Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) will test 24 jibs and runway beams, in addition to related hoists, during three site visits at the Wheelabrator Parc Adfer facility in Flintshire, North Wales this month (April), ahead of commencement of waste-to-energy operations later in the year. A major challenge separated the project
Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of
A new form of cleaner and cheaper temporary power, utilising the latest gas microturbine technology from California, is being launched by SSE Enterprise and Pure World Energy. The semi-permanent power solution will help developers cut costs and emissions – thanks to its modular gas micro-turbine technology capable of providing onsite
Manchester Airport has celebrated the completion of the first major phase of its £1bn transformation programme. Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport were welcomed onto a new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time last week. Construction of the 216m long structure commenced on
For bettering your business, you have to focus on each aspect regardless of how small it may seem. This applies to all kind of companies and furniture is not an exception. You probably think that provided you are waking up early, heading to your workshop and having as many pieces
The modern building techniques of a leading civil engineering firm are set to be part of one of the UK’s most innovative house building projects. With demand for homes outstripping supply in the UK, experts have praised the possibilities that factory-built modular housing could deliver for the UK’s housing needs.
On 26 February 2019, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height launched its landmark report, Staying Alive: Preventing Serious Injury and Fatalities while Working at Height. The report, 12 months in the making, explores why 18 per cent of people who die at work do so as a result
The construction division of The Premier Group, a specialist in retail forecourts and commercial fuel installations, is set to embark on a new chapter in its history following its acquisition by a new owner with ambitious plans to grow and diversify the company. Chris Evans has acquired the company for
The industry’s first property management franchising scheme, SDL Property Partners, refreshes its offering for Spring 2019, making it even easier to join. Training has been given a revamp, giving its franchisees more control by providing different training routes that are applicable to either property managers and non-property managers. As well
Employee-owned business, Kite Packaging, supply a wide range of engineered packaging solutions and systems across the UK. The company has announced that they have increased the warehouse capacity at their Swindon regional distribution centre with the installation of a 4,000sq.ft mezzanine floor. Servicing large customers in the South West of
Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) will test 24 jibs and runway beams, in addition to related hoists, during three site visits at the Wheelabrator Parc Adfer facility in Flintshire, North Wales this month (April), ahead of commencement of waste-to-energy operations later in the year. A major challenge separated the project from other similar testing works. Eventually, post-recycled waste will be treated to create energy and recyclables, providing clean, sustainable energy for more than 30,000 local homes. Operations and associated activities will rely on a variety of overhead lifting equipment, including the aforementioned beams, the final six of which were still being installed at the time of going to press. RSS received a scope of work to proof load test the beams from Lyon, France-based Lab SA, which constructed the building where the majority of them are installed. The remaining three beams are on a nearby stack and residue silo respectively. RSS, a lifting and rigging equipment specialists, will complete the works over two three-day visits, the first of which has been completed, and an additional two-day visit. The main stack beam was 26m high, the same height as the cantilevered beam that protruded from the top of the filter bag house; the residue silo stood 3m taller. Other heights of lift varied between 3m and 10m. RSS delivered all required test weights for the initial visit but will hire a larger beam to complete testing on two of the beams, likely to be completed on 16 April. Gary Coleman, site engineer at RSS, said: “We need to complete the tests in line with the stringent requirements of the site. The beams within the penthouse area of the building were required for installing filler bags and a separate contractor required certification of the hoists and beams so they could use them. The contract included the inspection of chain blocks and trolleys as they were installed. Remedial works will be handled as required.” Coleman also pointed to the project’s biggest challenge: “The client specifically stated that no pulling of the steel structure is allowed anywhere on site. This meant we had to adopt a more complex testing method from start to finish, adding time, cost, and manual handling. We were recommended for the project following our success at a previous waste recovery project, but the two turned out to be very different.” He added: “We carried out testing by using live loads (or weights). We transported weights in our vans to site—a 625kg [weight] and a little basket tare weight [weighing 34kg]. We also bolted a 5t SWL [safe working load] bracket into the concrete floor, held in place with four M12 x 120mm through bolts. Once we had completed testing, we used a grinder to cut off flush to the floor and hammered the remainder below floor level to ensure no trip hazard remained.” Contact for editorial enquiries: Steve Hutin, steve@rssgroup.co.uk
Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of enhancing fire safety for residents. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “This is our second major contract with Arches Housing and we are very pleased to be working with them again to enhance fire safety in one of their sheltered housing schemes. Fire safety is an essential requirement in all buildings, and we aim to ensure that the residents of Arches Housing are offered the best possible fire protection.” Luigi Iantorno, asset compliance & reinvestment officer at Arches Housing, said: “Horbury Property Services secured this contract as a result of a rigorous competitive tender. The upgrade to fire doors and fire compartmentation is an important part of our planned maintenance works as we aim to ensure our homes are as fire safe as possible.” As well as fire door and fire compartmentation services, Horbury Property Services provides a full range of works, which can form part of planned maintenance programmes. This includes ceiling and dry wall partitioning inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, fire stopping, sealing, fire compartmentation, fire alarm and emergency light testing, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides painting and decorating, flooring refurbishment and installation, amongst others. The company has its head office in South Yorkshire, plus regional offices in London and South Wales, ensuring a truly national capability. This regional presence enables its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes. Arches Housing is a community-based social landlord, which was established in 1975 and provides more than 1,200 affordable homes in Sheffield and Rotherham. For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.
