SME house builders are to be given help in navigating the development finance process and accessing the funding they need, following the publication of a new guide by UK Finance and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The guide offers practical advice on how small house builders should present their
The new headquarters for community safety in Cleveland, designed by McBains, the leading consulting and design agency, has reached completion, with the latest photographs of the completed state-of-the-art building released for the first time today now that it is fully occupied. The new £9.7m building has been constructed on the
Offsite manufacturer of light gauge steel panelised superstructures Fusion Building Systems, has become a Member of the British Safety Council – a national organisation dedicated to making sure no one is injured at work. Fusion’s membership supports a business aspiration to achieve industry-leading health and safety standards and performance levels,
To effectively advertise, your main goal is to grab your audience’s attention, but many businesses in the building industry find this tricky. Arguably, one of the most effective methods of making someone pay attention is with a large billboard placed strategically in a public place. Originating in New York around
With new housing starts across London falling from 33,722 in 2015 to 27,259 last year, a report in today’s (3 October 2018) Financial Times, reveals that proposed plans by the government to raise Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for non-residents and overseas companies with plans to invest in the capital,
The Momentum Group, a leading UK Tax Credit Advisory firm, based in Northern Ireland, has welcomed newly published statistics from HMRC that show the UK construction industry claimed a total of £80m in R&D Tax Credits. Focused solely on R&D Tax Credits, the company works across most sectors of industry
The UK’s digital revolution in energy markets will lead to significant and additional demand for physical services, according to Jon Parr, Managing Director of Lowri Beck, one of the country’s largest independent meter installers and data collection specialists. He predicts that digitalisation will quicken product innovation for energy technology, such
Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has delivered the UK’s first NHS high-energy Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Centre in the North West in collaboration with their supply chain partners Mace, Arup & HKS on time and under budget. The state of the art technology uses an advanced form
Musculoskeletal disorder is more common than you think, and this condition can actually have an impact on the joints, bones and muscles. Unfortunately, many of the adult population are affected by these sorts of conditions and this can massively impact their quality of life. Employers must therefore consider how their
Builders’ merchant, Buildbase is launching a dedicated plumbing and heating business within 44 branches from September 2018. Plumbingbase will be clearly branded alongside Hirebase, Electricbase and, Kitchen and Bathroom Showrooms in Buildbase branches, completing the merchant’s comprehensive offering of everything a tradesperson needs under one roof. Aimed at builders, plasterers,
SME house builders are to be given help in navigating the development finance process and accessing the funding they need, following the publication of a new guide by UK Finance and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The guide offers practical advice on how small house builders should present their finance applications to lenders to improve their chances of success, as well as listing the alternative options available if an application is turned down. It also offers SME house builders advice on how to make the most of the diverse range of finance options available to them including challenger banks, private equity, crowd funding, finance brokers and Government-supported funds. It follows the announcement of several schemes to increase funding for SME house builders, such as the Housing Delivery Fund and the Housing Growth Partnership, which have been backed by the finance industry in partnership with Homes England. The guide, which will be available on both the FMB and UK Finance websites, was launched today at the FMB’s Eastern Business Conference in Chelmsford, Essex. Stephen Pegge, Managing Director of Commercial Finance, UK Finance, said: “The range of finance options available to SME house builders is now greater than ever, from traditional high street lenders to challenger banks and government-supported schemes. But too often, SMEs are deterred from applying for finance because they are unsure about where to look or whether they’ll be successful. “This guide is designed to help smaller housebuilders navigate this diverse landscape and find the right form of finance for them. Through close cooperation between UK Finance, the FMB and the Government, we are determined to help SME builders grow their business and build the homes the country needs.” Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Over the past decade, for many SME house builders, development finance has been difficult to access. Although there have been improvements in this picture in recent years, nearly half of SME house builders still view lack of access to finance as a major constraint on their ability to build new homes. We will continue to work with the Government and UK Finance to identify ways to improve this situation by enabling lenders to lend more to this sector. “However, it is also the case that the process of obtaining development finance can be complex and difficult to navigate, especially for new entrants or those without recent experience of the market. It is important that SME builders and developers understand what to expect when seeking development finance, the options available and the process they will go through. That is what this guide is designed to achieve and we are really pleased to have joined forces with UK Finance to develop some practical advice for builders. We believe it will open doors and play a part in helping more new homes get built.” Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said: “Smaller house builders in particular face challenges accessing the finance they need and this new guide provides useful, practical information on the available options that will help them build the homes the country needs. “As part of our modern Industrial Strategy, the Government is working with the construction sector to boost skills and foster modern building techniques to help the sector reach its full potential.”
