A £1.4m programme of fire safety improvement work in which Focus Consultants undertook the building surveying, design and contract administrator responsibilities has been completed on a ward at Lincoln County Hospital. The third floor Branston Ward (gynaecology) at Lincoln County Hospital has just undergone a major refurbishment, as part of
Australia is an amazing country, unique in every way from it’s scenery, its wildlife and it’s way of life. It is so beautiful and offers so many unforgettable experiences it is no wonder that so many have it on their bucket list of must-see destinations. It is easy to get
From Bath to Doncaster and Chelmsford to Guildford, top-10 housebuilder Linden Homes has been spreading some festive cheer across the communities it builds in with staff from across the business taking part in a range of activities to help those in need this Christmas. In both Guildford and Chelmsford, the
Real Estate Management (UK) Limited (“REM”) and Sellar, the joint development manager, celebrated Shard Place, the third phase of development at Shard Quarter, reaching its highest point with a traditional construction topping out event. The 26-storey residential building stands between The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, and The News Building
Construction consultancy KAM Project Consultants is celebrating five years in business. The independent company of project managers and cost consultants focuses on delivering schemes across two primary markets – industrial/distribution and commercial mixed-use. Directors Kevin Sims and Mike Wilcock set up KAM in 2013 after 30 years of working together
Acclaimed North East businessman, Gary Lumby has been appointed non-executive director by Newton Aycliffe firm BTS Facades & Fabrications, to assist the company in achieving its ambitious growth plans. The well-established firm, which has worked on projects including Tottenham Hotspurs’ new stadium, the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon site, and student
The approval of a horticulture/landscaper supervisor apprenticeship is the latest in a suite of new standards which are revolutionising careers for the future in arboriculture, forestry horticulture and landscape industries. The new apprenticeship, announced by the arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscape apprenticeship trailblazer group will provide the technical and supervisory
Wyndham’s, the Gielgud and the Prince of Wales… three evocative names, synonymous with the glamour and prestige of London’s theatreland, have all recently been restored to their former glories by Thomann-Hanry®. Using their patented façade gommage® technique, the company wound the clock back over a century at each of these
The first phase of plans to transform the Kings Hall heritage site to a Health and Wellbeing Campus has been granted Planning Approval by Belfast City Council. Based in south Belfast, the Kings Hall Health and Wellbeing Park will become the most innovative Health and Wellbeing hub in the UK. TODD Architects and Consarc Design Group are working
Two women managing directors who have carved out successful niches in Scotland’s male-dominated construction sector have been elected joint winners at the latest hub South West Building for Growth Programme awards event held last week in Glasgow’s 29 Club. In a break with tradition, a panel of eminent construction sector
A £1.4m programme of fire safety improvement work in which Focus Consultants undertook the building surveying, design and contract administrator responsibilities has been completed on a ward at Lincoln County Hospital. The third floor Branston Ward (gynaecology) at Lincoln County Hospital has just undergone a major refurbishment, as part of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ULHT) ongoing fire safety upgrades. The 18-bed ward has benefited from new ceilings, flooring and patient bathrooms, in addition to a full set of new fire doors and new lighting throughout. The third-floor revamp is part of an extensive programme of work at Lincoln to update and improve the entire maternity wing. Now the building surveying team at Focus Consultants is undertaking a similar role as improvement and refurbishment work gets under way on the ground floor antenatal and community midwife offices at the hospital. The company is also due to be involved when improvements are made to the second floor in due course. Keith Butler, partner at Focus Consultants, which has its headquarters in Nottingham and branches in Leicester, Newark, Boston and London, said: “Focus Consultants has wide experience of working on sensitive sites, such as hospitals, where it is crucial for day-to-day services to continue operating. “These refurbishment schemes at the maternity unit at Lincoln County Hospital are the latest in a number of hospital projects to improve facilities that Focus has been involved in – providing building surveying, design and contract administrator services. We have worked with Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Grantham Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital, helping to improve the surroundings and safety of the patient and staff environment.” The improvements at Lincoln County Hospital are part of a Trust-wide £46m capital investment spanning three financial years (2017/18 – 2019/20), which includes increased staff training and putting in fire prevention systems, including modernising and upgrading fire alarm systems, improving fire doors and enhancing fire barriers around all the hospitals. Focus provides a range of consultancy services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, project management and sustainable development support. For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.com