A new form of cleaner and cheaper temporary power, utilising the latest gas microturbine technology from California, is being launched by SSE Enterprise and Pure World Energy. The semi-permanent power solution will help developers cut costs and emissions – thanks to its modular gas micro-turbine technology capable of providing onsite temporary or medium-term power that is ultra-low in NOx (Nitrogen oxides) and Sox (Sulphur oxides) emissions – especially compared with diesel generation. The technology comes from US company Capstone, which is a leading manufacturer of clean micro turbine systems which has deployed over 9,000 such units globally. Capstone’s microturbines have been developed to pass strict California emissions levels, and have already provided power in varied locations such as remote oil fields and mines. There is currently a great deal of government focus in the UK and Ireland on tackling air pollution in cities, London is leading the way by introducing an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from April 8th. Capstone microturbines are ideally positioned to meet the new emissions thresholds. Likewise, these intermediate power solutions will also help in cities where the Grid is ‘constrained’ ie where the electricity transmission system is unable to transmit power to the location of demand due to congestion at one or more parts of the transmission network. In Dublin for example, the current high levels of development and consequent demand for power is putting pressure on the Grid, causing potential delays to projects in the city. Neil Kirkby, Managing Director of SSE Enterprise, said the units would offer “total flexibility” to the user, in terms of modular load matching and financial proposition for power requirements from 30kVa to 30MVa. He said: “We believe that the ability of our product to reduce emissions from generation is potentially game-changing. Until now construction companies, developers and manufacturers have had to rely on diesel generation to meet their onsite needs. New tough emissions targets make this hard for developers, who still need to meet demand for their temporary generation. “Demand for new city infrastructure has never been greater. But constrained power networks are now effectively becoming a barrier to development, not least because it can take two years for a Grid connection to be delivered. This means potentially large energy users can’t access readily the energy they require to meet demand. “We’re looking to solve both these issues by providing a cleaner source of electricity from temporary generation tailored to meet the demands of the customer and the regulator. This is a new application of containerised micro-turbine gas technology in the UK that is already proven across the globe.” Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of Pure World Energy (PWE), added: “PWE is delighted to partner with SSE to launch our semi-permanent power solution. Our Capstone micro turbine technology offers a clean, efficient and effective model for medium-term electricity supply. We are offering a hybrid ESCo model that will give customers cost certainty and greater reliability. “Given the amount of focus we are seeing in the UK & Ireland on reducing pollution in our cities we think this is a very timely market intervention. We hope that many businesses will be able to benefit from these units – especially when they face constrained grid issues.” The new service will also transform how customers pay for their temporary generation. Traditionally, customers pay for the cost hire of the plant, fuel and other services but now they will simply pay for the energy they consume at an agreed price for a set period. The units can run off other types of all fuels and will run effectively off a mains gas line or tanked source. Four Key Benefits of the new microturbines are: Cleaner – It beats traditional onsite diesel generation on emissions, noise and space Cheaper – It’s up to 20% cheaper than the equivalent cost of diesel generation Simpler – Customers only pay for the energy they consume, and no back-up generation is required More flexible – The modular configuration of the microturbines means they can be scaled up or down to match demand, making the technology suitable for multiple industries
Manchester Airport has celebrated the completion of the first major phase of its £1bn transformation programme. Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport were welcomed onto a new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time last week. Construction of the 216m long structure commenced on site in July 2017 with the build completed in late January 2019. The facility was then trialled before transitioning into operation on 1 April. The Pier which provides 11 jetty served “contact” stands has more than 1400 seats in a fully glazed upper departures level offering panoramic views of the airfield. A separate, segregated arrivals level provides passengers with a travellator-assisted walking route to the main terminal arrivals facilities. It will be used by all airlines currently operating out of T2 and was constructed from 14,000 steel pieces, 47,184 bolts and painted with 2,600 litres of paint. In preparation for the pier, the apron was extended by 49,000sqm to accommodate new aircraft parking stands, along with the construction of a new taxiway and associated infrastructure and services. The opening marks the next phase of the airport’s multi-phased transformation programme that will see Terminal 2 become the focal point of its operations. More than 1,800 people are currently working on the project which recently welcomed its 100th apprentice as work gathers pace. Over the coming weeks more and more flights will gradually move over to the new pier as it becomes fully operational. The main design and build contractor for the pier was Laing O’Rourke with Arcadis engaged to support MAG as Project and Programme Managers. Pascall and Watson were the Architects behind the pier’s design. The main airfield works design and build contractor is Galliford Try with Jacobs providing the airport with client Project and Programme Management support. The 11 airbridges that have been fitted to the pier are provided by Adelte. Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “This is a significant milestone for Manchester Airport as we deliver the first phase of the biggest investment we have made in our 80 year history. “Over the coming years we will transform the airport for all of our customers, giving the North the world class airport it deserves. The investment we are making and the range of destinations we connect to, in all corners of the world, underlines the vital role Manchester Airport plays in creating jobs and driving growth across the North of England. “Since putting the first spade in the ground in July 2017, a huge amount of work has gone into getting our new pier, its stands and the multi-storey car park ready to open today and I would like to thank all of our colleagues and delivery partners for their efforts.” Peter Jones, Operations Leader for Laing O’Rourke, said: “It is a significant achievement to have the pier, link bridge and multi-storey car park ready for airport guests within 18 months. The project’s design, construction methods and logistics were all planned digitally before construction on the edge of the live airfield began. Our digital engineering approach meant we, and our project partners were able to work together efficiently; putting productive solutions in place to minimise disruption to passengers and staff, while delivering new facilities for Manchester Airport on time. “We are now looking ahead to the completion of the Terminal 2 extension which is due to be handed over to the Manchester Airports Group next year.” Colin Abbott, Aviation Director Galliford Try, said: “We are incredibly proud to have played such a key role in the first phase of this exciting transformation project. We’re delighted to see aircraft using the new apron and stands, which is testament to the hard work and dedication from our team of experienced colleagues. Commencing this project 24 months ago, our team has worked over 400,000 hours, constructing and resurfacing around 65,000 sqm of apron and installing 28,000m of AGL lights and power amongst other services. “By working successfully in collaboration with other contractors; we have now realised the first phase of the airport’s vision for the future, whilst cementing further our long-standing relationship with MAG. We are very much looking forward to completing the next phase of the project.” Graham Mallett, Programme Director, Jacobs, said: “We are delighted that Jacobs has been involved in the development of the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme from concept design through to the achievement of the first major milestones of opening pier one and the multi-storey car park. “In our role managing the delivery of the Airfield works, our focus, and that of our supply chain partners has been to ensure everyone working on the airfield has gone home safely every day. We believe that this approach has played a key part in the successful delivery of the airfield works. “This has been a massive team effort across the whole of the project whilst working closely with the airport’s operations team to give our airlines and passengers visible improvements in the service delivered. We look forward to supporting Manchester Airport’s future growth plans through the achievement of further milestones.” Julian Carlson, Director at Pascall+Watson, said: “We are delighted Manchester Airport has seen pier one become operational and acknowledge the great team effort in both design and delivery that made the first major phase of the transformation programme such a success” Arcadis’ Program Director, Richard Walker, said: “The opening of the first two major developments, pier one and the 3,800-space multi-storey car park, is a huge achievement against a very ambitious design and 17-month construction programme. It has been a pleasure to see true team collaboration with the Airport and across the supply chain, and exciting to develop efficiencies from the latest digital technologies. “Our focus now centres on the new terminal extension, which is in its fit-out stage and opens next year, and the design of future phases involving reconfiguration of the existing terminal and more piers.” The next phase of the £1bn transformation is the extension to the existing Terminal
For bettering your business, you have to focus on each aspect regardless of how small it may seem. This applies to all kind of companies and furniture is not an exception. You probably think that provided you are waking up early, heading to your workshop and having as many pieces completed in a day, you are good to go. Have you thought about cleanliness? Nothing beats the power of a clean working environment. It is beneficial to both your employees and incoming customers. There are some great vacuums on the market these days, ones that are prefect for office use, check out these recommendations from SpotlessVacuum.co.uk The furniture industry involves lots of dust which can be hard to handle especially if you lack the necessary equipment for the job. Luckily with dust extractors, you are good to go. A clean and dust free environment will not only attract people to your space, but also, it enhances the overall efficiency and productivity of your