The new headquarters for community safety in Cleveland, designed by McBains, the leading consulting and design agency, has reached completion, with the latest photographs of the completed state-of-the-art building released for the first time today now that it is fully occupied. The new £9.7m building has been constructed on the edge of land at Hemlington Grange in Middlesbrough, an area that will be transformed over the coming 10 years with significant residential accommodation, associated community facilities and employment opportunities. The bespoke, 3,000 square-metre Community Safety Hub has been designed as an innovative, efficient, and technologically capable building, providing a workspace for policing and community partners. As well as providing open-plan flexible office accommodation, the building contains Cleveland Police’s 999 call centre and Senior Management Team, as well as the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland. The building is designed as a Community Hub, which provides works space for not only the headquarter functions of the Cleveland Police but also for community partners and as such includes a community café space for use by building users, visitors to the building and the local community. The design balances the need for security and providing an open, civic environment for visitors and members of the community. Mark Baseby, Director at McBains in charge of the project, said: “The central concept behind the building is ‘one force under one roof’, represented conceptually by a single roof forming a protective shell, enveloping all of the force’s core functions. “The design is intended to change the working culture of the police force through the implementation of an agile working model, providing facilities which are more flexible to changing operational requirements and which allow for a reduction in the overall floor space, leading to inherent cost savings.”
Offsite manufacturer of light gauge steel panelised superstructures Fusion Building Systems, has become a Member of the British Safety Council – a national organisation dedicated to making sure no one is injured at work. Fusion’s membership supports a business aspiration to achieve industry-leading health and safety standards and performance levels, setting a benchmark for the offsite construction sector as a whole. As a Member, Fusion will be able to access the latest health and safety information, stay up to date on all legislative changes and utilise the training resources made available for employees, with the aim of achieving a positive and proactive health and safety culture right across the business. David Bayliss, Fusion Health & Safety Manager, said: “Robust health and safety procedures are important for any business, but in construction, the risks could be considered more severe. We operate across varying environments; offices, a manufacturing facility, transportation and on live construction sites, so need to be sure we’re working to best practice guidelines at all times for the safety of our own employees, as well as those they’re working with. “We aspire to be industry-leading in our health and safety standards and our Membership of the British Safety Council will help us on our way to achieving this. All employees will benefit from the online resources which are made available to them and our commitment to working safely will continue to form part of our supply chain partner agreements.” Fusion’s health and safety record over the past seven years is already significantly better than average for the manufacturing facility and is industry-leading on-site. The Company also holds accreditations with CHAS (Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme), BOPAS (Build Offsite Property Insurance Scheme), ISO9001, ISO14001, and is a member of industry bodies including the SCI (Steel Construction Institute). David continued: “Our membership of the British Safety Council is further evidence of how we’re developing as a business and how we’re working to improve standards not only in offsite manufacturing, but across the wider construction industry.” For further information visit www.fusionbuild.com or www.britsafe.org
To effectively advertise, your main goal is to grab your audience’s attention, but many businesses in the building industry find this tricky. Arguably, one of the most effective methods of making someone pay attention is with a large billboard placed strategically in a public place. Originating in New York around 1830, the earliest record of a leased billboard was documented in 1867. But now, the billboard is an essential part of marketing — it’s even had a film made about it (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). Find out exactly why your building business needs to revaluate your marketing campaigns to include billboards, and what tactics you need to adopt to make them successful. How influential are billboards? Output from the construction industry in 2017 hit nearly £164 million — more than double that of the year 2000. Clearly, there’s a lot going on in the sector and you need to ensure your company stays a step ahead — which is where shrewd marketing comes into play. According to Route, the average Brit is classed as ‘out and about’ for three hours and ten minutes every day, spending around 16 minutes in the view of advertisements. Considering this fact, it’d be a mistake to not try and advertise to these potential consumers by placing a large, well-designed billboard somewhere that benefits from high footfall and traffic. Perhaps you need to recruit quality employees quickly to meet demand. No construction company wants to pass on a project just because they don’t have the resources or manpower. In the construction sector today, 87% of employers are facing an issue due to a shortage of skilled workers, according to City & Guilds. A