Mobile Mini UK, one of the leading worldwide providers of portable accommodation and secure storage containers, has been shortlisted for three major awards alongside their partner ThinkWow, at the prestigious UK Customer Experience Awards (UK CXA®22). Widely regarded as Britain’s original and biggest CX celebration, recognition at UK CXA® is
Councillor Jane Meagher has officially broken ground at Scotland’s largest net zero housing development in Granton. The start of construction works at the £72m ‘Western Villages’ project represents a significant milestone for the City of Edinburgh Council in the delivery of the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project. Over the next ten years,
Caddick Construction has started work on Phase 2A of the Gateway 36 industrial scheme near Barnsley after been appointed by Eos Inc Ltd, part of the Harworth Group Plc. The £9.3 million contract initially covers Plots 1-3, as well as external yards, car parking, associated highways and off-site drainage work.
The firm has secured 85% of their 2022-2023 budget (in fees) by August 2022 , just 3 months into the financial year, a staff increase of 18% with 20% of staff having received a promotion within the last year. Award-winning engineering consultancy Harley Haddow has reported a stellar year for
RSK Group Ltd has announced the addition of Proeon Systems, a specialist systems integrator supplying industrial grade control and safety solutions, to its thriving business portfolio. The company provides complete control and automation systems incorporating both hardware and software solutions. Proeon specialises in solving control and monitoring issues within some
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces the appointment of Lee Hewitt as UK Health, Safety and Environment Director. Lee will take up his new role on 5 September, following Heather Bryant retiring on 18 November, having spent eight years at Balfour Beatty. Lee will be responsible for driving
SUPPLIERS have been invited to tender for Pagabo’s latest framework – the second generation of its popular Medium Works framework – for which the tender documents have now been published. The new generation of the framework will run for four years from January 2023, taking the place of the current
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has urged the UK government to follow the example of Germany, which has announced plans to spend €177.5bn on climate action, including €56bn on a huge programme of building renovations. Germany’s Climate and Transformation Fund aims to reduce the 30% of the country’s total
Chubb, the UK’s leading provider of fire-safety and security solutions, is proud to launch an accelerated development programme designed to attract and train new industry-entrants in partnership with Zitko Talent, the world’s leading recruitment agency for the Fire and Security industry. The accelerated development programme will last approximately 18 weeks,
Design, fit out and refurbishment specialist, Calztec, is proud to announce it has secured two new projects with Powell Williams and Gerald Eve. Project One Gerald Eve awarded Calztec the dilapidations repair, reinstatement and improvement works across 105,819 sq. ft. of Unit One in Winsford. This project consists of demolition
Mobile Mini UK, one of the leading worldwide providers of portable accommodation and secure storage containers, has been shortlisted for three major awards alongside their partner ThinkWow, at the prestigious UK Customer Experience Awards (UK CXA®22). Widely regarded as Britain’s original and biggest CX celebration, recognition at UK CXA® is considered by many as the ultimate marque of achievement in customer experience. These awards span all industries and sectors and Mobile Mini will be representing the construction industry when they compete with the likes of Sky, BT, Octopus Energy, Virgin Media, 02, E.ON, Aviva, Yell, DHL, Thomas Cook, HSBC, Yodel, Vodafone, TalkTalk and many other iconic national brands. Mobile Mini and ThinkWow have been shortlisted for Best Employee Driven CX and Best CX for SMEs categories, with Simon Gray, Head of Region at Mobile Mini, shortlisted for CX Leader of the Year. Winners for 2022 will be announced at an awards evening held at Wembley Stadium this October. Earlier this year, Mobile Mini and ThinkWow were named the GOLD winner of the Customer Experience category at the 2022 UK Business and Innovation Awards (UK B&IA). The company has a fleet of over 40,000 portable units for a variety of storage solutions and 16 strategically placed sites throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Post-pandemic, it was clear that customer needs, expectations and behaviours had significantly changed and Mobile Mini understood maintaining standards, as well as improving approaches, had become more essential than ever. Over the past 18 months, Mobile Mini has worked in