Gleeds, the leading construction and property consultants, has appointed Justin Moore as its Project Director for Wales. Justin has worked in construction for nearly 25 years, initially with Carillion as an operations manager and then Bouygues UK, where he worked in numerous roles, including Wales regional operations director. In his role at Bouygues UK, Justin oversaw the building of many of Wales’ most innovative education buildings. These include the award-winning Penarth Learning Community in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff University’s state of the art Innovation Campus, which will house the world’s first social science research park and start up hub, as well as two world-leading scientific research organisations – the Institute for Compound Semi-Conductors and the Cardiff Catalysis Institute. “Having worked with major contractors for most of my career, I am really looking forward to the challenge of working on the project management and consultancy side of construction projects,” said Justin. “Seeing education projects come to fruition has always been one of the parts of the job I have really enjoyed – being able to see the building come to life, handed over and be used day in day out by students and teachers. So, I am looking forward to the change of working on projects from day one, from scoping out a building to its design, managing costs and its construction, and then onto the completed, working building.” Justin, an active member of the CBI in Wales, has joined Gleeds to lead on all education projects in Wales, building on his expertise in the education field to further develop the company’s offering in this market. “One of my biggest passions is around social value and how construction companies can improve how they work within local communities. There’s such a huge opportunity for these businesses to integrate themselves into the communities where they operate and I am keen to take what I have learned in the past ten years around social value and bring it into my consultancy role,” added Justin. Gleeds’ Regional Director Simon Williams also commented on Justin’s appointment: “Getting Justin to join the Gleeds team is a real coup for us. His reputation in Wales is second to none and we are really pleased that he has decided to make the leap into construction consultancy with Gleeds. “His knowledge of the contractor landscape, particularly in education, is unparalleled as he has worked in this sector on some very challenging builds for many years, so we are looking forward to working with him to build our education client portfolio and make Gleeds the go-to consultant for education projects in the region.”

Mansfield based Rippon Homes has expanded its marketing team with two new recruits to accommodate its rapidly increasing number of developments across the Midlands. With more than three decades experience in the new homes industry, Leicestershire based Julie Johnson brings plenty of expertise to Rippon in her position as Sales and Marketing Manager. “I really like that in my role I get to wear many different hats – I can be looking at a piece of land one day, designing show homes the next, and helping a customer the following day. Between the close-knit team and the fact that these are lovely people to work with, it feels more like a family than a job.” “Having known about Rippon Homes for many years and knowing their passion for handing over quality homes, I felt Rippon was the best place for me to bring my knowledge and skills to help grow the business. It’s been a challenge this year with the Coronavirus outbreak affecting everyone, but we’ve continued to make sure our customers are well looked after and able to move into their lovely new homes.  “My focus, along with my teams, is to ensure the customer journey is as smooth as it can be as we grow the business. I’m very much looking forward to watching the business go from strength to strength as our team grows.” Mansfield based Louise Dickenson also brings plenty of experience in the new homes sector, and agrees that a great team makes all the difference when it comes to work.  “I worked for Julie many years ago, so when I saw she was advertising for a Sales Coordinator, I jumped at the opportunity to join her at Rippon.”   Housebuilding is a change of scenery from Louise’s most recent role as a New Build Conveyancing Assistant at a law firm, but is an arena she’s familiar with having worked in various roles in the property industry since 2002.  “I have known for a long time that I wanted to get back into the new build industry so I didn’t think twice about applying. My previous role also provides me with many transferable skills which will come in very useful in helping Julie grow the business. I’m really enjoying learning something completely new, supporting the Sales Manager and it’s great being a part of the growth of the business. I look forward to progressing in my role and developing my career with Rippon.”  Ian Dyke, Managing Director of Rippon Home added, “It’s fantastic to have these highly qualified members on the marketing team. They’ve already made an impact on the business, and I expect they’ll continue to make their mark and grow within the company.”

A Leeds firm of engineers is set to create jobs after a move to larger offices to accommodate demand for its services. RWO, which opened for business in 2019 in Leeds providing a range of civil and structural engineering services, has secured an additional 1,000 sq. ft. of space at its city centre Park Place site, more than doubling current office capacity. The move follows 18 months of growth for the firm, which continues to recruit for experienced engineers and other support roles, despite the uncertainties caused by the pandemic. Work to support Opus North and Rougemont’s development of a new 43-acre logistics park on the site of the former RAF Dalton in Thirsk – a move that will create 650,000 sq. ft. of employment space – is among projects driving growth for the 22-strong firm, which is targeting revenues in excess of £2m in the next 12 months. Other new contracts include engineering development work for Berkley DeVere developments in Harrogate, a 200-plot residential scheme in Harrogate for Countryside Properties and various commercial projects for the Lindum Group and Hargreaves Land. Growth for RWO, which is investing in additional space and resources to support both workforce needs and client service requirements, has come on the back of widespread regional and national demand for its services. Andrew Fairburn, director of the Leeds office, said the management team will be eyeing further expansion in the next 12 months on the back of a healthy order book and investment in more skilled staff. He said: “We are busier than ever, investing to secure growth and increase our footprint with a business that’s on the rise. The move supports our strategic growth plans, allowing us to take advantage of rising enquiry levels and orders in recovering commercial construction markets and a robust residential house-building sector. “Additional space provides the room for growth, enabling the team to better serve existing and future customers. It represents the next chapter for the business, laying firm foundations as we continue to go from strength-to-strength.”

