It cost millions to complete and has been described by its award-winning Japanese architects as a ‘living room for the city’. V&A Dundee, which sits on the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, is part of a £1 billion waterfront transformation. It opened in September, attracted world-wide publicity and
The £250m Queen’s Quay regeneration project in Clydebank is set to be the site of one of The UK’s most exciting energy projects, creating Scotland’s first of its kind large-scale water source heat pump scheme to connect to a district heating network which will be delivered by Vital Energi. The
Businesses across the world are looking at ways they can reduce the level of waste they produce, whether that’s switching to eco-friendly packaging or incorporating greener manufacturing methods. However, this is not so simple for companies and businesses that use large amounts of packaging or physical products. A sector that
Rallying against the ongoing economic and political uncertainties the UK faces ahead of our departure from the European Union, office investment volume in Central London in 2018 is expected to come close to £20 billion, according to international real estate advisor Savills. Performance is in line with 2017 activity London
Residents of the Treseifion estate in Holyhead who live in properties owned by the Isle of Anglesey County Council will be the first to benefit from the new ATMOS® PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) systems from EnviroVent. Isle of Anglesey County Council has committed to 60 EnviroVent units on this scheme,
Longcliffe Quarries are now supplying LONGFLOOR, a groundbreaking dry powder bulk binder for the manufacture of liquid cement screeds. The LONGFLOOR liquid cement screed system has major advantages over both traditional screeds and anhydrite/gypsum flowing screeds. LONGFLOOR can be laid at ten times the speed of traditional screeds, manual handling
A business obviously has to make a profit to survive, but once a profit is being made the next goal is increasing it. If a business isn’t making a profit or barely breaking even then clearly more income is required. In both cases the remedy is to increase profit margins
SPSenvirowall, a UK leading supplier of external wall insulation, render and facades, has secured BOPAS (Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme) accreditation for its innovative, rain screen cladding, RendaClad for the new build and offsite construction industry. RendaClad was developed for applying a non-structural and seamless rendered rain screen system to a
A development of high-quality homes is being built in the Narbeth area, with local construction firm R&M Williams already starting work on the site. The Maes Yr Orsaf development will contain 19 four-bedroom properties and will comprise of private and affordable social housing, with work due for completion in 2019.
The construction industry is booming. 2018 alone saw work valued at over £100 billion take place in the UK and the number of construction firms operating in the country rose by 6.2%.* In addition to the usual tools and equipment you’d expect to find in the toolkit of any operator
It cost millions to complete and has been described by its award-winning Japanese architects as a ‘living room for the city’. V&A Dundee, which sits on the banks of the River Tay in Scotland, is part of a £1 billion waterfront transformation. It opened in September, attracted world-wide publicity and thousands of visitors due to its futuristic exterior and impressive gallery spaces. Inside, as part of the monumental development, air distribution products were supplied by expert manufacturer Waterloo Air Products plc. Beyond its curved concrete walls and cutting-edge construction, a state-of-the-art cooling and ventilation system was installed. Waterloo first became involved with the V&A Dundee Museum project five years ago, in 2013. Discussions began with design engineers, Arup, about how to create a comfortable, controlled environment in the V&A Dundee. This was made possible thanks to VAV controllers providing a dynamic range of duty into the gallery and other areas. Waterloo also supplied air terminal devices for the building and they were used throughout the museum including the kitchen, various meeting rooms and the washroom facilities. As part of the project, designers researched and identified the most appropriate form of renewable energy for the building. Faced with the complexities of high ceilings, unusual angles and varying visiting numbers within the gallery, Waterloo worked with Arup to create the perfect environment. Waterloo’s WRS and WLMD – variable air volume controllers – were installed to control the volume of air passing through the ducts, to the air terminals, independent of the air volumes supplied from the air handling unit. Air handling units are designed to automatically cope with variants in footfall so it will increase air volume when a high number of visitors are in the building. Overall, energy-efficiency is a big consideration for the project. V&A Dundee, with its cavernous entrance, has no straight external walls and has been designed to create the appearance of a Scottish cliff face. Inside, there are two gallery spaces – one dedicated to Scottish design which features 300 exhibits, and the other for temporary exhibitions. It’s the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London and designers wanted to create a place of inspiration, discovery and learning. Its mission was to enrich lives through design, whilst continuing to be a welcoming state-of-the-art space for people to enjoy.