partnership with ThinkWow to enhance its customer experience strategy and training. This team of experts undertook a deep-dive review of company culture, shared objectives and customer feedback, then use detailed insights to expertly design a positive future strategy. The end goal remains to empower all staff and customers to both provide and receive the best possible experiences. Over 90% of the 380 members of staff at Mobile Mini have contributed to this project, with many customers also providing external views to help build insightful and accurate improvement objectives. These activities have resulted in an increase in average NPS scores from 71 to 80+, increased revenue (aiming for a third record-breaking year) and higher volumes of customer feedback. Increased training, the creation of a dedicated customer experience team, interactive workshops, customer journey mapping workshops with cross-functional employee groups and the implementation of a customer steering group (comprised of multiple roles and seniority levels) has all contributed to empowering employees to deliver great CX locally. Rebecca Brown, CEO of Think Wow said, “We are delighted that Mobile Mini has been recognised in this way and we are very proud to partner with them on their ongoing Customer Experience strategy. This project has been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had at Think Wow, thanks to the genuine passion of employees at all levels within the business. This has been a collaborative process in every sense and truly employee-driven, with everyone from branch managers to HGV drivers having their say and playing their part in shaping innovative new approaches and solutions.” One of the driving forces behind this project from the Mobile Mini side was Simon Gray. On being shortlisted for the CX Leader award in recognition of his efforts, Simon said, “I am proud to have been named alongside a diverse group of impressive CX professionals, but what makes me incredibly proud is the way in which all our Mobile Mini teams have engaged with what we are trying to achieve. Our people look after our customers every day to such a high standard and yet we have all wanted to get just that little bit better. Our results speak volumes for what our people have done this year as we have achieved NPS scores in the 80’s in multiple months which is an incredible achievement. “It’s also fantastic that our CX efforts over the last 12 months have been embedded in 3 of our Golden Rules: People are our most valuable asset, The Customer is King (or Queen) and Everyone contributes. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Dan & Rebecca from ThinkWow and utilising their considerable CX knowledge and experience to help us reach even higher CX standards.”
Councillor Jane Meagher has officially broken ground at Scotland’s largest net zero housing development in Granton. The start of construction works at the £72m ‘Western Villages’ project represents a significant milestone for the City of Edinburgh Council in the delivery of the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project. Over the next ten years, 3,500 mixed-tenure homes and associated infrastructure will create a new, sustainable coastal community. Cllr Meagher was joined by representatives for the project – including the Council’s own development and regeneration team, contractor CCG (Scotland) and architect Cooper Cromar – at the site located on West Shore Road adjacent to Forthquarter Park. The 444-home masterplan will consist of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings, available in a mix of social rent (195) mid-market rent (193) and private sale tenures (56) that will each benefit from stunning parkland and sea views. To achieve net zero carbon, all homes will be constructed using advanced construction methods to improve thermal performance (and reduce heat loss). Delivered by an on-site energy centre containing air-source heat pumps and renewable technologies such as solar PV panels, this low carbon heat system and zero emissions strategy is being supported by £4.1m of funding from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme. Complemented by carbon offsetting measures, this pioneering approach to reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions has been developed by CCG in partnership with energy and sustainability consultancy, Carbon Futures. Sustainability credentials will be further enhanced by a reduction in car usage, provision of Electric Vehicle charging, and increased emphasis on active travel to lower the development’s carbon footprint over the longer term. Set for completion in 2024, the homes for rent will be managed by the Council whilst the private homes will be led by CCG Homes, the private housing arm of the CCG Group. Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “We are so proud to lead the country’s biggest net zero housing development and to break ground today. “With an ambitious target to become a net zero city by 2030, this first phase of Granton Waterfront will act as a blueprint for future sustainable development and help Scotland transition towards a greener economy. This housing is going to provide hundreds of affordable homes, right at the centre of what will be Edinburgh’s newest neighbourhood – offering a fantastically lively, active, and sustainable waterfront lifestyle for everyone who moves in. “People moving in will benefit from a real 20-minute neighbourhood, with great progress being made in our £1.3 billon wider regeneration project including a growing cultural and arts cluster in the area, after we announced works to refurbish the former Granton Station building into a creative workspace, as well as a new creative and community hub at 20 West Shore Road by Edinburgh Palette. It’s also great to see the iconic Granton Gasholder is being brought back to life – now illuminated in solidarity with Ukraine it is set to be fully restored and opened as a public amenity space. “The operators of the Pitt Street market have also announced their plans to take up a new residence here, with more than half of all stalls to be led by start-ups and entrepreneurs, and we’re only going to see more and more new services, businesses and creative endeavours choose Granton. This is the start of an exciting new chapter for the city and for how we build new homes and new neighbourhoods and I look forward to seeing it all take shape.” CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “CCG’s contribution to the regeneration of Granton is significant with over 500 homes set to be under construction by the middle of this year. Western Villages, alongside a further 75 homes with the Council at Waterfront Avenue (known as Granton D1, the first pilot project of the Edinburgh Homes Demonstrator initiative), will play a major role in the creation of this new coastal community and also help shape our understanding and capabilities of net zero housing delivery in Edinburgh and across Scotland. “We are very proud to be pioneering applied research and development into net zero housebuilding to support our economy’s green ambitions whilst also ensuring that high-quality, highly energy efficient homes remain accessible to our communities.”
Caddick Construction has started work on Phase 2A of the Gateway 36 industrial scheme near Barnsley after been appointed by Eos Inc Ltd, part of the Harworth Group Plc. The £9.3 million contract initially covers Plots 1-3, as well as external yards, car parking, associated highways and off-site drainage work. Unit 1 consists of two 10,000 sq ft units, Unit 2 is 49,500 sq ft and Unit 3 is 38,500 sq ft. Overall, Phase 2 will be developed over 51 acres to either side of the A6195 Dearne Valley Parkway at Rockingham and provides a range of industrial and logistics units with easy access to Junction 36 of the M1. Building on the success of Phase 1, the overall development comprises of a broad mix of medium to large industrial options together with a number of roadside units including the Greene King Public House. The scheme will accommodate a range of units from 5,000 sq ft up to 462,000 sq ft with a minimum BREEAM rating of “Very Good”. It is already proving popular with logistic and last-mile delivery specialists. Gateway 36, located within the heart of the Sheffield City Region, was established following the long-term remediation of the former Rockingham Colliery. It was developed by Harworth Group from 2014 onwards with the first three speculative industrial units, totalling 65,000 sq ft, completing in 2016. The latest Units 1-3 of Phase 2A are being constructed by Caddick on a speculative basis and are due to complete towards the end of this year. The following Units 5-8 will be offered on a design and build basis. Richard Gaukrodger, Caddick Construction Director, said: “We are delighted to be appointed to deliver this key logistics scheme at Phase 2 Gateway 36. Our construction and design teams are making excellent progress with the structural steelwork and cladding now in progress to all three units and we look forward to continuing the support of our local supply chain partners and local businesses to deliver a successful scheme. Cameron Sanderson, Development Manager from the Harworth Group, added: “Phase 2 continues Harworth’s strategy of increasing our direct development of industrial & logistics space over the next five to seven years. Gateway 36 is extremely well-connected adjacent to Junction 36 of the M1 and our trusted delivery partner Caddick Construction are doing an excellent job in facilitating our ambitions to provide high specification industrial and logistics space. “The development will support continued economic growth and jobs for South Yorkshire with the first three units nearing completion.” For all enquiries contact Knight Frank or Gent Visick.
