Leading manufacturer Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings is supporting a new initiative to raise the level of fire safety standards worldwide. The International Fire Safety Standards (IFSS) Coalition – led by a range of professional bodies worldwide – aims to develop a set of common high-level standards to address fire
Facilities Scotland, the only event dedicated to the Scottish FM and workplace industry, has today announced a host of senior leaders from the UK’s FM and workplace industry who will be taking part in the Facilities Scotland conference programme when the show returns to the SEC, Glasgow on the 12 –
News of a deadly fire in a Russian shopping centre in March – which I examined here – had a particular resonance for onlookers in the UK. We might once have thought that this kind of thing couldn’t happen here, with stricter safety standards and a system of inspections and
Brewster Bros’ new state-of-the-art facility in Scotland’s central belt is now fully operational. Brewster Bros, a family-run business in Livingston, is officially launching the largest recycling plant in the UK. The plant, featuring a CDE state-of-the-art wet processing system, will provide waste management services and recycled aggregates to builders, construction
According to data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), construction worker fatalities dropped by more than a third in 2016/17, reaching an all-time annual low. Here, Tony Young, director at supply, installation and repair specialist, CP Automation, explains why these findings may be partly down to the industry embracing
One Housing Group Limited (City Style) has completed a £26 million scheme in Lewisham, South London. Designed by PRP, the development provides 92 new homes, including 64 for older people, 26 homes for sale, and an additional two family houses for social rent on a separate site at Blessington Road.
Franke Sissons, world leader in providing washroom solutions for all industries, embarked on a journey to get ‘BIM-ready’ in 2017. Following a move to an outstanding new manufacturing site in Poland, covering 12,000m2 and with more capability than ever before, Franke wanted to combine its lean manufacturing processes and in-house
The UK’s leading supplier of rainscreen cladding systems, Vivalda Group plc, has confirmed strong growth for the year ending December 2017, with its turnover increasing by 19% to £31m. Despite the chronic under performance of the construction sector, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Brexit and the impact of the Carillion collapse,
The Leaders Romans Group (LRG) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of another acquisition – GPS Property Management. Based in Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire, the business has been owned and run by husband and wife team, Garry and Sarah Peacock, for the last eight years. The acquisition will see a
CALA Homes, one of the UK’s most upmarket major homebuilders, has agreed a partnership with the nation’s fastest broadband provider. It will offer residents day one access to gigabit broadband speeds across its new housing developments in West Scotland. The partnership will see Hyperoptic, the largest gigabit provider in the UK,
Leading manufacturer Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings is supporting a new initiative to raise the level of fire safety standards worldwide. The International Fire Safety Standards (IFSS) Coalition – led by a range of professional bodies worldwide – aims to develop a set of common high-level standards to address fire safety in buildings. Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings endorses the aim to set and reinforce the minimum requirements professionals should follow to ensure building safety in the event of a fire. Bob Glendenning, global fire engineering manager for Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, said: “We wholeheartedly support this initiative to improve the standards for fire safety across the board from design through the fire engineering process. With our own developments in technology and science, we are continually looking at ways of improving product specification to meet the most exacting of standards.” The IFSS Coalition says that as the property market has become increasingly international with investments extending across national borders, the sector still lacks a consistent set of high level global standards that informs the design, construction, and management of buildings to address the risks associated with fire safety. Once the standards are developed, the IFSS Coalition will work with professionals around the world to deliver them locally. The standards will be owned by the IFSS Coalition and not by any one organisation. The IFSS Coalition will create a Standards Setting Committee that will draw on a group of international technical fire experts to develop the details and ensure they are fit for purpose across global markets. Members of the IFSS Coalition include the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), Local Authority Building Control (LABC), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), the Singapore Institute of Building (SIBL), the Australian Property Institute (API), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and The World Bank. Sherwin-Williams has supplied its diverse range of fire protection coatings to a number of landmark construction and engineering projects including London’s The Shard, Azerbaijan’s Flame Towers, and the Leadenhall Building, known as The Cheesegrater.