billboard could be the tool you need to advertise the employment opportunities you have to offer — and it shouldn’t take you too much time to put together. A billboard is a single page of design that is simple to design and print, which saves you time and means you can promote vacancies quicker. If you’re trying to sell your services or products, not recruit new employees, billboards remain an essential marketing method. Heard of the ‘Marketing Rule of 7’? Basically, this rule means someone has to hear or see an ad seven times before acting on it. If you put a billboard design on a site that people might pass more than once a day — like on the way to work or school — your potential customers will achieve this magic number of viewings in just a few days. Clearly, billboards can help construction companies with their marketing goals. But how do you go about designing one? Billboard Many billboards are placed on main roads, so it’s vital to create a design that is short, snappy and to the point. Think strategically about what you want on your billboard — someone driving past at 40mph+ is only going to be able to take in so much. Do you want to sell a specific product? Are you spreading brand awareness or promoting an event? Only include the essential marketing message information — like contact details, name of product, date and location of event, and call to action. A billboard is the ideal home for an eye-catching image. According to research, people generally only recall 10% of information they hear three days later. However, using a relevant image alongside this information increases retention by 55%. When designing your billboard, try and think of an unconventional image that will grab a passer-by’s attention — even something as simple as having a large, black-and-white photo of a construction site with only the workers’ construction helmets in yellow would stand out. Also, make sure all the information on your billboard is clear and easy to digest. Utilise bright and bold colours to catch the eye — contrasting colours are reportedly stay in people’s memories for longer, too — and opt for a simple background and large, readable text — Sans Serif is a good shout. Perhaps you’ve decided to place your billboard on a major road. This means plenty of people will pass it, but remember, a motorist only has between five and ten seconds take in an advertisement. So, the more relevant and informative your image is, the less you should need to convey with text — stick to a brief, punchy message of seven words and you should get your marketing message across, no problem. Are you advertising new jobs to young builders? Do you need skilled tradesmen? Are you advertising your construction products to other businesses? Whoever you’re targeting, bear this in mind when choosing your billboard location. For example, if you need young, entry-level employees, find a site near a college. Or if you’re trying to secure deals to work on commercial buildings, go for somewhere near a retail park or area where there’s a lot of trading. Otherwise, you could reduce your ROI due to not being in sight of the people who are most likely to act on your ad. If you’re promoting to businesses in a specific area, create a connection with locals by referencing their town. Include an image of a local landmark to create a sense of familiarity or reference the local traffic in a funny way. Humour generally works in advertising. According to a review of 6,500 ads, the funniest were usually cited as being the most appealing and memorable. What’s more, adopting this creates a more welcoming brand persona, which should encourage custom. Improve your marketing campaigns with these billboard tips and boost your share of the construction sector in 2018! Author bio This article was researched and produced by Where The Trade Buys, retailer of professional printed PVC banners and other printed materials.
With new housing starts across London falling from 33,722 in 2015 to 27,259 last year, a report in today’s (3 October 2018) Financial Times, reveals that proposed plans by the government to raise Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for non-residents and overseas companies with plans to invest in the capital, has been met with criticism from property developers. Commenting on the report, Stacy Eden, Head of Property at national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm, Crowe, said: “In our 2018 Property and Construction survey, which will soon be published, SDLT is identified as one of the key barriers to development by property companies. While increasing the rate of SDLT has long been popular with governments, particularly when it is targeted at overseas investors, any increase is likely to result in a reduction in property transactions, which could result in a slowing of property development generally. “With both the current and previous governments falling short of their target & plans to build new homes year on year, any increase in SDLT could make the current situation even worse. A reduction in transactions caused by higher taxes could have a knock-on effect for property developers, which feeds through to a reduction in housing starts. While the targeting of luxury developments in central London may capture the headlines, it is important to remember that the same developer who is building in Mayfair or Knightsbridge, is also likely to be building affordable homes in other parts of the country. “As with any increase in tax, there comes a point where ultimately receipts will start to fall. Coupled with an inflexible planning system and stringent Green Belt policies, a proposed raise in SDLT could make life even tougher for property developers and ultimately those trying to get onto the housing ladder. Fundamentally, it is up to the government to listen what the industry is telling them.”