employees. It minimizes the risks for falling sick and in return reduces absenteeism. You should, however, note that with the numerous vacuum systems in the market, you should take your time to select the system that fits your business. How do you that? Here are some crucial aspects to consider when getting a dust extraction system to ensure that you find one that suits your needs. What are your dust control needs? Every dust extraction situation is different. In your case, you will be collecting wood chips, and it is, therefore, essential that you understand the dust and the process of creating it. This can help you determine how much air volume is required to control and capture the produced dust. For example, is the dust generated continuously or is it only present under upset conditions? How many hours per day do you run the process associated with dust production? Considering these aspects will help you determine the capacity of the vacuum system required to control the dust fully Consider convenience The primary goal of getting the extractor is so it can help you eliminate the dust chops faster and more conveniently. You do not want to work with something that only makes the experience harder and enables you to save no time. The right vacuum system will integrate each component to make it super operational meaning that it is self-contained and with only one command, you are good to go. Get a system that can conveniently help you eliminate all the dust as you work on maximizing your productivity. Check the safety measures Machines can be complicated. Being a carpenter, you may not understand a lot regarding such equipment such as dust extraction system. Ensure that what you choose is easy to use and has not safety complications. You do not want to put your workplace at risk. Remember that you will be having workers and customers coming in time to time, and the last thing you want are accidents as that will lead to further unplanned expenses. Cost The cost will always be a factor to consider when getting any items. Get a system that you can comfortably afford. Furniture business will involve a considerable running capital and if you can minimize such costs by getting a reasonably affordable vacuum system for the furniture industry, the better. With these factors in mind, you will undoubtedly get a system that perfectly works for you, and you can be assured of a convenient working environment which will in return increase production and sales.
The modern building techniques of a leading civil engineering firm are set to be part of one of the UK’s most innovative house building projects. With demand for homes outstripping supply in the UK, experts have praised the possibilities that factory-built modular housing could deliver for the UK’s housing needs. Home Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of high quality housing, health and social care, has set up Gateshead Innovation Village, a truly unique project to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of modern methods of construction (MMC). Home Group is working with five MMC manufacturers to develop 35 modular houses and panelised houses as well as six traditional, brick and mortar homes, which will be assessed by specialists for a range of issues over a year long period. Seymour Civil Engineering is contracted by leading regeneration specialist, ENGIE who is delivering the project on behalf of Group, to look after the roads, sewers and foundations at the site. The Hartlepool-based civil engineering firm has been laying the foundations at the site and is also responsible for the internal and external drainage, services and hard landscaping. Thomas Brown, Seymour Civil Engineering Site Manager, said: “This is the first time we have worked in this way – and it is so interesting to watch the process. The main difference is the way we lay the foundations. “With traditional construction, perimeter walls and load-bearing walls need deep foundations – and therefore deep excavation – to support the load of the structure. “However, the modular homes require shallow excavation with concrete and blockwork plinths as the weight of the property is spread across the site.” Due to the current housing shortage, the UK needs to build between 240,000 and 300,000 new homes annually. The industry is currently building around 190,000 houses per year due to the cost of building homes and declining number of skilled workers. Thomas added: “The time taken to erect a modular house is a fraction of the time it takes to construct a traditional build. “Myself and the team have found this project fascinating and amazing to watch the homes as they are erected and complete in such a small space of time. “We’re all very proud to be part of this fantastic project.” He added: “I’m 100% certain that this is the future of housebuilding in this country.” Stuart Dickens, Seymour Civil Engineering Construction Director, said: “Seymour is always keen to take on board projects where the expertise and skills of our engineers will be utilised in new and innovative ways. “We feel that Gateshead Innovation Village does just that as well as giving us all the opportunity to be involved within the future of the house building sector. “It’s exciting to be involved and we look forward to seeing the first residents move into their pioneering properties.” Seymour Civil Engineering started on the project in June last year and the development is due for completion in May. The properties are manufactured in a state-of-the-art factory using the latest technologies and they will boast features such as smart controlled solar panel systems. Once the village is built householders will share their experiences of the housing type and technology.