Australia is an amazing country, unique in every way from it’s scenery, its wildlife and it’s way of life. It is so beautiful and offers so many unforgettable experiences it is no wonder that so many have it on their bucket list of must-see destinations. It is easy to get carried away choosing all the wonderful things that you will see and do on your trip of a lifetime, and planning is all part of the fun. But the most important part of the planning, aside from booking flights and arranging your itinerary, is to make sure you can actually enter the country in the first place! And for this you will need to arrange a tourist visa Australia issued in advance of travelling. There are two types of tourist visa for Australia- which one do I need? There are two types of tourist visa the ETA visa to Australia and the eVisitor. It is important that you choose the right one. Which is dependant on the country stated as your nationality on your passport. The ETA visa is for citizens of the USA, Canada, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The eVisitor is for citizens of Europe. Aside from this both have many similarities, and both have two types – the tourist visa and the visa for business, which have slightly different things that you will be allowed to do while in Australian territory. They represent permission to enter Australian territory, and the visas are electronically linked to you passport. They are for short term stays only, and only for tourism or business activities. Both are also valid for one year, with a maximum stay of 3 months per trip, no more. This does mean that you can return to Australia several times during the validity of the visa. Because the visas are linked to your passport number it is absolutely vital that you use the same passport to travel, otherwise you will be refused entry. If for some reason your passport changes, either because it is lost or stolen or needs to be renewed, then you must apply for a new visa. But don’t worry this doesn’t apply if you lose your passport while in Australia and need to be issued a new one by your embassy you don’t need to renew the visa – it is only to enter the country you need it. How do I get a tourist visa for Australia Whichever type of visa you need, the eVisitor or the ETA, you can apply quite easily online for both by filling in the online application form. You will need to apply for a visa per person, even for children and babies included on a parent’s passport. Each person has to have their own visa or will be denied entry. You need to be resident outside of Australia when you do it, and will need your passport, email address and credit card and your personal details. You should check before you start that there is not some reason you do not meet the criteria. For example if you have tuberculosis, or a criminal record this can be enough to be refused a visa – or worse issued a visa but the later refused entry. It is worth doing some research into the reasons why you may not have permission to use this process, and things that might mean you are refused as there are more. As an example, you are not eligible for the eVisitor if your passport is as a British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected PErson or British Subject passport. And this is just one such rule to be aware of. Once you have completed the online application, it is relatively quick to receive your visa if there are not problems with the application. In most cases the ETA will take a couple of hours to receive an answers, and the eVisitor usually a couple of hours, but for 25% of applicants it can take up to 3 working days. Do not be alarmed if your family members are approved at different intervals, for example hours or a day or two apart. This is perfectly normal and happens because each application is reviewed separately. Once approved you will receive an email confirmation of everything that you can print or keep on a mobile device for future validation, although you shouldn’t need to show anyone as it is linked to your passport number and this will display when you check in for your flight.. Even though it is very quick, try not to leave it to the very last minute – better to have some peace of mind! What can I do with my tourist or business visa? The rules again are very similar regardless of which visa type you need for your nationality. Under the tourist category you can visit for things like visiting the territory for sightseeing and normal tourist activities, or to visit friends and family who may be living there. In addition is also allows you to study for up to 6 months also. With the business visa, again the things you can do are similar regardless of the type of visa you need. You will be able to conduct business research in order to identify future corporate collaborations. You are also permitted to look for work – with a view to eventually move to Australia permanently – although you must not actually do any paid work. You will also be able to undertake negotiations, reviews and signing of business or employment contracts, or attend conferences and seminars – as long as you are not paid for attending. There is one small difference in that the eVisitor for Europeans allows you to also do volunteering work too for either the tourist or business visa. If you wish to stay longer, or undertake paid work you will need to apply for a different type of visa and will not be able