Facilities Scotland, the only event dedicated to the Scottish FM and workplace industry, has today announced a host of senior leaders from the UK’s FM and workplace industry who will be taking part in the Facilities Scotland conference programme when the show returns to the SEC, Glasgow on the 12 – 13 September 2018. The programme will be delivered by leading voices and experts and feature a combination of panel discussions, keynote presentations and case study insights all curated under the theme ‘Building a Scottish FM Powerhouse’. The event comes at a time of great unrest in the UK’s FM industry and Western Business Exhibitions, organisers of Facilities Scotland, have promised sessions will showcase the very best of Scottish FM and give focus on the latest trends shaping the FM market in the region. In addition, these series of talks are specifically designed to give attendees vital information on the state of the FM industry today and help facilities managers enhance their CPD. Tim Else, Director, Western Business Exhibitions comments, “We wanted to design a programme that was pertinent for the FM community in 2018 and of real value to our attendees. The session topics will give members of the industry the opportunity to hear the views from the top and give FM’s visiting the show this opportunity to be part of the conversation. Never has there been a more urgent time for FM’s to get involved in their community and help shape the future of the industry.” SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Wednesday 12th September (Opening keynote session) Can Scottish FM plot a new value-driven path for the sector? A panel discussion featuring Mark Whittaker, business development manager at Integral UK (part of JLL) and Sandy McNaughton, BIFM Scotland chair: Facilities management can often feel like a sector in the doldrums – much of which is down to the constant flurry of negative outsourcing stories in the national press which of course are sometimes justified. Carillion’s collapse, for example, shined a light on areas in need of real reform including public sector procurement and the ‘race to the bottom’ that now pervades the outsourcing of facilities services. But good FM practice does exist. In fact, there are thousands of FM businesses and practitioners across the UK who are doing fantastic work, delivering real value for customers. From FM to workplace: What does this change mean for FM practitioners? Presented by Chris Hood, director of consulting EMEA, Advanced Workplace Associates: A growing movement of individuals and organisations within the FM profession recognise the effective role that facilities managers can play in the design and management of the workplace. Most recently, BIFM members voted to change the name of the 25-year-old membership body to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management. This shift has huge implications for FM, as it evolves into a more strategic discipline. Chris Hood, director of consulting EMEA at Advanced Workplace Associates, discusses the growing significance of ‘workplace’ to the FM role and how practitioners should prepare for the changes ahead. Are existing FM service delivery models fit for purpose? A panel discussion featuring Sandy McNaughton, BIFM Scotland chair, Mike Floyd, managing director, Atalian Servest FM and Graham Box, managing director – Scotland, Sodexo: The FM market may soon need to develop new service delivery to meet a plethora of contemporary challenges. A panel of experts will discuss the merits of existing service delivery models, and what a new option could look like? Thursday 13th September How do international standards affect me? Presented by Stan Mitchell, CEO, Key FM and former chairman of BIFM: Developing international standards for FM is more important than ever. In an increasingly globalised world, it is now a must that the entire FM community uses the same language and terminology. Stan Mitchell, a past chairman of the BIFM and CEO of Key Facilities Management which is based in Scotland, will guide delegates through the new ISO 41001 Management Systems Standard (MSS). This benchmark standard will enable facilities managers and procurement professionals to assess whether an organisation is fit for purpose to deliver FM, and how that delivery should be structured. Learning & development in FM: What’s next? A panel discussion between Michael Kenny, soft services manager, FES FM, Fraser Talbot, head of professional development, BIFM and Jo Manifold, director of learning & development UK & Ireland, Sodexo The BIFM’s embrace of workplace management as a bona-fide discipline is just one of the factors switching the demands on facilities managers. These new challenges require up to date knowledge and skill sets. A panel of FM professionals and academics will debate the skills today’s facilities managers need to succeed and the steps necessary to become strategic leaders within their organisations.