The Momentum Group, a leading UK Tax Credit Advisory firm, based in Northern Ireland, has welcomed newly published statistics from HMRC that show the UK construction industry claimed a total of £80m in R&D Tax Credits. Focused solely on R&D Tax Credits, the company works across most sectors of industry with expertise gained in the last decade working with over 500 companies throughout the UK. The latest annual statistics from HMRC show there has been a slight decrease in companies from all regions of the UK claiming R&D Tax Credits, which are designed to drive innovation. Across the UK, London had the most claims with Northern Ireland businesses still significantly behind other regions. The construction industry accounted for only 3% of all claims submitted, highlighting that the industry hasn’t tapped into the potential of the initiative. The average received per R&D tax claim by construction companies was £58,000. This is slightly lower than the £85,000 average overall payment per claim across the industries surveyed. Tom Verner, Group Managing Director, Momentum R&D commented: “While HMRC statistics show many industries in the UK are wakening up to the benefits of R&D Tax Credits, the potential is far greater. In our experience, there are still so many construction businesses that are either not aware of R&D Tax Credits, incorrectly think they do not qualify or feel they lack the necessary experience to submit a claim. In fact, many companies are not claiming their full legitimate entitlement. “At Momentum, we helped a record number of companies with R&D Tax Credit claims in 2017. These are often highly innovative companies, who can reinvest these savings into technological innovation that bolsters their businesses, exports, employment and the local economy in the wake of Brexit.” Momentum is calling on more construction businesses to act now on R&D Tax Credits, highlighting that the regional statistics could be much higher given the increasing investment in export here, with Verner adding: “It is vital that the construction industry recognises the potential of this very accessible UK government incentive. While seeking in-depth advice is vital, with an increasing number of accountancy practices availing of our R&D expertise, we assist businesses every day that have benefitted from tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of pounds. Given the potential, we find it startling that more companies aren’t claiming, and we have made it our mission to highlight the incentive particularly on occasions like today when regional results show improvement from companies to claim their optimum benefit.” Momentum has helped hundreds of highly competitive companies, from manufacturing to construction, food & drink to technology, to claim this UK government incentive. The multi award-winning company assists in a range of areas, investing in understanding and optimising R&D expenditure. The team includes accountancy, business, commercial and ex-HMRC technical experts to ensure every claim gets the necessary expert scrutiny and is thoroughly investigated. Founded in 2009, Momentum is one of the longest established R&D advisory companies in the UK. It is also the only R&D tax practice that focuses on providing advice on long-term R&D strategies, offering a complimentary annual review to its client enabling them to assess current and forward-plan future research and development projects. Ron Gibson, Momentum’s Operations and Technical Director, who sits on HMRC’s R&D Consultative Committee, added: “In an unregulated area, involving often complex financial review, we find increasingly that owners, managing directors, financial controllers and their accountants are turning to the experts to navigate through this intricate R&D tax area.” Momentum works with an increasing number of accountancy practices, business and financial consultants across the UK who partner with the specialist tax credit advisory firm to enhance their service to clients, reduce workload and grow their businesses. For more information on Momentum visit www.momentumgroupni.com
The UK’s digital revolution in energy markets will lead to significant and additional demand for physical services, according to Jon Parr, Managing Director of Lowri Beck, one of the country’s largest independent meter installers and data collection specialists. He predicts that digitalisation will quicken product innovation for energy technology, such as smart meters, and lead to new opportunities for physical services providers. Lowri Beck currently installs and exchanges around 500,000 domestic meters annually, collects data from another 5million for Big 6 and Tier 2 suppliers, and is heavily involved in the nationwide smart meter roll-out. “Some might question the value of physical services in an increasingly digital era, but I believe that digitalisation will actually increase demand way beyond the current smart meter programme,” says Jon Parr, who is leading a strategy for growth focused on the next 20 years. “Energy suppliers, in common with every area of business, are investing heavily in the digital systems that will drive operational efficiency and enhanced customer engagement, but digital will also accelerate innovation in product development – as with smart meters – and in emerging markets, such as EV charging and home energy storage. In 10 years’ time, meters could be 100 times more sophisticated than they are today, working in real time to the minute, and at the same time facilitating load switching. “All these developments require