The firm has secured 85% of their 2022-2023 budget (in fees) by August 2022 , just 3 months into the financial year, a staff increase of 18% with 20% of staff having received a promotion within the last year. Award-winning engineering consultancy Harley Haddow has reported a stellar year for growth after winning a number of high-profile project wins including appointments for the Royal Academy of Arts and the Clifton Street & Holywell Row Site in Shoreditch amongst others. The work at the Royal Academy is to support their partners Knight Harwood in the refurbishment of the RA schools’ studios within the lower ground and ground floors of Burlington House. The Clifton Street & Holywell Row site in Shoreditch will deliver industry leading new-build commercial office scheme with a focus on low energy and carbon design alongside a holistic sustainability strategy. Against the challenging backdrop of ongoing supply chain issues and cost of living crisis, the UK-based firm has continued to lead the way in driving buildings forward to becoming Net Zero and surpass targets set by the UK government. Working alongside the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London and Art Fund Museum winners, the firm provided energy and carbon analysis and technical options appraisal for their Net Zero Masterplan. The company has also attracted interest from lucrative student residences in North England, including to provide low energy and net zero carbon ready residences that will be certified as BREEAM Excellent, demonstrating exemplar sustainable performance. Over the last year, Harley Haddow has taken its learning into new territories and opened office space in Manchester and relocated to a bigger Net Zero conversant office in London. With five offices across the country, the firm now holds a roster of 118 staff throughout, spanning a range of expertise from operational roles to marketing and bid management. Eager to harness their team internally, the firm reported 20% growth of staff promotions from within in the last year. Guy Willis-Robb, Director, at Harley Haddow said; “It’s rewarding to have expanded our operations across the country and to be working in so many key markets. Last year was a challenging one for many businesses and it doesn’t look to be easing any time soon. However, thanks to the resilience of the industry, we’ve had the opportunity to scale up our current business model and work and bid for some amazing projects. “A surge in student residencies and repurposing old buildings has shown us that the market isn’t slowing down just yet but it’s crucial that we continue to reiterate the importance of responsible practices and thanks to our expanding team, we know we can keep making a positive impact.”
RSK Group Ltd has announced the addition of Proeon Systems, a specialist systems integrator supplying industrial grade control and safety solutions, to its thriving business portfolio. The company provides complete control and automation systems incorporating both hardware and software solutions. Proeon specialises in solving control and monitoring issues within some of the harshest of environments, including Nuclear; Renewables (Offshore Wind) to Deepwater subsea for the Oil & Gas sector. Proeon has an enviable reputation for design, build, and installation of control solutions from: multi-level communications platforms. The Norwich-based business was established in 2004 by Kevin Magee and Eddie Pond, initially as a specialist consultancy business and as Proeon has developed over the years it has a solid reputation and strong client base which includes National Grid, Procter & Gamble, Shell and Crosswind, along with contractors such as Balfour Beatty and Worley. Proeon Systems Managing Director Richard Miller, who will continue to lead the business, said: “Proeon’s flexible approach to challenging control system problems, together with its dedicated team, has allowed it to grow into new emerging markets in recent years. The Proeon team is focussed on providing unique robust cost-effective solutions for our clients. The business also maintains multiple accreditations that allow it to service highly regulated industries where many system integrators cannot. “in joining the RSK family, our more than 50-strong team will continue to deliver the quality services needed to exceed client expectations and will explore new growth opportunities that come with being part of a larger group.” RSK Group CEO Alan Ryder said: “RSK is proud to add the business-critical skills and expertise of Proeon Systems to the group. Proeon takes great pride in its company culture and core values as these inspire their employees and partners to rise to the challenges of a competitive business climate. This provides sustained growth, which RSK fully supports, and will create opportunities for the group to access new and growing sectors.”