News of a deadly fire in a Russian shopping centre in March – which I examined here – had a particular resonance for onlookers in the UK. We might once have thought that this kind of thing couldn’t happen here, with stricter safety standards and a system of inspections and penalties. Unfortunately, events at Grenfell Tower last year showed that we too have improvements to make in our prevention of deadly fires. Grenfell is likely to bring about legislative change when the investigation finally concludes, if not before then; it is wholly unlikely that the cladding used on that tower block will ever be used in the UK again. The unfortunate legacy of fires is that we know more about how they start, spread and consume. The fortunate part is that we can legislate to change things for the better, and prevent such needless death and damage in future. The Great Fire Ask the average person to name a significant fire from history, and they will most likely start with the Great Fire of London. The bookend to a period of strife, Civil War and then plague in England, the Great Fire did immense damage and led to some loss of life, but was also a cleansing for London. It burned out the plague more or less for good, and awoke the city’s populace to the risk of fire in the narrow, ramshackle streets. The layout of the streets didn’t change – their occupants rebuilt the houses too quickly – but the appreciation of fire did. King Charles had been wary of this issue, as had many onlookers. Tower Bridge, the length of which was crammed with houses and shops, had previously been damaged by fire, and Charles had decreed that no house should use thatching. In reality however this was flouted, as was a regulation that tiered houses – which expanded outwards with each layer – should never meet each other at their highest level. The fire even jumped the river at one point When a fire broke out in a bakery on Pudding Lane, the result was unsurprising – wooden and thatched houses, stuffed against each other in winding streets, caught light and spread rapidly. Inaction by the mayor and a refusal to deploy the King’s soldiers led the fire to ravage the city centre; it even jumped the river at one point, thanks in part to basement stores of gunpowder left over from the Civil War. Gunpowder from the Tower of London’s stores was finally used to create breaks in the fire’s path, and it eventually died down. Early legislation The fire had raged for four full days, destroyed some 13,500 houses and many more buildings, and displaced as many as 200,000 people. Action was swift, although not swift enough to realise grand ambitions of rebuilding the city in the baroque style. King Charles decreed that houses in London would hereon be built from stone, that streets would be made wider, and that the river banks should not be obstructed by buildings. Another law followed in 1705, stipulating that no open cooking fires be allowed in the attics of thatched houses countrywide. The Great Fire and smaller incidents in Edinburgh prompted similar laws in Scotland, decreeing that no building should exceed five stories. More substantial change did not follow for over a century, however. The Fires Prevention (Metropolis) Act of 1774 was the first major fire safety act passed by Parliament, and established many of the principles of modern fire safety that we still adhere to today. The act divided buildings into different classes, each with their own required wall thicknesses, and maximum floor areas for warehouses. More important however was the appointment of surveyors, and the requirement for parishes to provide at least three fire ladders for use in emergencies. While this was not the first fire safety equipment – ‘fire hooks’ and rudimentary fire engines were around during the Great Fire – this is one of the first laws pertaining to the mandatory protection of human life. Pre-modern laws This early legislation was far from comprehensive, yet fire safety would go largely unaddressed until the late Victorian era. The rise of ballistic weapons leds to the Explosives Act of 1875, which handed powers for the safe storage, inspection and licensing of explosives to local fire departments. The law was not superceded until 2005, and much of the methodology remains the same to this day. Technology driving safety laws would be a consistent theme. The rise of the personal motorcar would lead to new regulations on petrol storage in 1928, requiring a local license for the first time. Factory owners were legally obliged to have a fire escape plan from 1937 onwards The pre-war period also saw efforts to enforce building bylaws for the first time. Factory owners were legally obliged to have a fire escape plan from 1937 onwards, and other buildings were required to meet certain standards. However, these laws were only enforced in London, and remained optional in other counties. You might think that the bombing raids of World War 2 would have prompted new fire laws. Yet there was little further action until the 60s and 70s, when a spate of deadly incidents shocked the government into action. Two separate acts were passed after nightclub and factory fires in 1961. The acts bolstered safety requirements in public establishments and in factories, which now had to demonstrate fire separation and a fire fighting plan. A safer future It would take another deadly fire at a multistorey hotel in 1969 to prompt more comprehensive fire safety laws. The resulting investigation led to the Fire Precautions Act 1971, requiring most properties with sleeping accommodation to be fire certified. This law would be extended over the coming years to cover most factories, offices, shops and railway premises. In 1987, it was amended to require maintenance of all fire fighting impliments and escape routes – and for the first time, required that employees be trained in