From Bath to Doncaster and Chelmsford to Guildford, top-10 housebuilder Linden Homes has been spreading some festive cheer across the communities it builds in with staff from across the business taking part in a range of activities to help those in need this Christmas. In both Guildford and Chelmsford, the Linden Homes South and Eastern teams have been collecting and delivering gifts to local children who may be spending their Christmas in either a hospital or a hospice this year. Employees from Linden Homes South dug deep and donated a range of gifts to the children at the Shooting Star Chase Hospice in Guildford. Speaking of the donation, Jenny Pearman, corporate relationship manager at Shooting Star Chase said: “The gifts donated by Linden Homes will help make our Christmas celebrations extra special at our two hospices and means our hospice at home team can deliver gifts to children and siblings throughout December.” For the fifth-consecutive year, the staff from Linden Homes Eastern played Santa and delivered sacks full of goodies to the children at the Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford. The hospital’s fundraising manager, Charlotte Jefcoate said: “We would like to thank Linden Homes for once again visiting the children and making their day with these wonderful gifts.” Further North, the Linden Homes East Yorkshire division has been supporting the Doncaster Homeless Outreach Service, a charity that helps rough sleepers across Yorkshire take the first steps towards finding a home, whilst offering emotional support and practical advice. The team from Linden Homes collected ‘Christmas bags’, with the contents including basic but essential toiletries. Developments operated by Linden Homes Western also became home to food bank collection points, which will remain open throughout January. Local schools, businesses and residents have been invited to donate food that can be then distributed to people in a time of crisis. Linden Homes communications manager, Naomi Burrell commented “It’s fantastic to see the Linden Homes business units pulling together to help out and give back to the communities nearby to our developments up and down the country. Our staff have gone the extra mile to bring some Christmas cheer to children and families. It’s so heartening to see the donated gifts and items coming in and even more heartening to see how much pleasure these generous gifts give.”
Real Estate Management (UK) Limited (“REM”) and Sellar, the joint development manager, celebrated Shard Place, the third phase of development at Shard Quarter, reaching its highest point with a traditional construction topping out event. The 26-storey residential building stands between The Shard, Western Europe’s tallest building, and The News Building in London Bridge and will comprise of 176 apartments. The topping out event was led by Michael Baker, CEO of REM, and James Sellar, CEO of Sellar. They welcomed representatives from the project team, which includes architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop, construction managers Mace and project engineer WSP, and local dignitaries. To mark the event, a delegation travelled to the very top of the building to fill one final section with concrete using a ceremonial spade. Shard Place is the third phase of the £3.5 billion redevelopment of the estate next to London Bridge station, now known as Shard Quarter. The project team will now turn its attention to completing the cladding, which is in keeping with the aesthetics of The Shard and The News Building. The interior fit out has already commenced with the installation of high-quality fixtures and fittings. When completed in late 2020, Shard Place will provide a choice of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside amenities for the exclusive use of residents including a cinema, spa, and private roof garden. The building will appear to ‘float’ nine metres above ground level providing 13,000 sq ft of public realm and circa 12,000 sq ft of retail space, further reinforcing Shard Quarter as one of London’s most vibrant communities. Residents will benefit from Shard Quarter’s exceptional transport links given its proximity to London Bridge Station. Alongside the onsite amenities, Shard Quarter is next door to world-famous cultural hotspots and historical locations, such as Borough Market, Bermondsey Street and Tower Bridge, making the area an attractive place to live, as well as work and visit. James Sellar, CEO, Sellar said: “In keeping with the now well-established Shard Quarter, this latest phase brings a residential building designed by a world class architectural team. Our joint venture with the State