The £250m Queen’s Quay regeneration project in Clydebank is set to be the site of one of The UK’s most exciting energy projects, creating Scotland’s first of its kind large-scale water source heat pump scheme to connect to a district heating network which will be delivered by Vital Energi. The ground-breaking scheme will initially see the installation of 5MW of water source heat pumps (2 x 2.5MW) which will take heat from the river Clyde and use it to provide heating and hot water for the surrounding development. The heat generated at the energy centre will be pumped through 2.5km of district heating pipe connecting local homes, businesses and public buildings. Scott Lutton, Operations Manager for Vital Energi says, “This is a very exciting moment in the history of the Scotland’s energy infrastructure. While there have been small open water source heat pumps in the past, this is by far the largest to date. Water source heat pumps are a low-carbon technology which will become more effective in reducing emissions as the grid decarbonises and we hope that, when complete, it will prove an inspiration to other local authorities who want to reduce their carbon emissions.” The £15m energy project will provide heat for the areas homes, businesses and some public buildings including West College Scotland, Clydebank Leisure Centre, the Town Hall and Clydebank Library. The Queen’s Quay development will also see the creation of 1,000 private homes and 200 homes for social rent. Councillor Iain McLaren, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development said: “The District Heating Network will have a hugely positive impact on Queens Quay and Clydebank as a whole and we are delighted to welcome Vital Energi on board to help us deliver it. “Once completed, the network will provide heating and hot water to existing buildings including Clydebank Leisure Centre and the Council office campus as well as serving the new homes. The Council aim to expand the network to include areas of Clydebank and Dalmuir and to address fuel poverty by providing affordable heat to local residents. West Dunbartonshire Council is leading the way with this project and our residents, businesses and the environment will reap the rewards.” Councillor Marie McNair, Vice Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “The people of Clydebank will see the benefits of this pioneering project for generations to come. “The system has been designed to not only serve the developments at Queens Quay but has the potential to serve businesses and houses further afield. “It will also make a major contribution towards the Council’s climate change targets to reduce CO2 emissions.” David Pearson, Director of Star Renewables Energy who are manufacturing the heat pumps said, “As a local company, we’re extremely proud that Scotland’s first major water source heat pump project will not only be delivered in Glasgow, but also manufactured in Glasgow. This project, once again, underlines that Scotland is at the forefront of embracing renewable technologies and driving down carbon emissions.” West Dunbartonshire Council will meet 60% of the cost of the system with the Scottish Government funding £6m through the European Regional Development Fund via the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Program (LCITP). If you’d like to know more about Vital Energi and the work they do then please visit www.vitalenergi.co.uk
Businesses across the world are looking at ways they can reduce the level of waste they produce, whether that’s switching to eco-friendly packaging or incorporating greener manufacturing methods. However, this is not so simple for companies and businesses that use large amounts of packaging or physical products. A sector that springs to mind is manufacturing, due to their usage of packaging and the waste that is often created as part of the process. Therefore, it’s not difficult to see why they aren’t typically seen as environmentally friendly or clean. That being said things have drastically changed and the manufacturing industry is now on board with the green movement more than ever. Sustainability, healthier environments and lower costs are just some of their incentives. Here, we’ve taken a look at some of the ways those in manufacturing are incorporating more eco-friendly practices. Reducing waste One of the biggest concerns for the manufacturing industry is the efficient use of raw materials. Think of wood products and the huge demand for these which has resulted in the cutting down of many forests around the world. To combat this, manufacturing companies are looking into more sustainable materials, such as bamboo which grows faster and yields a bigger crop and so is becoming more popular in the industry. Recycling In the same style as reducing waste, more and more manufacturers are adopting recycling policies as an important part of their eco-friendly process. Some are choosing to use recycled products to feature as the base of their own products, instead of raw materials. New materials that have the durability of plastic are now appearing all over the market, providing our manufacturers with a