Brewster Bros’ new state-of-the-art facility in Scotland’s central belt is now fully operational. Brewster Bros, a family-run business in Livingston, is officially launching the largest recycling plant in the UK. The plant, featuring a CDE state-of-the-art wet processing system, will provide waste management services and recycled aggregates to builders, construction companies, concrete product producers, ground workers, civil contractors and utility contractors from its new high-tech facility in Scotland’s central belt. Investment in the £3.8m recycling centre includes a £2.1m spend on high efficiency CDE equipment, with a capacity to recycle 400,000 tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste per year. This new facility supports the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy Strategy ‘Making Things Last’, which aims to secure 70% recycling of construction and demolition waste by 2020. The plant can process and recycle soils and rubble collected by Brewster Bros’ fleet of tipper lorries from construction sites into high value sand and gravel – reducing waste disposal costs for Brewster Bros’ customers while maximising waste recovery. The wet processing system was specifically designed to process difficult construction and demolition waste materials and optimise material recovery. Due to its Quality Management Systems, Brewster Bros is an accredited supplier of Zero Waste Scotland’s Aggregate Quality Protocol Directory. The company takes over from an established family-run recycling business, Henry Gillies. Thanks to increased investment, Brewster Bros forecasts an annual turnover of £3m at the plant, which will boost the local economy and provide further job opportunities on top of all 20 job roles retained from the previous owner. Scott Brewster, Director at Brewster Bros, said: “It’s an exciting day as we officially launch the UK’s largest recycling facility of this type. Our number one aim is to treat and recycle construction and demolition waste as a resource, ensuring zero waste to landfill. “Through significant investment into state-of-the-art recycling techniques provided by the plant supplier CDE, we are looking forward to shaping the future of the recycling industry across Scotland and beyond. This new plant should act as a game-changer for the construction industry, by saving money for our customers and ensuring they can dispose of their construction and demolition waste in a cost-effective and sustainable way.” David Kinloch, CDE Regional Manager UK & Ireland, said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Brewster Bros to create a construction, demolition and excavation waste recycling plant bespoke, to their site and production requirements. This large-scale facility incorporates the latest CDE technology and will be a flagship project in Scotland. We wish Brewster Bros every success as they champion the move towards zero waste and embrace the circular economy and look forward to a continued strong partnership in the years to come.” Stephen Boyle, Strategic Programme Manager for Construction, Zero Waste Scotland, said: “In Scotland the construction sector is responsible for producing nearly half of the country’s waste, and recycling construction and demolition material has a key role to play in minimising that. “By recycling, we can keep materials out of landfill and in high-value use for longer, reducing the need to quarry finite virgin material and helping the environment. But what the launch of the Brewster Bros recycling plant shows is that by recycling effectively we can also generate investment and create new jobs, which is great news for Scotland.” Linda Scott, Chair of West Lothian Chamber of Commerce, said: “Brewster Bros is focussed on being the industry leader in terms of how construction waste recycling looks, not only now but also in the future. This plant is the largest of its type in the UK and it is a great indicator of their commitment. “It’s fantastic to hear about the future economic benefits this plant will bring to the local area and we are delighted that Henry Gillies is being taken over by another family-oriented organisation that will not only save jobs for local residents, but also create future employment opportunities.” Derek Carmichael, Transport Manager at Brewster Bros, who worked under the previous ownership said: “It’s exciting to be a part of this new chapter and it is great news for the local area and the workforce to see this new plant open and carry on supporting the construction industry in the central belt with sustainable and forward-thinking recycling. “We’re focussed on making giant strides when it comes to the future of waste recycling for the construction and we are thrilled to be a major part of this journey.” All recycled materials from the plant will come with a UKAS accredited quality certification and conform to the requirements for the BREEAM Sustainability Assessment Method for Construction.
