase industry standards primarily through development qualifications. They want to start from the ground up, slowly building the confidence, expertise, and intellectual stamina of plumbers destined to serve the next generation. In support of their initial mission, the integrated companies established a week called the “Quality Plumber Week” to discuss the pros and cons of introducing a single mandatory plumbing license. The idea that one must have a license to practice is a hot topic amongst industry leaders, and executives understand that. Both companies understand, but they also know that to progress in a forward direction, you must lead the way by first opening a conversation. Conversations allow ideas to flow and dialogue to be expressed between persons who have different perspectives in the future. While the “Quality Plumber Week” is a novice idea that has recently been executed, its importance still reigns as if it was already a trademark event. Training Scene of the Future The future of plumbing has many different facets. On one end, it is more involved with plumbers having to obtain a license, and large companies streamlining the training of these individuals. On the other hand, the future of training also pays homage to the change in times. With information as abundant as ever, plumbers are not exempt from having both casual and textual knowledge. The training offered, since the merger of the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors and British Plumbing Employers Council, has catalyzed change in this concrete facility motivated industry.