much greener option for their products and packaging. Tente is a prime example of a manufacturer who has heavily researched sustainability and developing more environmentally friendly products. Their castor wheels now emit less noise while still offering the same load capacity and their lightweight construction means companies save when it comes to operating costs, as well as carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption. Lean production The 1980s and 1990s saw a huge revaluation in manufacturing when it comes to lean production. While it’s main focus is on lowering production costs lean production has another great benefit: it’s green. Reducing waste across the board, lean production focuses on ‘just in time production‘ so that companies are only employing the number of people they need, producing and shipping only as much as they need and streamlining their process to maximise efficiency. New advances in technology make it possible for improvement across all aspects of production and makes it possible to reduce energy consumption. Updating facilities When people think of manufacturing, they often picture big factories with huge smoke stacks coming from them, by far not the greenest of images we’ve ever had. The move to greener facilities whether they’re new or refurbished means we can make this image a thing of the past. Inefficient machinery can consume 70 per cent more energy than it needs to; focusing on energy efficient plants will help manufacturers reduce their energy consumption, and bill. Other areas that are being focused upon include heating and cooling, investing in clean renewable energy, such as solar or wind power.
Rallying against the ongoing economic and political uncertainties the UK faces ahead of our departure from the European Union, office investment volume in Central London in 2018 is expected to come close to £20 billion, according to international real estate advisor Savills. Performance is in line with 2017 activity London has witnessed notably above average levels of office take-up in 2018, Savills explains, and achieved the best ever City of London rent (£80 per sq ft). The list of global businesses committing to long term leases has continued to grow with announcements in the last 12 months from Facebook, LinkedIn and Sidley Austin amongst others. The constrained development pipeline has seen more office pre-lets over 50,000 sq ft agreed in 2018 than ever before and of late, Savills says, the shortage of available Grade A options has matured into a greater number of value add/ development opportunities trading. This has seen the return of UK REITS to the market, now the second biggest investor group in the City, and established global investors such as Brookfield and Tishman Speyer. Stephen Down, head of Central London investment at Savills, comments: “Commercial property investment volumes in London have exceeded expectation since the EU referendum as the city has remained the leading destination for global capital. Asian investors lead the way, and the pool of investor appetite has continued to spread to other parts of Asia, most notably in 2018 to South Korea (Savills advised on five of the nine deals to complete to South Korean investors in London in 2018), and elsewhere. The return of UK buyers and the appetite from global developers for London has enriched the argument that there is no better city to invest in the world today.” Savills says the level of demand for London offices offers investors liquidity in the ability to buy and sell assets when other property sectors, such as retail, are struggling. Compared to Tier One cities in mainland Europe London also appears good value with prime yields in the City (4.0%) and West End (3.25%) considerably softer than other European tier one cities (Berlin 2.9%, Munich 2.9%, Frankfurt 3.0%, Hamburg 3.0% and Paris 3.0%). Savills believes a greater number of value-add and development opportunities coming to the market and trading in London will insure the ongoing creation of the world’s best office buildings in a city where people will continue to want to work. This in turn creates new investment opportunities for global investors searching for prime assets. Rasheed Hassan, head of the cross border investment team at Savills comments: “ There is appetite from across the globe for London. Looking ahead, the correlation between the UK’s yields, currency and interest rates will remain a key driver to London’s investment market. Given where sterling is today we are seeing increased enquiries from our private investor clients in particular, who seem poised to invest in 2019. We believe that once there is more clarity on the direction of Brexit there will be more activity from many and would highlight there being a particular pent up demand from mainland European investors, who have been cautious. We are seeing demand for assets across the risk spectrum from core income to development projects.” Savills concludes that while we continue to operate in uncertain times the full health of London’s offices market should be able to absorb most shocks felt in the run up to Brexit and thereafter.