According to data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), construction worker fatalities dropped by more than a third in 2016/17, reaching an all-time annual low. Here, Tony Young, director at supply, installation and repair specialist, CP Automation, explains why these findings may be partly down to the industry embracing new ways of working — including equipment like radio controlled cranes. Cab controlled cranes have long dominated the industrial landscape, with the operator sitting in the crane, being guided by hand signals from a floor walker. This advanced slightly to machines controlled by pushbutton pendants, involving a transmitter unit hanging from the crane by a cable being controlled by someone on the floor. However, this still tethers the operator to the crane and restricts movement. This is where radio crane control comes in. A handheld, cordless unit allows operators to remain on the facility floor, out of range of load swings and potentially dropped loads. It means that if lifting is taking place in hazardous areas, such as hot, noisy or radioactive environments, operators are kept safe, well away from the area. This keeps the operator clear of the area and overhead load, providing significant health and safety benefits. Freedom of movement The cordless flexibility means the operator is able to move to a much better location for visibility, rather than remaining limited to the field of view of the cab, or the length of the pendant cable. With this increased visibility, on foot and away from the load, the operator can clearly see a load shift and determine whether the load is properly rigged before continuing. They can also adapt quickly to any obstructions or changes in the path as the move is completed. Equally, with the operator on foot, communication is greatly enhanced. The need for hand and voice signals between the operator and spotter is eliminated. Operators are closer to spotters, and can easily hear and act on what they are saying more quickly. From an efficiency standpoint, floor operation may even eliminate the need for additional assistance on the floor completely. A single operator could also manage some of the operations with below-the-hook attachments such as magnets, grabs, or C-hooks. This reduces labour costs. New partnership To help with this shift from cab controlled cranes to safer, radio controlled systems, CP Automation, is now supplying its customers with stock from Magnetek, the market leader of crane and hoist systems. Cranes can be fitted with both CP Automation and Magnetek products as an integrated package, including power delivery systems, collision avoidance systems, radio remote control transmitters, motor gearboxes, failsafe brakes and variable frequency drives (VFDs). Together, these products allow cranes to move heavy structures with sufficient power, control and intelligence, as well as increasing safety with remote control. “The partnership brings together the right set of products to support the rapid growth of the crane industry at present,” explained Andy Swann, business development manager EMEA at Magnetek. “Together we can provide a customisable, engineered system to match the most demanding of specifications, ensuring reduced load sway and load drops. “We are seeing more and more crane original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) moving away from in-cab operators and opting for radio remote control, whereby the operator is at a safe distance away from heavy loads. This means much more aggressive materials can be handled during a project, and the operator is kept at a safe distance, controlling the crane from afar.” CP Automation’s stock of collision avoidance systems, AC & DC drives and radio remote control systems has already gone down well with our customers in the crane industry. This coalition brings additional functionality that the crane industry has been waiting for, bringing together a collection of drives, resistors and crane-specific products that we can also fit, using our trained engineers, if required. Ultimately this arrangement is driven by a focus on safety for crane operators. With more companies choosing radio remote control systems over cab controlled systems, it makes sense to join Magnetek’s market leading technology along with our own range of products to drive this mentality in the industry. While data into the safety of the construction industry is moving in the right direction, as collected by HSE, there is still room for improvement. As this shift towards radio control cranes progresses, the industry will continue to advance its safety procedures and protect its workforce.
One Housing Group Limited (City Style) has completed a £26 million scheme in Lewisham, South London. Designed by PRP, the development provides 92 new homes, including 64 for older people, 26 homes for sale, and an additional two family houses for social rent on a separate site at Blessington Road. Built in 1963, the site was originally home to the Christopher Boone’s Almshouses and has been developed by housing association One Housing in partnership with the Merchant Taylor’s Boone’s Charity. PRP’s design approach revolved around the need to care and protect older people living in Lewisham. It consolidates the existing almshouse accommodation previously situated on two sites and is well located in terms of access to the high street and public transport routes, but also in relation to a residential care/nursing home operated nearby. The building typology is closely aligned with the aspirations and recommendations of the HAPPI report. The older persons accommodation, which has an age restriction of over 57, is configured as a ‘U-shaped’ block that wraps around a central garden courtyard, while the accommodation has been reinvented as dual-aspect apartments, each with its own front door accessed from walkways that overlook the garden. The apartments are generous in size at 10-15% larger than the minimum space standards, and all benefit from bay windows and large balconies. Carefully arranged landscaped areas are at the heart of the development, with a circular, covered walkway that leads to a communal summer lounge, a terraced garden designed as a quieter space for residents, and a garden for those interested in horticulture and vegetable growing. Anne-Marie Nicholson, senior partner at PRP, said: “These state-of-the-art homes have been sympathetically designed by our ‘Later Living’ team with residents in mind, particularly those who are older and desire modern homes with nearby access to care. We have redeveloped the original properties to bring the community together, centred around a beautifully landscaped courtyard that allows for socialising and hobbies. “People spend years building a community for themselves, and this natural bond to one another and to a location should be a key consideration in design terms. Designing with people in mind is at the heart of what we do, and we’re determined to create homes that provide older people with the lifestyle they’ve always had.” PRP’s development consultancy team was appointed alongside the ‘Later Living’ architectural team to provide cost consultancy and project management services as well as planning advice and daylight surveys, enabling PRP to see the project through from conception to completion.