Sustainability & Innovation Experts Nick Milestone and Tim Doubell Join UK LGSF Market Leaders Sigmat Leeds based offsite specialists Sigmat have announced the appointment of two new directors to further strengthen their innovative leadership team. Internationally renowned offsite innovator and sustainability veteran Nick Milestone joins the team as Engineering Director, whilst structural engineering specialist Tim Doubell will take up the newly created post of R&D Director. Both Nick and Tim join the team with a wealth of experience across a variety of offsite disciplines and have worked across a multitude of industry sectors, including landmark projects for Blue Chip clients across the globe. With a strong focus on fast-tracking innovation within the industry, the duo will be heavily focussed on reducing carbon construction techniques as they continue to build on Sigmat’s already impressive green credentials. Engineering Director Nick Milestone said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be joining such a passionate and progressive team. Sigmat has both the resource and expertise to really push the green agenda and I am delighted to be part of this exciting journey.’ With a major project surrounding the launch of a hybrid structural building system using low carbon materials already underway, both Nick and Tim are eager to channel their experience into creating a new wave of sustainable solutions for the industry. New R&D Director, Tim Doubell, who will be responsible for driving new, industry leading solutions commented: ‘Launching a hybrid structural flooring solution is a really exciting starting point for us as a team. By integrating Cross Laminated Timber in conjunction with an LGSF structure, the concrete usage is eliminated. It’s this type of innovation that will make a real difference as the industry works towards achieving its net zero carbon targets.’

Haydn Mursell, the former CEO of Kier Group, has been appointed as chair of fast-growing Hull-based water mist fire suppression business iMist following a £4.5m investment by private equity firm Foresight Group in January 2021. Founded in 2015, iMist has developed its own range of high-pressure water mist fire suppression systems, specifically for domestic and larger residential properties. Its proprietary solution offers a number of benefits over traditional fire sprinkler and lower pressure water mist products including more efficient use of water, ease of installation and cost effectiveness. With over 30 years’ experience in the contracting, services and development sectors, Haydn further strengthens the iMist board. From roles early in his career as chief financial officer of Lendlease and deputy group finance director at Balfour Beatty, he went on to join Kier Group as finance director in 2010, becoming chief executive four years later, before leaving the company in 2019. Having operated at plc board level for over 10 years, Haydn has a broad range of financial and management skills. He is strategically minded, with a focus on growth and business performance, managing acquisitions and improving safety, customer experience and employee engagement. Haydn currently holds a number of non-executive and board adviser positions for complementary businesses within the construction industry. Haydn comments: “The need for innovative fire suppression systems which can be quickly, easily and cheaply installed in both new and existing buildings, is a major issue for the industry and iMist has a solution. The move from a sprinkler to a misting system is a natural evolution which gives the end-user a number of benefits, particularly in terms of being more environmentally-friendly as they significantly reduce the amount of water required. “IMist has a sound business model and good market conditions to accelerate its growth, along with the backing from Foresight Group to enable them to realise their vision. Managing director Tony Sims is supported by an extremely knowledgeable management team who have ensured that every relevant safety and quality accreditation has been achieved, and also established an impressive R&D capability. “I immediately like their down-to-earth, honest approach to running the business and felt that with my industry experience and large company background, I could really add value from advising on the best path for growth and overcoming some of the challenges that come with rapid expansion, to corporate governance and measuring business performance. IMist has huge potential both in the UK and internationally and I’m really pleased to be joining the team at such an exciting time.” Tony Sims, managing director of iMist, says: “Haydn has an impressive track record as an experienced CEO, CFO and board adviser, and brings a wealth of skills having worked for some of the best-known construction and infrastructure groups in the UK. Having held senior positions in residential development, civil engineering and building businesses, he really understands our clients and their operational dynamics. “Following our recent PE investment, iMist is now embarking on the next stage in its development and we believe that Haydn will have a pivotal role to play as we optimise the current regulatory opportunity in order to drive further growth and development activities across the UK. We also have ambitious international expansion plans, including targeting the US market later this year.”