On 26 February 2019, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Working at Height launched its landmark report, Staying Alive: Preventing Serious Injury and Fatalities while Working at Height. The report, 12 months in the making, explores why 18 per cent of people who die at work do so as a result of a fall from height. Tim Bissett, Technical Manager for Fall Protection at MSA Safety shares his thoughts on the APPG’s suggestions for keeping the 10 million people in the UK that work at height safe. MSA Safety is a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of industry-leading safety products. The APPG for Working at Height was established in October 2017 with the purpose of enabling politicians and industry stakeholders to come together and investigate the reasons for falls from height. The need for this group is stark. Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities – 28% of workplace fatalities from 2017-2018 were attributed to falls from height. Digging deeper, between 2013/14 and 2017/18, falls from a height accounted for more than a quarter of all fatal injuries to workers. That’s an average of 37 deaths a year. I wholeheartedly echo comments from Alison Thewliss, Chair of the APPG on Working at Height: “These figures are too high. There should be no question or doubt over workers’ ability to return home safely to their families each evening.” Working at Height Recommendations After a year-long investigation, the APPG has developed a set of recommendations that could lead to significant improvements in the work at height sector. It’s now essential that the government take up those recommendations and implements them. That is the key next step. The recommendations include: Introduce an enhanced reporting system through RIDDOR, which, at a minimum, records the scale of a fall, the method used, and the circumstances of the fall. Appoint an independent body that allows confidential, enhanced, and digital reporting of all near misses and accidents that do not qualify for RIDDOR reporting. Share the data collected by this independent body with government and industry to inform health and safety policy. Extend the “Working Well Together – Working Well at Height” safety campaigns to industries outside of the construction sector. Introduce an equivalent system to Scotland’s Fatal Accident Inquiry process that would be extended to the rest of the UK. Each of these recommendations would be advantageous and support the existing work at height regulations. Currently, as Ms. Thewliss states in the report, there’s a real lack of empirical data and this is preventing the industry from understanding the root causes of falls from height. Recording and learning from each and every fall from height is not only fundamental to preventing mistakes from reoccurring, but a vital driver of the safety culture that the industry needs to foster. The Effects of Brexit The report also discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with Brexit – and how that might influence Health and Safety regulations moving forward. In my opinion, preventing fatalities in the workplace transcends politics and, quite rightly, the APPG is calling on the government to ensure that worker safety will not be compromised as a result of Brexit. Indeed, 97% of businesses surveyed by manufacturers’ association EEF, stated that they want no immediate change in regulations post-Brexit. Just over half of those surveyed were in favour of a review in the future. Regardless of the outcome of Brexit, I agree with the report when it calls on the government “to ensure that no individual working at height will be any less safe as a result of Brexit.” Training and Education Preparation is key when it comes to working at height and quite rightly the report strongly advocates greater training and education. Too often, in my opinion, the full benefit of quality fall protection training is overlooked. Greater confidence, for instance, is an invaluable by-product of quality training. The confidence to accurately assess potential risk and make the right safety decisions at the right time cannot be underestimated. It’s also pleasing to see that the report gives so much weight to the use of virtual and augmented reality in training. This is something that my own company, MSA Safety, has pioneered and I have seen first-hand the benefits it offers. The ability to familiarise trainees with potentially perilous situations from the safety of an office and then harness that experience in the training process is invaluable. Choosing the right, quality equipment for the job is also a vital part of the preparation process and the report rightly refers to the important role that safety equipment manufacturers play in reducing injury and fatality rates. The ability of safety manufacturers to provide good quality products, to innovate, and to help solve customer needs or requirements is undoubtedly important. Unfortunately, however, it can count for little if those responsible for specifying fall protection equipment aren’t prepared to take due care and attention in choosing quality products tailored to their unique needs. Not all fall protection equipment is made equal. Do your research and make the right decision. Lives depend on it. Further Consultation from the APPG In addition to the recommendations listed in the Working at Height report, the APPG also identified further opportunities for consultation, one of which was a major review of work at height culture. The UK is consistently ranked as one of the best-performing nations in terms of safety, but while people continue to die as a result of falls from height, there will always be more work to do. As such, I would support any investigation into the suitability of legally binding financial penalties in health and safety, especially if it released additional funds for raising awareness and providing greater training and education around working at height. Hopeful for the Future The UK has made significant progress since the introduction of the Work at Height Regulations of 2005 and if the recommendations from the ‘Staying Alive’ report are implemented, I’m confident that progress should continue to trend