Residents of the Treseifion estate in Holyhead who live in properties owned by the Isle of Anglesey County Council will be the first to benefit from the new ATMOS® PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) systems from EnviroVent. Isle of Anglesey County Council has committed to 60 EnviroVent units on this scheme, including 35 ATMOS® loft mounted units and 25 wall mounted ventilation units, as part of the refurbishment of a number of its properties. The ventilation installations will be completed along with other upgrades to the properties which includes external wall insulation and render, replacement roof coverings, new windows and doors plus external works such as replacement paths and fencing. Not only are the units utilised on this particular planned scheme they will also be installed on responsive maintenance works and integrated also into the Council’s void properties on behalf of Isle of Anglesey County Council’s Housing Maintenance Unit. Isle of Anglesey County Council have installed EnviroVent’s Filterless Infinity Fans and its PIV units for over 5 years now on a number of properties within their housing stock of approximately 3,800 dwellings that consist of traditionally and non traditionally built houses, bungalows and flats. Terry Barton, Capital Works Team Leader for the Isle of Anglesey Council, said: “We selected EnviroVent’s ventilation systems as they have proven to be very reliable and effective in combating condensation issues and mould growth in our residents homes. We were also impressed that EnviroVent offers a 10 year full parts and labour warranty on its loft-mounted ATMOS® units.” Stephen Winstanley, Sales Manager for EnviroVent, said: “This is an exciting period for EnviroVent and we are delighted to be working with Isle of Anglesey County Council to improve air quality in their homes. The ATMOS® range has only been introduced in the last few months but has a whole range of features that make it ideal for social housing providers and private landlords.” ATMOS® by EnviroVent is the first smart range of PIV solutions with five different units available designed to improve indoor air quality and eradicate the problem of condensation and mould growth in all types and sizes of homes. All the loft-mounted products within the ATMOS® range come with a 10 year warranty, which includes any necessary repair or replacements being installed completely free of charge. ATMOS® has great connectivity as it features the new myenvirovent app, which is the first app of its kind that gives the homeowner complete control of their ventilation system at the touch of a button. The app, accessed via most smartphones, can be used to adjust boost functionality, airflow, heater and monitor filter performance. Another option with the ATMOS® unit is the facility to link to the AirSens® range of air quality sensors. AirSens® is available in three different versions to enable the occupant to monitor Carbon Dioxide levels, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) or relative humidity. When AirSens® detects an increase in these levels, Atmos® reacts automatically by instantly supplying more fresh air into the property to maintain a healthy environment thus creating an improved level of air quality. For any social housing provider interested in ATMOS®, EnviroVent has its own specialist team who will survey, recommend and then install the product into an existing or new property. Residents of the Isle of Anglesey County Council properties which are upgraded to the ATMOS® ventilation units will receive energy efficiency benefits too as it enables the warmer air at ceiling level to be gently redistributed to heat the home. This can lead to a saving of around 10% of a home’s annual heating costs. EnviroVent offers a full range of ventilation solutions to the new build and refurbishment sectors. Its award-winning products are UK manufactured and can be installed by EnviroVent’s own dedicated team of nationwide installation engineers, who also provide after-sales support. For more information on ventilation solutions from EnviroVent, visit the website www.envirovent.com or call 0845 27 27 810.