skilled installation and maintenance people, and when you add in regulation such as the incoming 24/7 commitment to restore power when vulnerable households go off-supply, demand for accredited technical support from providers such as Lowri Beck is set to increase significantly.” Based in Wigan, with additional offices in London, East Kilbride, Wrexham, Dunstable and a dedicated training centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lowri Beck was formed by Bob Vernon over 20 years ago and today employs 2,000 people across Britain. Jon Parr, who joined Lowri Beck in October last year, believes that the fast evolving mix of conventional and renewable power generation, and innovations in areas such as home power generation and battery storage, will inevitably lead to technology churn and create new infrastructure requirements. “Take the electric vehicle market, for example, which will grow rapidly in the years to come, driven in part by environmental concerns but also by the much-heralded government ambition to phase out of conventional combustion engine vehicles by 2040. “Not only will EV demand more power capacity, charging technology and payment systems, it will need network infrastructure. Lots of people talk about software and data management but at the end of the day, it still needs screwdrivers, cable clips, skilled resources and capacity to make it happen. “At Lowri Beck, we have over 1,000 flexible, trained and accredited engineers and technical people operating in the field every day, providing vital technical support and management services. It’s our USP and it will be even more relevant in the future.” www.lowribeck.co.uk
Interserve, the international support services and construction group, has delivered the UK’s first NHS high-energy Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) Centre in the North West in collaboration with their supply chain partners Mace, Arup & HKS on time and under budget. The state of the art technology uses an advanced form of radiotherapy for the treatment of complex and hard-to-treat cancers in children and adults. The Christie, who worked in partnership with Interserve, was selected by the Department of Health as one of two providers of the service, together with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Although procured at the same time, The Christie chose to deliver the construction phase through the Procure 21 framework. This speed to site procurement route means that from 2018, patients will benefit from local access to this advanced treatment at The Christie. The state of the art 15,000 m2 five storey building will provide: 4 treatment rooms; a patient reception; consultation rooms and public space. The building is designed to be future proof with additional space for the Trust to grow into. The building will begin treating patients in the autumn and, once fully operational, will treat around 750 people a year. This life-changing facility will not only save lives, but also prevent families from enduring expensive and stressful travel abroad for treatment. PBT uses a high-energy beam of protons rather than high-energy X-rays to deliver a dose of radiotherapy. It directs the radiation treatment to precisely where it is needed with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. As this unique project was the first being built in the UK, Interserve had no blueprint to follow so they travelled extensively around the globe to bring the benefit of international expertise and learning to the UK, overcoming many challenges to deliver this world class facility and become experts in delivering this type of facility. The building’s list of technical features is almost as extraordinary as proton beam treatment itself: To contain the radiation, the concrete walls are up to six metres thick. The building incorporates 20,000m³ of concrete & 1,700 tonnes of reinforcement, including steel bars up to 100mm diameter. Through this, 10km of services pipework has been carefully threaded. The concrete itself weighs 48,000 tonnes, the equivalent of two aircraft carriers. To meet the building’s demanding energy needs, a new sub-station has been built, which provides an equivalent amount of power to that needed to run the nearby Trafford Industrial Park. The building is the first PBT Centre to target BREEAM excellent. Reclaiming heat from the Proton Beam equipment will make a significant contribution to the BREEAM scoring. Jason Dawson, Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this life changing treatment to patients. The delivery of this facility has been one of the most complex and precise projects within the NHS. “We identified very early in the project that we needed a construction partner that could work alongside our team. The partnership approach integrated with Interserve’s technical expertise and energy to solve problems is one of the key reasons we completed on time. George Franks, Managing Director of Interserve Construction said: “We are proud to have delivered this life-changing facility which built on our long-term relationship with The Christie with whom we have been construction partners for more than 10 years. The Interserve team’s knowledge, experience, innovation and expertise as well as the extensive field research undertaken at the start of the project has contributed to delivery on time and on budget. The completion of this project is another substantial milestone in our long-term relationship with The Christie and one that we hope continues long in to the future with many more successes along the way.”