of Qatar is creating a beautiful building with apartments of the highest design standards. As well as creating an integrated lifestyle building with outstanding amenities and spectacular views across London, Shard Place completes our vision for a truly mixed-use development at London Bridge which we commenced development of in 2008. This latest phase reflects Qatar’s commitment to both The Shard Quarter and its confidence in London and the UK, as well as the continuing strength of the relationship between the two countries” Michael Baker, CEO, Real Estate Management (UK) Limited, said: “The vision for Shard Quarter was to create a mixed-use quarter where people could live, work and relax. Shard Place will make this a reality when the first residents move in towards the end of 2020. With London’s population projected to grow rapidly over the next 15 years, we know that there will be strong demand for well-located homes and we have chosen to satisfy the need for high quality apartments. Shard Place will offer its residents an enviable lifestyle with exclusive amenities within the building and one of London’s most vibrant neighbourhoods on their doorstep all a stone’s throw from a major transportation hub.” Gareth Lewis, Mace’s Chief Operating Officer for Construction, said: “Shard Place will be an iconic addition to the London skyline and a fitting conclusion to delivery of the Shard Quarter. It’s a project that Mace is very proud to be working on, having been involved in the delivery of the Shard Quarter from the very beginning. This topping out reflects a significant milestone on the journey to delivering this complex and challenging construction project.” Joost Moolhuijzen, Architect, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, said: “Topping out is always a great moment, you finally start to see what the building will become. Some of its secrets get unveiled. It tells us also that the name “Shard Place” is right: “Shard” as it really feels like an integral part of The Shard. “Place” as it shows that once the hoardings will disappear a great Public Realm will appear connecting the Shard Quarter Piazza with St Thomas Street, opening up a whole new pedestrian route.” REM AND SELLAR CELEBRATE SHARD PLACE “TOPPING OUT” AS 26-STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING REACHES ITS HIGHEST POINT Shard Place is a 26-storey residential building owned by the State of Qatar and developed in joint venture with Sellar Comprising 176 well specified apartments, following practical completion in 2020 Shard Place marks the latest phase in a £3.5 billion redevelopment of the Shard Quarter and in conjunction with the team from Renzo Piano Building Workshop adds an iconic residential landmark next to the Shard
Construction consultancy KAM Project Consultants is celebrating five years in business. The independent company of project managers and cost consultants focuses on delivering schemes across two primary markets – industrial/distribution and commercial mixed-use. Directors Kevin Sims and Mike Wilcock set up KAM in 2013 after 30 years of working together on a range of high-profile clients at an international consultancy. Since then they have been joined by seven directors to take the business forward on to the next stage of its growth cycle. The company now has a 34-strong team across its offices in Milton Keynes and Leicester and an impressive array of clients including GLP Gazeley, Bericote, Panattoni, Sainsbury’s and DHL. Sticking to its company mission statement – ‘One Team Delivering Excellence’ and working with the wider project team, KAM team members always strive to deliver exceptional results for clients. This ethos combined with the diverse calibre of expertise in the KAM team, is the reason KAM has experienced significant expansion and the company was listed in the top three of the 150 fastest growing companies in Building magazine with 64% growth and a 40% increase in staff in just the last year. The company is continuing its expansion plans and its current recruitment drive is focusing on cost managers for both of its UK offices. Projects in mainland Europe are also a possibility in 2019. Kevin said: “Five years ago Mike and I set up our new venture with a lot of hard work and hope. Our vision was to build a project manager/quantity surveyor (PM/QS) business that puts customers at the forefront of everything it does. “Since then, along with many other dedicated and talented individuals, KAM has grown into the company it is today – the premier PM/QS business in the industrial and logistics sector. “Our success is derived from exceptional hard work across the team and delivering high quality recruits. We pride ourselves on developing long lasting relationships and ensuring customer satisfaction throughout the delivery of every project. “All of our team are empowered to forge and maintain relationships with both clients and other consultants and we take every pride in each client project that we take on, from the first meeting to completion.” Significant schemes that KAM is currently working on include multiple sites for Panattoni, Bericote’s Littlebrook development, Clipper Logistics’ new warehouse in Crick for Halfords, and a multi storey distribution centre in central London for GLP Gazeley.