The construction division of The Premier Group, a specialist in retail forecourts and commercial fuel installations, is set to embark on a new chapter in its history following its acquisition by a new owner with ambitious plans to grow and diversify the company. Chris Evans has acquired the company for a seven-figure sum following the retirement of Ken Owen, who has owned the construction division of The Premier Group since 2002. Evans has worked closely with The Premier Group for almost two years. The change of ownership represents a natural progression for the company and includes plans to embark on a period of growth and diversification into other areas of construction, in addition to its specialist forecourt work. Evans has previously acquired and developed numerous businesses. He is presently a director of Beaulieu Homes Southern Ltd, a Wokingham-based property development company, and a director of land investment company Sustainable Land Products Ltd. The business will continue trading under the construction division of The Premier Group, though its registered company name will change from CNC Supplies Ltd to Premier Forecourts and Construction Ltd. Owen Davies, a chartered accountant, has been appointed as a non-executive director of finance upon the completion of the deal. Formerly a partner in a city practice, Davies has held numerous commercial positions in both manufacturing companies and more recently in financial services businesses. He is currently the finance director of Sustainable Land Products and has worked alongside Evans for over 10 years. Evans, the new owner of the construction division of The Premier Group, said: “I’m extremely pleased to be the new owner of this already successful business. I recognise its potential and have many new ideas to bring to the company. I intend to develop the business further with a fresh approach that will assist with the expansion of its construction portfolio.” Steve Evans, managing director of the construction division of The Premier Group, added: “I’m excited for the future of the company with Chris’ input. We have been at the forefront of the construction industry in this highly specified sector for many years and I look forward to being a part of the business as it develops further.”
The industry’s first property management franchising scheme, SDL Property Partners, refreshes its offering for Spring 2019, making it even easier to join. Training has been given a revamp, giving its franchisees more control by providing different training routes that are applicable to either property managers and non-property managers. As well as training on industry related matters, SDL Property Partners will be training its franchises on its company values. All of this will be delivered at an even lower cost to its franchisees. In addition to this, franchisees now have the opportunity to choose their own area without the restriction of territories. This comes as the scheme is going from strength-to-strength and currently has 17 franchise territories, with 3000 units under its management throughout the network. With its ongoing support from SDL Property Partners, franchisees are seeing their businesses blossom, with two franchises securing in excess of 700 units within the last 12 months and another having over 1000 units. Furthermore, only a year into the new venture, SDL Property Partners was shortlisted as Innovator of the Year at the Property Week Management All Star Awards 2018. With all this achieved in a mere 18 months, there is certainly a promising future for the company that is passionate about revolutionising the customer’s experience of property services. Chris Summers, head of franchising at SDL Group comments: “We are over the moon with how the business is growing and how it has given our partners the opportunity to develop their own businesses. As a result, we are in the position to be able to provide this offering to more people. “This proposition does not cost as much as you think and with some of our franchisees earning over £100,000, there couldn’t be a better time to become an SDL Property Partner.” To find out more on becoming an SDL Property Partner, please visit – http://bit.do/SDLPropertyPartnersSpring2019 www.sdlpropertypartners.co.uk
Employee-owned business, Kite Packaging, supply a wide range of engineered packaging solutions and systems across the UK. The company has announced that they have increased the warehouse capacity at their Swindon regional distribution centre with the installation of a 4,000sq.ft mezzanine floor. Servicing large customers in the South West of the country as well as South Wales, the sales growth at Kite’s Swindon RDC has required the expansion of their facility out to a total new warehouse capacity of 40,000sq.ft. This latest investment follows several years of continued growth for Kite’s Swindon RDC since moving to their current location in June 2015. A Kite spokesperson commented: “As well as helping to maintain 100% OTIF to our existing customer base, the expansion of our warehouse capacity gives us additional space for new business customers trading with us from 2019.” Mezzanine constructions can be used for storing a wide range of products or even provide another designated pick and pack area, giving businesses more room to grow rather than having to face costly relocation measures. If your company is looking for a service and solutions based offering in the South West or South Wales area please contact Kite’s team at Swindon who can arrange a visit to help you find savings on your total packaging costs. For more information, please visit thamesvalley@kitepackaging.co.uk.