Franke Sissons, world leader in providing washroom solutions for all industries, embarked on a journey to get ‘BIM-ready’ in 2017. Following a move to an outstanding new manufacturing site in Poland, covering 12,000m2 and with more capability than ever before, Franke wanted to combine its lean manufacturing processes and in-house engineering expertise with BIM models and online data to continue to produce exceptional quality products that have served the industry for over 230 years. In 2017, Franke extended its relationship with NBS to host its first series of BIM objects within the NBS National BIM Library and in this time, the company has seen nearly half a million impressions on its products every month. “The recent changes have had a positive impact on the business and have helped the company consolidate and grow its offering, both online and offline,” said Sarah Hallam, Marketing Coordinator at Franke. The company partnered with NBS long before it’s journey to get ‘BIM-ready’ and has had its products’ technical information embedded in NBS specification software with NBS Plus and published product catalogues, technical documents and design files in the industry-leading online index of manufacturers’ product information, RIBA Product Selector. With hundreds of projects throughout the years, the specification process is something that Franke is looking to develop more in the future. BIM has provided a key opportunity to help support and develop relationships with public and private sector architects, designers, and industry professionals. After launching the first of its BIM Models in early 2017, which received a high response rate online, this has created many opportunities with architects, contractors and other businesses within the industry. The results so far have been very positive, and as its profile grows, and more models are hosted on the NBS National BIM Library, Franke hopes that these relationships will continue to thrive. Sarah continued: “We now have nearly half a million impressions every month which is an outstanding breakthrough for us on a digital level. According to research from NBS, 71% of specifiers need manufacturers to provide them with BIM objects, which is why we are providing models of our products. “Although we do not use BIM as a way of manufacturing our products, we see BIM as a positive aid for the specification process, developing our relationships, and enhancing product knowledge for architects and designers. “In the future we believe that BIM will become more integral to all sectors, not just in the public sector, and we see BIM becoming the norm within many industries. As part of this we are striving to develop further models of both existing and new products to ensure that information is easily available during the specification process. We are eager to continue our BIM journey and are striving to make as much progress as possible, and we are excited to see what the future holds.” Franke Sissons has been actively involved in NBS events and is part of the RIBA CPD Providers Network, sharing best practice and knowledge, especially around sustainable architecture with a range of CPD materials on offer under the sustainable architecture category. As one of the world’s leading providers of washroom solutions, Franke are very conscious of its responsibility for contributing to a sustainable environment and are actively engaged in this challenge. Working to reduce the environmental impact of its operations, taking into account the commercial viability and availability of environmentally friendly technology, Franke has implemented a number of measures to ensure that its environmental footprint is reduced; these include sustainable buildings, reduction of water use, resourcing efficient products and demonstrating material efficiency in production. To find out more about NBS visit www.theNBS.com
The UK’s leading supplier of rainscreen cladding systems, Vivalda Group plc, has confirmed strong growth for the year ending December 2017, with its turnover increasing by 19% to £31m. Despite the chronic under performance of the construction sector, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Brexit and the impact of the Carillion collapse, Vivalda has continued to grow its business via a twin track strategy of unrivalled product quality and service to satisfy the needs of the expanding off-site fabrication market. The business, which now boasts eight locations throughout the UK and Ireland, took the decision last year to stock only fully certified cladding products – providing assurance and building trust among specifiers and contractors. The company has also invested more than £250,000 in new technology, enabling it to supply finished products to the fast-growing off-site building fabrication sector. Vivalda’s chairman, Peter Johnson, said: “Given ongoing challenges facing the building industry the past 18 months have not been easy for many businesses. “And yet despite this – by sticking to our strategy of investing in technology, people and our customers – we have continued to grow our company by nearly 20% year on year. At the same time, we have also been pleased to see our PURA Facades business go from strength to strength, on the back of sustained demand for its range of natural cladding products using stone, terracotta and glass reinforce concrete.” Voted in 2018 by the London Stock Exchange as one of the ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’, Vivalda has not been afraid to innovate and invest to differentiate itself from other rainscreen cladding distributors. While the company’s turnover has continued to increase, so has the productivity of the business. Based on its 2017 accounts, Vivalda’s value added per employee* comes in at £94.300, which according to the UK Industry Performance Report (2016) is more than £30,000 above the construction sector average of £63,700. Johnson concluded: “While a healthy top line figure is always good to see, this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as business performance is concerned. During 2017, we worked hard to improve our productivity and accuracy, while reducing our waste. We’re very much behind the focus of the government’s new Construction Deal and believe that the attention on efficiency and productivity is vital to the long-term health of this vital UK industry.”