Acclaimed North East businessman, Gary Lumby has been appointed non-executive director by Newton Aycliffe firm BTS Facades & Fabrications, to assist the company in achieving its ambitious growth plans. The well-established firm, which has worked on projects including Tottenham Hotspurs’ new stadium, the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon site, and student accommodation in Wembley and Coventry, met Gary at its recent open day and believed that his unique skills could offer considerable benefits. Gary works with 22 other clients across the North East and Yorkshire, adding value to the businesses and contributing to growth. His role at BTS will encompass coaching, strategic planning, and advice and he is joining the firm to help oversee plans to automate its production process and sustain its impressive growth. He said: “BTS is a fabulous company that is growing fast already and is investing heavily in automation and people. The development of its rainwater screening and facade business is fuelling that growth and I am excited to be working with the company to accelerate it even further.” BTS, which employs 49 people, has seen turnover grow from £5.3million to a forecasted £7million over the past 12 months. The company has also invested in low voltage intelligent LED lighting throughout its factory and offices, and a biomass heating system to help reduce its carbon footprint. Phil Atkinson, managing director at BTS, said: “Gary’s appointment is a real triumph for us; my mission for the business is to be one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of rainscreen systems and metal fabrications, I’d like to see turnover reach £10million in the next three to four years and I believe Gary will help us achieve that. “I’m truly passionate about BTS and I am so proud of how far we have come in such a short time. While I enjoy all aspects of my job, I think my favourite part is seeing completed jobs being installed and photos coming back. I also enjoy watching staff excel and come through the ranks. We have a great family feel within the company and it is my pleasure to be part of it and watch it grow.” For more information on BTS Facades & Fabrications, see https://btsfabrications.co.uk/ Twitter: @btsfabs
The approval of a horticulture/landscaper supervisor apprenticeship is the latest in a suite of new standards which are revolutionising careers for the future in arboriculture, forestry horticulture and landscape industries. The new apprenticeship, announced by the arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscape apprenticeship trailblazer group will provide the technical and supervisory skills for those who are maintaining and installing parks, gardens and commercial landscapes. This apprenticeship joins the arborist, forest operative and horticulture / landscape operative apprenticeship standards that were approved in the summer of 2017. Designed by employers working together as the trailblazer group, they contain the skills, knowledge and behaviours that will provide the industry with highly-qualified workers. All these apprenticeships contain the key practical skills required for workers in their respective roles – from tree climbing, planting and felling to soil cultivation and hard landscaping. Successful candidates must pass rigorous end tests that demonstrates they have not only reached the standards required by employers, but also that they can put their skills and knowledge together and do the job effectively. In their first year of being available for delivery, 127 candidates registered on the arborist and 507 on the horticulture / landscape operative apprenticeships. This represents a solid start for these new programmes and the trailblazer group is committed to working with training and assessment providers to make these programmes successful. The employers in the trailblazer group are now discussing future applications for further apprenticeship standards, based on the findings of a recent survey of relevant businesses. Bartlett Tree Experts has stepped down as the lead employer for the trailblazer group and we would like to thank them for their tireless leadership throughout the project. They remain Chair of the arboriculture sub-group and are succeeded by Ground Control Ltd, who have been Chairing the horticulture sub-group since the start in 2014. This work would not have been possible without the hard work, investment and persistence of employers and trade organisations from the industries concerned, which shows how important it is that we work together to ensure the supply of skilled and motivated new entrants to our respective sectors.