Musculoskeletal disorder is more common than you think, and this condition can actually have an impact on the joints, bones and muscles. Unfortunately, many of the adult population are affected by these sorts of conditions and this can massively impact their quality of life. Employers must therefore consider how their own staff are affected by these sorts of conditions and what they can do to help. Although people may suffer from such conditions already, you need to make sure that they’re not worsened because of the workplace. One study, carried out by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain), discovered that 507,000 workers suffered from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder (new or long-standing) in 2016/17. The impact on employability Studies have shown that one in four adults here in Britain are affected by musculoskeletal problems. Based on data gathered in 2016/17, 45% of musculoskeletal disorders are to do with the upper limbs or neck, 38% to do with the back, and 17% involve the lower limbs. Out of sufferers within working age (16-64), 59.4% are employed. There is a downward trend of musculoskeletal disorders per 100,000 from 2001 to 2017, but it’s still an issue that must be considered. Attendance can be impacted too if those with musculoskeletal problems find it difficult to get to and from work. In fact, 30 million working days were lost due to these conditions in 2016 which can be costly for employers. Based on calculations that consider the average UK salary and a working day of 7.5 hours, an individual sick day can cost an employer £107.85 if the worker receives full sick pay. There is also the cost of work being covered, perhaps this is by another employee who then can’t do their own work. Completing work tasks at home Working remote is becoming more common than eve before. 39% of public sector workers and 26% of private sector workers have experienced this in their own workplace according to the ONS (Office for National Statistics). Presenteeism often occurs because an employee is afraid to call in sick out of fear of being penalised by their employer. One way to address this for sufferers of musculoskeletal disorders is to provide them with the option to work from home. You also should think about the commute each employee with a musculoskeletal disorder has to make, and how it could be extremely damaging for them. Instead, employees can stay at home where they may feel more comfortable and get on with their work — reducing lost productivity time that may occur if they come into work. As well as this, employees will probably attend doctor appointments at times more convenient to them and then make up the time for their internal tasks. Perhaps their rehabilitation centre is closer to home than it is for work, and less time may be spent getting to and from their sessions than if they were travelling from the company. Specialist equipment checklist for musculoskeletal employees: Sitting or standing desks — Giving employees the option of a sitting or standing desk is one way to help. For some, standing upright may be more comfortable than sitting in the same position for a prolonged period. Ergonomic keyboard — These are designed to reduce muscle strain and should be offered to employees. For sufferers of musculoskeletal disorders, tasks that may be easy for some such as using a keyboard, mouse or pen can be difficult for someone who suffers with repetitive strain injury for example. Those with arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome may also struggle with these types of tasks. Lifting assistance — Where lifting is required as part of the job, offering assistance with heavy lifting can be helpful. A trolley for example can help employees transport objects that they might be struggling with. This may relieve shoulder pain for example and can help prevent further injury and strain. Other equipment — By talking to employees, company bosses can find out about other types of specialist equipment that could be helpful — tailored to each person and their needs. If you’re living with knee joint pain, yoga could be beneficial if introduced as a daily routine. There are many ways that employers could encourage their workers to participate in this exercise — through organised classes within break times or after work, or through funding the classes. Although expensive, it’s possible that this extra exercise will help manage pain levels and reduce sick days. If you haven’t looked into this issue before, now is the time. Employers must take action to help employees through specialist equipment, the option of working from home, and potentially funding complementary therapy. They should also recognise if their employees are at risk of WRMSDs and take appropriate preventative measures. Author bio Lee Dover is a senior copywriter at Mediaworks with an interest in healthcare as well as researching into healthier ways of living. He has a BA (Hons) in Magazine Journalism. Sources http://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/causdis/musculoskeletal/msd.pdf https://recruitingtimes.org/opinions/20062/cost-sick-days/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/ltc-op-eolc/ltc-eolc/our-work-on-long-term-conditions/si-areas/musculoskeletal/ State of Musculoskeletal Health 2017 report — Arthritis Research UK https://wellbeing.bitc.org.uk/sites/default/files/business_in_the_community_musculoskeletal_toolkit.pdf
Builders’ merchant, Buildbase is launching a dedicated plumbing and heating business within 44 branches from September 2018. Plumbingbase will be clearly branded alongside Hirebase, Electricbase and, Kitchen and Bathroom Showrooms in Buildbase branches, completing the merchant’s comprehensive offering of everything a tradesperson needs under one roof. Aimed at builders, plasterers, housing developers, and plumbing and heating contractors, a core range of plumbing and heating products will be stocked across all branches, from boilers to waste pipes. A wider breadth of products will be available at larger sites. Plumbing and heating specialists have been recruited to ensure that all branches can provide knowledgeable advice and support. Lyndon Johnson, Buildbase Commercial Director said: “We understand that time is money for our customers. Plumbingbase will complete our ‘one stop shop’ philosophy, reducing the need for customers to go to several merchants for a project, saving time and making their lives easier. “We don’t just sell products, we have fantastic knowledge about everything we supply as many of our staff are former tradespeople themselves. We can help our customers to find the right product for the job and suggest solutions that they may never have considered. Plumbingbase will be no exception.” The Buildbase estate comprises more than 170 branches throughout the UK. Plumbingbase will be rolled out at further locations in 2019. Plumbingbase is in addition to the standalone Plumbase branches that are also part of Grafton Merchanting. Picture caption: Buildbase Commercial Director, Lyndon Johnson, launches Plumbingbase.