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces the appointment of Lee Hewitt as UK Health, Safety and Environment Director. Lee will take up his new role on 5 September, following Heather Bryant retiring on 18 November, having spent eight years at Balfour Beatty. Lee will be responsible for driving the company’s Zero Harm, Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy across the Group, working closely with Balfour Beatty’s leadership teams and the Board Safety and Sustainability Committee. An experienced construction and infrastructure leader, Lee has undertaken several strategic roles, most recently as Programme Director for Site Wide Delivery and Logistics for Balfour Beatty VINCI’s HS2 Area North contract, Britain’s new high-speed rail line and the largest infrastructure project in Europe. In addition, he has held roles at the SMB (Skanska MWH Balfour Beatty) joint venture delivering the Thames Water capital programme, as well as the Head of Capital Procurement for Gatwick Airport Limited, Director of Procurement and Contract Management at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Head of Infrastructure, Project Management and Construction EMEA for Lendlease, and the Head of UK Procurement for National Grid where he spent 25 years. Lee’s experience will drive further operational focus and insights as the Group continues to deliver against its Zero Harm strategy. Having joined Balfour Beatty to work on the HS2 project in 2020, Lee is further testament to the Group’s ongoing commitment to developing broad leadership careers through a strong commitment to internal mobility. Heather Bryant has been instrumental in progressing Balfour Beatty’s Health & Safety agenda, a core value of the Group’s Build to Last strategy, most notably, overseeing a 50% reduction in Lost Time Injury Rate since 2014, and the launch of the company’s Observation App which has seen over 750,000 health and safety observations. Heather has also been instrumental in many industry-wide initiatives including co-founding the Health in Construction Leadership Group to focus on treating health like safety and spearheading the industry conversation around mental health. Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “Health and Safety is our License to Operate and it is imperative that our teams are empowered and supported to deliver our Zero Harm vision. With his extensive deep domain knowledge and understanding of the industry from leadership and project-based roles, I know that Lee will continue to drive this agenda forward across Balfour Beatty, and I am pleased to welcome him to the Group. “I would like to thank Heather for her steadfast commitment to making the construction and infrastructure industry a safer and healthier environment for everyone.”
SUPPLIERS have been invited to tender for Pagabo’s latest framework – the second generation of its popular Medium Works framework – for which the tender documents have now been published. The new generation of the framework will run for four years from January 2023, taking the place of the current iteration, which expires in December. It will provide a compliant and collaborative route to market for public sector clients to procure medium-sized construction projects valued at up to £10 million. With a total value of £1 billion, the framework will be split into four lots, with up to nine contractors allocated to each region under each lot across core and reserve supplier appointments. There are a number of these places reserved for SMEs to ensure fair access for suppliers of all sizes and to promote ample choice for clients, while generating the most positive social impact for communities. Lot 1 – £50k to £500k Lot 2 – £500k to £1m Lot 3 – £1m to £5m Lot 4 – £5m to £10m Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo, said: “The current Medium Works framework is one of our most active construction offerings, having seen more than 150 projects procured through it to date. It’s proved a popular option for clients, so we’re pleased to be looking at the next generation and continuing to support public sector bodies to procure the services they need to compliantly deliver their mid-sized schemes. “Over the past three and a half years, some fantastic schemes have been brought to fruition through the framework, including the expansion of Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry, a £5m new teaching block for Horsforth School in Leeds, and Bassetlaw District Council’s first carbon reduction scheme, which saw a significant refurbishment project at Kilton Forest Gold Course’s clubhouse. “The new iteration of the framework is aligned with all of the gold standard principles of procurement laid out by the Construction Playbook, ensuring that all clients and suppliers will be working at the forefront of industry best practice when it comes to their built environment projects. We’re now looking forward to receiving tender submissions from suppliers and working with our wider ecosystem to make this new generation of Medium Works the best it can be, ready to go live in January next year.” The Education Alliance will be the contacting authority for the new agreement, continuing its role from the current iteration of the framework. For more information, please visit https://www.pagabo.co.uk/