Wyndham’s, the Gielgud and the Prince of Wales… three evocative names, synonymous with the glamour and prestige of London’s theatreland, have all recently been restored to their former glories by Thomann-Hanry®. Using their patented façade gommage® technique, the company wound the clock back over a century at each of these iconic buildings, revealing their glorious frontages as they first appeared. Today, all three theatres are owned and run by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. Impressed by the spectacular results achieved by Thomann-Hanry® at other landmarks such as The Bank of England, The Ritz – and more than 30 Listed Buildings in St James’s borough alone – Delfont Mackintosh appointed Thomann-Hanry® to stage similar revivals at their theatrical landmarks. Echoing the magic of miraculous scene changes between acts, each façade clean was completed with no scaffolding, minimal disruption and, at around a week in each case, in next to no time. Carried out from a boom-mounted cabin, this unique process projects fine particles under compressed air across the building’s surface, gently erasing decades of accumulated grime. Underscoring the system’s impeccable environmental credentials, powder / dirt cleaning residues are then efficiently filtered, collected and recycled. Occupying a landmark corner location in Coventry Street, Leicester Square, the Prince of Wales is actually the oldest of the three theatres, with origins dating back to 1884. However, the current Grade II Listed structure was built in the 1930s, designed by renowned cinema and theatre architect Robert Cromie in classic art deco style. The recent façade clean, stone restoration and decoration project carried out by Thomann-Hanry® is the first major restoration work since a £7.5 million refurbishment in 2003. In just six days, some 1,003 square metres of reconditioned stone, render and Portland Stone across two elevations were gently revived and revealed in their original splendour. Designed by prolific theatre architect WGR Sprague, Wyndham’s first opened on 16th November 1899. Situated on Charing Cross Road, this magnificent Grade II* Listed building was built in Modern Renaissance style, with an imposing free classical Portland Stone frontage. Inside, the auditorium was constructed on four levels and decorated in Louis XVI style. Other than a restoration of its stunning ceiling in the 1970s, much of the auditorium has been carefully preserved as it was first built, making it an outstanding exemplar of Victorian architecture and design. Cleaning three elevations in just 8 days, Thomann-Hanry® have ensured that the elevations of this fine building do justice to its spectacular historical interior. Located on Shaftesbury Avenue and with 986 seats on three levels, the Gielgud is another WGR Sprague masterpiece. Having opened as the Hicks Theatre in 1906, it was renamed the Globe Theatre in 1909, changing again to its current name in 1994 in honour of Sir John Gielgud, a legendary English actor whose extraordinary career spanned eight decades. First refurbished in 1987, the theatre last underwent an extensive renovation in 2007, when the exterior was clad in scaffolding for months. In stark contrast, the recent cleaning works by Thomann-Hanry® were completed – scaffold-free – in just 8 days, with two elevations and some 1,086 square metres of Portland Stone restored to their pristine original state with minimal disruption to theatre goers and passers-by in the heart of London’s bustling theatreland.