Longcliffe Quarries are now supplying LONGFLOOR, a groundbreaking dry powder bulk binder for the manufacture of liquid cement screeds. The LONGFLOOR liquid cement screed system has major advantages over both traditional screeds and anhydrite/gypsum flowing screeds. LONGFLOOR can be laid at ten times the speed of traditional screeds, manual handling is avoided and a denser, more even surface and creamy smooth finish achieved. LONGFLOOR dries at three times the speed of anhydrite/gypsum based flowing screeds. There is no laitance to sand off. Contamination and blistering issues with wet concrete or cement based floor adhesives are totally avoided. This innovative product is not susceptible to cracking, crazing or curling and can be laid in wet areas. Applications include both domestic and commercial and provide good thermal conductivity over underfloor heating. It can be applied down to 25mm thickness in bays of up to 150m2. A single crew can lay 1000m2 in a day. The binder consists of superfine high purity limestone powder plus a suite of dry chemical reagents and admixtures manufactured to BSEN 13813:2002. It is made in a new state of the art factory at the Longcliffe quarry near Matlock then delivered by Longcliffe tanker to a stockist’s silo where sand, cement, water and a liquid admixture are added. Stockists are typically ready mixed concrete plants, mixer or dry leg. Delivery to customer can be from drum mix or volumetric trucks. LONGFLOOR liquid cement screed is discharged or more usually pumped in to the building, then simply dappled before applying LONGCURE, a sprayed proprietary curing agent. Longcliffe Quarries are the UK’s largest independent producer of calcium carbonate, (limestone), powders, a company with a 90 year history of quarrying and grinding high purity Derbyshire limestone. As a result of a unique manufacturing process LONGFLOOR has a certified 95% recycled content. Andy Littler, LONGFLOOR Director said: “We are very excited about this pioneering easy to use screed product. For many years the concrete industry has tried to develop a cement based liquid screed which flows well, dries quickly and is not prone to cracking. We have now achieved this. The screed industry is witnessing a sea change in favour of cement based liquid screeds and we intend to make LONGFLOOR the market leader and top performing benchmark standard”. LONGFLOOR screed is currently available to screed contractors in the North West, Midlands, South East, London, South West, Humberside and Scotland. LONGFLOOR screed is being supplied on a daily basis in these areas with contracts up to 600m3 secured. We would welcome enquiries from additional stockists who would receive full technical and commercial support from the highly experienced Longfloor team. For further information please go to www.longfloor.co.uk or phone the LONGFLOOR sales office on 01629 540284.
A business obviously has to make a profit to survive, but once a profit is being made the next goal is increasing it. If a business isn’t making a profit or barely breaking even then clearly more income is required. In both cases the remedy is to increase profit margins – but how? The simple answer is to either increase income or lower expenses – ideally both for an extra boost to margins. Lowering expenses Increase efficiency – improving stock control and cutting down on wastage can be achieved through using modern stock tracking software. Reducing waste immediately cuts expenses on re-stocking and perhaps over spending on stock that’s not required so helping profit margins widen. Good stock control systems provide intelligence about what’s selling and when, so you can focus more on products that are shifting quicker than slower moving items. Review your buying habits – are you getting the best deal from your suppliers? It pays to regularly check. Maybe buying in more bulk might reduce the overall price per item? Be careful not to overdo this though and end up with items sitting around unsold tying up money. Check you’re not paying over the odds with other items such as utilities and stationery supplies. Any savings you can make all help improve margins. Marketing costs – you may be able to reduce the cost of each sale by lowering how much you spend on getting each customer ‘through the door’. If you haven’t looked into digital marketing methods such as social media maybe it’s time you did? In general, social media and email marketing can cost much less than traditional forms such as on page advertising. Focus on existing customers – it’s far less expensive to sell to existing customers than finding new ones, so spend time actively selling to your existing customer base. Reduce overheads – perhaps consider the following: Premises – maybe you could scale back on where you do business. Perhaps you’re not fully utilizing the space you’re paying for so smaller and less costly premises might be worth considering. Staffing – redundancies are a major move in reducing overheads, but other less drastic measures can reduce costs. Outsourcing instead of hiring for certain roles could save money; no office space to provide, no pension contributions and other ‘plus salary’ costs. If someone has left perhaps their job can be absorbed by others or outsourced? Increasing profits Increase average customer spend – the classic way many successful companies maximize revenue and