The Leaders Romans Group (LRG) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of another acquisition – GPS Property Management. Based in Ravenshead in Nottinghamshire, the business has been owned and run by husband and wife team, Garry and Sarah Peacock, for the last eight years. The acquisition will see a new Leaders office open in Ravenshead, to provide sales and lettings services to local residents and to support the neighbouring Leaders’ branches in Mansfield and Nottingham. The original GPS Property Management staff will continue to manage their strong portfolio of over 400 tenancies, whilst building on the business’ excellent reputation by delivering exceptional customer care through our variety of sales and lettings services. Matthew Light, Group Mergers and Acquisitions Director at LRG, says: “Recent months have seen us continue to expand with numerous acquisitions, adding several new portfolios and branches in key markets across the UK. “We are delighted to have acquired this well-respected business and we welcome its staff members to the LRG community. We are confident that they will continue to provide their fantastic customer service to landlords and tenants in Ravenshead, Mansfield and the surrounding areas.” Having now completed on over 150 successful acquisitions, LRG is the property industry’s leading acquirer, adopting a hands-on approach to help business owners achieve their objectives. The vast majority of employees acquired with businesses are retained and go on to enjoy long and successful careers with LRG, taking advantage of the fresh opportunities LRG are able to offer them. For further information on selling your business to the Leaders Romans Group, contact Matthew via email at mlight@lrg.co.uk
CALA Homes, one of the UK’s most upmarket major homebuilders, has agreed a partnership with the nation’s fastest broadband provider. It will offer residents day one access to gigabit broadband speeds across its new housing developments in West Scotland. The partnership will see Hyperoptic, the largest gigabit provider in the UK, install its services across its seventeen new housing sites. The development locations include Strathaven, Newton Mearns, Glasgow, Bearsden, Cumbernauld and Larbert. Hyperoptic’s full fibre cables go all the way to the building, which is why it can offer symmetrical gigabit broadband services – over 22x faster than the average broadband speed in Scotland. Many competitor fibre networks only go as far as a cabinet in the street, relying on slow copper cables from there to the building; this means a lower speed that also varies according to where you live along the street. Hyperoptic is rolling out the largest gigabit network in the UK. Its full fibre network is already live in Glasgow and Edinburgh, passing over 15,000 homes and businesses. This partnership with CALA Homes includes over 1,800 homes. Liana Canavan, Sales and Marketing Director for CALA Homes (West): “We pride ourselves on being renowned as a premium housebuilder. This reputation is built upon our commitment to give our customers the best living experience possible. This partnership addresses and exceeds the digital needs of our future residents. Being able to immediately get online, via the fastest broadband connection in the UK, is just phenomenal. This information will be incredibly well received by our future customers and will positively impact their move-in experience.” Sharon Maybury, National Manager, Hyperoptic, adds: “This partnership with CALA Homes enables us to expedite our Scottish expansion via installing our services at the build stage. Hyperoptic is committed to lead the charge to Gigabit Scotland. We announced our intention to expand our full fibre network to Scotland in 2015. Since then we have been working steadily to expand our footprint, with the aim of connecting hundreds of thousands of Scottish residents in the coming years.” The first development due to be completed is 21 Mansionhouse Road, a magnificent collection of 101 luxury apartments and penthouses in one of south Glasgow’s most sought-after neighbourhoods. For more information, please visit: https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale/west-of-scotland/21-mansionhouse-road About Hyperoptic Hyperoptic was founded in 2011 to shake up the UK broadband market and is now the country’s largest and fastest-growing gigabit network provider. It delivers the nation’s fastest broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps (1,000 megabits per second), which is over 22x faster than the UK average. Hyperoptic is a leader in “full” fibre optic technology, delivering fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) not just fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC). Its future-proofed infrastructure is bringing transformational internet speeds and connection stability to millions of people across the UK. Hyperoptic works with property owners, developers and professionals, designing and installing dedicated fibre infrastructure to new buildings and existing developments. It focuses exclusively on urban areas, often in areas neglected by other providers and network builders. The company has been awarded ‘Best Superfast Broadband’ provider by the Internet Service Providers’ Association for the past six years in a row, and was crowned the ‘Most Innovative Provider’ in the 2017 Broadband Genie home broadband survey. For more information visit: www.hyperoptic.com