The first phase of plans to transform the Kings Hall heritage site to a Health and Wellbeing Campus has been granted Planning Approval by Belfast City Council. Based in south Belfast, the Kings Hall Health and Wellbeing Park will become the most innovative Health and Wellbeing hub in the UK. TODD Architects and Consarc Design Group are working with healthcare specialist developers Benmore Octopus Healthcare Developments Ltd on the design of an innovative health park masterplan located at the iconic Kings Hall, South Belfast. The King’s Hall Health and Wellbeing Park is a joint venture between developer Benmore Group and healthcare and property investor Octopus Healthcare. The campus will be the first of its kind, setting a new standard for health care provision in Northern Ireland. It will provide GP services in new accommodation for population south of the city. The vision is to create an integrated healthcare model which will be part of a wider lifestyle, leisure and well-being park. The masterplan scheme of site area 68,424 sqm will offer a range of integrated and onsite health, community and leisure facilities. These include a primary care complex alongside ancillary medical facilities with the ability to accommodate care for over 25,000 patients. The suburban city redevelopment will also include elderly residential care facilities ; consisting of independent living apartments and bespoke homes for the over-55s as well as a hotel and resident’s gym facilities and a multi-storey car park. Architecturally, the former Kings Hall landmark venue will be sensitively refurbished, with the primary design ambition to preserve the heritage of this iconic and unique 1930’s art deco building. The existing Kings Hall will sit at the heart of the scheme, along with the addition of new, neighbouring medical and accommodation-based facilities masterplanned which to create a village feel. The architectural team have developed this landmark regeneration masterplan, working closely with the developers and collaborating with Belfast City Council, extensively engaging with various healthcare stakeholders and the local community. David Burrows of Benmore Octopus said the proposed £100m project will be the “most innovative healthcare and wellbeing hub in the UK”. “It will create next generation GP care services for the growing population of south Belfast as well as delivering a range of on-site diagnostic facilities alongside housing options for the over 55-plus. We believe the King’s Hall Health and Wellbeing Park will be a beacon of excellence and a standard bearer for integrated healthcare provision in the city and Northern Ireland going forward.” Planning Approval was granted by Belfast City Council at the December Planning Meeting and it is proposed that works will commencing on site in 2019
Two women managing directors who have carved out successful niches in Scotland’s male-dominated construction sector have been elected joint winners at the latest hub South West Building for Growth Programme awards event held last week in Glasgow’s 29 Club. In a break with tradition, a panel of eminent construction sector judges concluded that of the eight participating companies on the Building for Growth programme, two businesses, one run by Claire Donnelly, MD of Hillington-based Aspire Industrial Services, and another by Caroline Barrett, MD of CVD Fire Protection from its base in Carluke, Lanarkshire, best demonstrated their vision, strategic planning and leadership. Aspire Industrial Services, which was established only last year is a one-stop shop for the supply hire, testing and servicing for asbestos, construction and demolition activities, with an open trade counter where customers can buy their Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), and branded work and corporate wear. Claire said: “We are a young business, but we have already been fortunate enough to win a number of major contracts on construction sites throughout the UK by introducing innovative products which seek to make construction sites safer. “The Building for Growth programme has been a brilliant opportunity to consider carefully how we can make our business bigger and better and capable of regularly winning work from Tier One construction sector contractors.” CVD Fire Protection, which was established in 1997 is a 50-employee strong, £3m turnover business which provides fire protection, diamond concrete drilling and cutting services to the construction industry. Caroline said: “I really enjoyed the hub’s Building for Growth programme. It was full of ideas on how to make your business better and focused our brains to think about “working on” our businesses rather than simply “working in” them. Above all, I think, it has taught me the importance of having a strategic approach, and I am delighted to have won this award.” A public-private partnership funded by Scotland’s business development agencies and a clutch of Tier One contractors including Morisons, Ashleigh, Graham, Morgan Sindall and Keir, hub South West’s development programme is aimed at ambitious companies in construction and related sectors based in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Now in its ninth cycle, its Building for Growth programme is targeted at ambitious local SMEs looking to grow in a sustainable manner by building upon the skills and internal capacity to take on increasing volumes of work. Over 90 delegates from 72 companies across the region have now graduated from the course. Session workshops focus on topics such as smart tendering, team building, strategic growth and exit options, marketing planning, supplier development programmes, corporate social responsibility and pitching for business. Gordon Hunter, Supply Chain Development Manager at hub South West, said: “Our Building for Growth programme, has already delivered success to the leaders of its participating companies by both broadening and deepening their grasp of the factors needed to win more new, bigger contracts from the Tier One contractors. “We hope and trust that Claire and Caroline and the other participants in our ninth Building for Growth programme will follow in their footsteps.”