margins is to sell more to the same customer. Fast food giant McDonald’s has the classic “do you want fries with that?” or “go large for XX extra” as a way of making more from each sale. People spending even a little more per sale can make a huge difference to the bottom line. When factoring in Business Process Outsource for use, this will ensure the best savings. Along with offering add ons, up selling and cross selling is worth doing if appropriate in your business. Amazon do this as a matter of course by showing other items on product pages under the captions: ‘others also bought this’ and ‘you might also be interested in this’. Focus on higher margin and best selling lines – if you offer a range of products or services then maybe it’s worth focusing on those with the best margins or those that sell the best. Spending time and money in lower performing areas could be cut or at least reduced so focusing on the higher margin areas. Raise prices – an obvious move to increase margins but when did you last raise your prices? This will largely depend on what business you’re in of course, and maybe it’s a very price sensitive market you’re in, but as your costs increase you’re in effect lowering your profit margin if your prices stay the same. Overall review of service It’s worth periodically reviewing your business offering and how you provide it. By changing aspects of your service you may be able to, for example, lower overheads without compromising on the quality of your products or services
SPSenvirowall, a UK leading supplier of external wall insulation, render and facades, has secured BOPAS (Buildoffsite Property Assurance Scheme) accreditation for its innovative, rain screen cladding, RendaClad for the new build and offsite construction industry. RendaClad was developed for applying a non-structural and seamless rendered rain screen system to a timber-framed substrate. It replaces the need to build a structural masonry outer leaf that is finished with low-performance cementitious renders. RendaClad is a full façade system made up of many carefully selected components which have been rigorously tested and as an entire system makes up one of a very few BBA approved systems of its type which provides the reassurance that it will perform over the long term. The system ensures a fully ventilated and drained cavity is maintained within the wall structure, meeting the requirements of the NHBC and TRADA. The system can be applied to any wall structure, lightweight steel frame or masonry construction. SPSenvirowall is delighted that RendaClad is the first and currently only proprietary solution which has undergone the rigorous BOPAS accreditation process designed to give lenders and surveyors the assurance of the building materials utilised within a development. This has provided confidence to the market that the innovative concept has a minimum life expectancy of 60-years. This accreditation will allow SPSenvirowall to deliver its RendaClad system to offsite and modular developments, enabling the supply of a greater range of projects while providing the assurance required to satisfy mortgage lenders and their surveyors, meaning that the RendaClad system will last for a minimum of two mortgage cycles With the challenges brought by the government to build 250,000 homes per year, the demand for innovative or non-traditional methods of construction to replace poor quality and conventionally constructed homes has never been greater. BOPAS accreditation assures lenders, funders, valuers and purchasers that homes built from non-traditional means will be durable and deliver the quality required by the industry. About SPSenvirowall SPSenvirowall is a leading UK supplier of external wall insulation systems to the construction industry for new build and refurbishment applications. Supplying insulation systems, high-quality decorative renders, façades and rain screen cladding solutions, SPSenvirowall offers a value-added and integrated service to any construction project. To find out more about SPSenvirowall, visit www.spsenvirowall.co.uk or call 01535 661633. Media enquiries to Natasha Ives or Sarah Wason at SPSenvirowall on 0845 644 7081 or email natasha.ives@spsenvirowall or sarah.wason@spsenvirowall.co.uk
A development of high-quality homes is being built in the Narbeth area, with local construction firm R&M Williams already starting work on the site. The Maes Yr Orsaf development will contain 19 four-bedroom properties and will comprise of private and affordable social housing, with work due for completion in 2019. Darryn Parry, managing director of R&M Williams said on the project: “We’re delighted to be providing new-build housing for residents in Narbeth this year. This is a highly sought after area for homeowners, particularly with the reputation Narbeth has for being a shopper’s haven and being so well connected to Haverfordwest, Tenby, Cardigan and Carmarthen. “The development will also be within close reach of Canaston Woods, which offers residents a wealth of opportunity for walking, cycling and horse riding so we expect that there will be high demand once the properties are open for occupancy.” The properties at Maes Yr Orsaf are set to be laid out over two floors, with three bedrooms on the second floor and the master bedroom in the attic with en suite attached. Each property will be valued between £210-£240k