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has urged the UK government to follow the example of Germany, which has announced plans to spend €177.5bn on climate action, including €56bn on a huge programme of building renovations. Germany’s Climate and Transformation Fund aims to reduce the 30% of the country’s total energy consumption that is used to generate space and water heating and is particularly focused on improving buildings in the bottom 25% of energy performance. This also represents a dramatic shift in government priorities from supporting the construction of new homes to renovating more existing ones with one government official saying: “One euro spent on renovation is ten times more efficient than if it was spent on a new home.” Other European countries are expected to announce similar plans with the EU intensifying the focus on retrofit in its planned revisions to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. “This looks like a comprehensive plan for retrofitting buildings with both net zero and reduced energy costs for consumers in mind,” said BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox. “We have long been calling for something similar in the UK and I would urge our officials to look at this closely. Productivity “The built environment is responsible for more than 40% of total carbon emissions so upgrading our building stock could have a major impact on our net zero targets while improving health, well-being, and productivity at the same time by creating better indoor conditions,” he added. “It is also the quickest and most cost-effective way to drive down gas and electricity consumption in homes, schools, offices and industrial buildings when we are facing an unprecedented energy crisis.” Germany is grappling with the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had on its gas supplies and has pledged to invest €35.5bn in its renewable levy to lower electricity prices with another €20bn going towards decarbonising industry and developing the hydrogen industry. German consumers no longer pay the renewables levy that helps to finance the expansion of wind and solar power. Instead, the government has stepped in as part of efforts to cut electricity bills, but without reducing its investment in renewable infrastructure. The Green Building Council calculates that around 70% of UK non-residential buildings were built before 2000 and says most will need to be substantially retrofitted to improve energy efficiency and reduce embodied carbon before 2050. www.theBESA.com
Chubb, the UK’s leading provider of fire-safety and security solutions, is proud to launch an accelerated development programme designed to attract and train new industry-entrants in partnership with Zitko Talent, the world’s leading recruitment agency for the Fire and Security industry. The accelerated development programme will last approximately 18 weeks, starting with alternating blocks of technical training, field experience and manufacturer-led certified product training. Trainees will emerge as certified Fire and Security engineers, equipped with the knowledge required to work within Chubb’s installation and maintenance teams. The next generation of fire and security engineers The programme leverages Zitko’s expertise to attract and select candidates. As part of the process, specialist psychometric testing is to identify outstanding technical and learning potential. Chubb then selects and employs trainees from the pool, with manufacturers and educators contributing around 18-weeks of technical education and certified product training; all tailored to Chubb’s needs. The Zitko Talent team administers the entire programme on behalf of Chubb, while supporting/mentoring trainees. Andrew Collinson, Operations Director for Electronic Security, Chubb UK, said: “We have developed our own entry level engineers in-house before and some of our most successful people began with us this way. The accelerated development programme takes this to the next level. I believe it will be a significant source of talent; giving us people who will progress with us long-term. The programme’s been designed as a gateway for those who may or may not have previous engineering experience. The key requirements are ‘aptitude and attitude’; qualities which recruitment partner Zitko Talent will assess with their proven selection process. By focusing on these qualities, Chubb aims to unearth hidden talent, especially among groups who are traditionally underrepresented in the industry”. Zitko Group’s Managing Director, George Zitko, commented: “Chubb has an apprentice scheme already, but they’ve recognised the value of the Talent approach. That is, developing people with transferable skills and giving them a pathway into the industry”. The first intake is being recruited now, ready for an autumn start. To find out more about the Accelerated Development Programme visit https://www.zitkogroup.com/clients/chubb
Design, fit out and refurbishment specialist, Calztec, is proud to announce it has secured two new projects with Powell Williams and Gerald Eve. Project One Gerald Eve awarded Calztec the dilapidations repair, reinstatement and improvement works across 105,819 sq. ft. of Unit One in Winsford. This project consists of demolition of a four-storey mezzanine floor and racking system. Also included in the package is cut edge corrosion and recoating of the roof, replacement of roof lights, full internal and external cleaning of the building, upgraded HVAC and electrical, and decoration throughout. We will also be installing new solar panels to the roof area and car charging points, which is an exciting addition as it falls in line with one of our core values – Environmental Consideration. Project Two Calztec is also pleased to be appointed to this strip out and refurbishment project at Unit A1c, Gallagher Retail Park, Bristol by new client Powell Williams. The works include new utility connections, trench excavations, strip out of existing fit out and new drainage.