and will be available for sale from 2019. Darryn added: “This is a great opportunity for more families to enjoy everything that Narbeth has to offer. The development of Maes Yr Orsaf has been designed to help provide quality, affordable housing for people in Pembrokeshire and attract new residents to the community. We’re very much looking forward to breaking ground on the project today.” R&M Williams is an award winning house builder which has construction, maintenance, development, mechanical and electrical installation, as well painting and decorating divisions, has experience across an extensive range of sectors and was recognised for its services to construction this year, earning a Local Authority Building Control Building Excellence Award and a silver Considerate Constructors National Site Award for its work on the Urban Quarter. For more information about the Maes Yr Orsaf Development, contact FBM Estate Agents in Narberth: https://www.fbm.co.uk/branches/narberth
The construction industry is booming. 2018 alone saw work valued at over £100 billion take place in the UK and the number of construction firms operating in the country rose by 6.2%.* In addition to the usual tools and equipment you’d expect to find in the toolkit of any operator in the industry there is something extra that needs to be considered to give your business the ultimate edge: a lawyer. The construction industry contends with a wide range of legal issues, each of which needs addressing swiftly by practitioners with a thorough understanding of that industry**. This is where leading law firm Prettys steps in. Based in Ipswich, the firm has experts in all areas of commercial law and an experienced Construction team that can provide responsive support on the full breadth of matters faced by businesses throughout the supply chain, both contentious and non-contentious. Rebecca Palmer, Senior Associate in Prettys’ Construction team gave her insights into how a lawyer can become an integral part of the toolkit of construction businesses of every tier of the supply chain. Solutions not problems Prettys’ lawyers tackle a variety of construction-based legal issues on a daily basis – from reviewing, negotiating and finalising documentation, to analysing the client’s position in respect of a brewing dispute and navigating the client through next steps. A client’s needs determine Prettys’ approach – sometimes the appropriate tools are a chisel and some sandpaper; on other occasions an axe may be called for! Whatever the requirements, the team offers a bespoke package of services and a client-centred approach. The Construction team’s members make sure they are available for those ad hoc queries and present clients with solutions, not problems. Regular communication Prettys differentiates itself from competitors by delivering tailored solutions in a jargon-free way. This ensures letters are moulded to fit how they talk to their clients so that delivery is packaged in a manner that works for the client’s business. This could mean short emails with straight to the point bullets, phone calls or face-to-face visits. As well as this, to take away any administrative burden from the client, the team will ghost-write letters of correspondence on their behalf. Going above and beyond For many clients, Prettys acts as an instantly available helpline for any construction law issues they may have. The firm is very much an extension of its clients’ businesses. Price transparency is key. Prettys prioritises certainty for its clients and steers clear from issuing invoices that contain surprises. But it’s the level of support the client requires that dictates the level of input supplied – sometimes clients need urgent support, on other occasions all that is required is a quick chat and corroboration on an approach. Fighting for clients Prettys always puts clients’ interests at the forefront of everything it does. It is important to get the balance right between being approachable and friendly and being able to go into that tense negotiation ready to fight the client’s corner and achieve a timely solution. Prettys will not let clients be bullied. Moulding its service to match the needs of each and every client, Prettys’ lawyers pride themselves on being more than just providers of legal advice. Instead, they quickly become an extension of the clients’ own teams and share with everyone they work with the benefits of: industry-leading advice; commercial insight; cost effective solutions; one-to-one support; and exemplary levels of flexible, prompt and responsive service. The Construction team will be on hand to provide their expertise at The Doyle Club’s January event. The Doyle Club is an exclusive organisation that provides businesses within the construction sector the chance to network with others in the industry. The next meeting will take place on 3 January and see Rebecca and her colleague, Michael Booth, deliver a presentation on updates in Construction law in 2018. For more information on Prettys’ construction team, get in touch by calling 07770 287 967 or email rpalmer@prettys.co.uk. Sources: *https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/constructionindustry/articles/constructionstatistics/number192018edition **Thomson Reuters and The Lawyer’s report entitled “Standing out from the crowd: What businesses value most from their law firms”