A PMW Communications survey has revealed that the construction industry is rapidly moving away from traditional marketing in favour of digital platforms. The survey, conducted at the recent Construction Expo and UK Construction Week exhibition, asked participants to provide a list of construction companies’ marketing priorities. Digital platforms claimed the
Fixmart Limited, the UK supplier of construction products, has implemented the PODFather System, in order to improve its customer service, productivity, visibility and client communication. With the help of the System, Fixmart’s customer service team will be able to schedule and monitor time-critical deliveries for clients to sites across London
In an industry that is forever changing and adapting, it can sometimes be hard to stay on top of all the latest construction and mining news. If we consider how far we have come since the days where we would have to do all the work machines do today by
The latest alarming revelations from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) indicate that the amount of genuine building skills in the construction employee sector is getting worse as time goes by. The federal group found that the average British bricklayer is not the only one to suffer in the reduction
Sales in Q4 of 2016 continued to grow for the UK construction sector – the fifteenth quarter in a row according to the Construction Products Association. On an annual basis, 78% of heavy side firms reported that sales had increased in Q4, whilst on the light side, 75% of firms
The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has introduced a “radical new approach” to inspiring innovation in the built environment, after launching its first Innovation Lab that will offer workshops and collaborative opportunities to develop new solutions in the construction industry. Announced on Thursday (5 January), UK-GBC’s Innovation Lab brings in
Ministers have given the green light for construction to begin on thousands of discounted homes for first-time buyers. The government chose 30 local authorities to partner with in developing the first wave of Starter Homes, which will be available to buyers aged 23-40 at 20 per cent below market value.
Contractor, Wates Construction, is encouraging women across the region to consider a career in construction in response to data estimating that almost 4,000 new industry jobs will be created annually across the east of England. The call to action follows a report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) predicting
Councillors are set to be asked to approve the tender from Wilmott Dixon Construction Ltd to build the new schools and community project in Coldside. If approved, work on the project will get under way in February with an expected completion date of June 2018. The facilities will then become
Building work is underway on the new £32 million West Calder High School. The new school will be home to 1,000 pupils and is set to open in 2018. It will include a floodlit 3G sports pitch, a swimming pool and sports facilities to be used by both the school
A PMW Communications survey has revealed that the construction industry is rapidly moving away from traditional marketing in favour of digital platforms. The survey, conducted at the recent Construction Expo and UK Construction Week exhibition, asked participants to provide a list of construction companies’ marketing priorities. Digital platforms claimed the top three spots in the list. “PMW is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, so we’re in a great place to see how marketing options have evolved and expanded. The results of the survey reflect the fact that technology has become integral to our daily lives, as we no longer rely fully on adverts in newspapers or magazines, instead choosing to Google, or look on a company’s website or social media platforms for the information we need. It’s therefore now vital for businesses to optimise SEO so they appear on the first page of online searches, or to be engaging with customers over Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn,” said Peter Sutton, Managing Director of PMW Communications. Delegates at the trade shows were given 10 tokens each, which represented 100% of their marketing budget in 10% denominations. Participants were then asked to place the tokens into six category boxes: social media, traditional advertising, brochures, PR and events, website, and digital advertising. Over 200 people participated in the survey, representing a number of different companies within in the construction industry. The top priority for delegates, with 24% of the vote, was to have a professional and informative website. Digital advertising came second with 20%, and social media completed a digital top three with 19%. Brochure design and PR and events were tied in fourth with a respectable 15%. Traditional advertising methods were the lowest priority picking up 7% of the vote. “Despite the expected growth in digital options, there is still a place for more traditional marketing activities in the construction industry. Creative PR is a really cost-effective way of reaching target audiences, and can offer excellent value in terms of ROI, and events give a company the chance to engage with potential customers in person, which is something the digital world can never replace. It’s difficult to predict what marketing options will be available to construction companies in the next 10 years, but in such a fast paced industry, we’re excited to find out,” Peter Sutton concluded.
Fixmart Limited, the UK supplier of construction products, has implemented the PODFather System, in order to improve its customer service, productivity, visibility and client communication. With the help of the System, Fixmart’s customer service team will be able to schedule and monitor time-critical deliveries for clients to sites across London and the M25 corridor, straight from the company’s extensive warehousing facility in Kent. “Delivering products that are scheduled to arrive at a construction site are often time-critical with tight delivery windows so there are no delays to a particular phase of work. Failure to meet these can result in possible time and cost implications as well as financial penalties. The PODFather system will ensure that we deliver materials to our customers when they need them and also enable us to optimise our route planning to make the most efficient use of the fleet. It is just one of a number of recent initiatives we have undertaken to help our customers save time and money, maintain a competitive advantage and mitigate risk,” said Carl Ghinn, Managing Director of Fixmart Limited. Improved estimated times of arrival will be communicated to customers when the delivery is en-route with traffic information and delays provided in real-time. The system will also enable Fixmart to evaluate mileage, vehicle weight capacity and to create the most optimal delivery runs within the set time-window requirements of their customers. “Effective route planning should sit at the heart of any logistics team to help ensure the best chance of delivering on customer promises. Fixmart has taken PODFather to provide accurate delivery ETAs to their clients and they now know in advance if these are going to hit the required delivery time window. Electronic proof of delivery documents are sent in real-time back to the office and the customer stating the exact time of delivery, who received it, and where it was delivered,” commented Colin McCreadie, Managing Director of PODFather. Fixmart offers construction related products including fixings, containment, pipe support, brackets and ductwork.
In an industry that is forever changing and adapting, it can sometimes be hard to stay on top of all the latest construction and mining news. If we consider how far we have come since the days where we would have to do all the work machines do today by hand, the significance of knowing about and understanding the latest developments is truly highlighted. The following news has been collated from happenings across the globe, which also shows the wide-reaching and global significance of this industry and why it is so important to remain knowledgeable about the developments taking place within it. Drone Adaptation The power of drones has yet to reach its full potential and this is made all the more evident in the fact that drones are now being adapted to be used in the mining and agriculture. Drones essentially are being programmed to offer more advanced solution to problems on construction sites, mines and quarries. From a safety point of view, drones could also be really beneficial with minimising the risks faced by construction workers on a daily basis, something which is very much welcomed. EW60E Wheeled Excavator Introduced Volvo has just debuted its latest EW60E wheeled excavator that not only offers increased efficiency but also a smaller engine. This development has proven to be very popular with the construction industry who are always looking ahead to make the work they do more efficient. The excavator even features a number of attachments such as a hydraulic coupler and is compatible with other hydraulic breakers. Sand Prices on the Rise According to the reports of certain construction stakeholders, there has been concern with regards to the fact that the price of sand needed for construction work has increased considerably in recent months in Asia. This has also coincided with the fact that other raw materials are also seeing an increase in price which is hitting the industry badly in the fact as it now cost more to extract the materials and transport them too. With sand and gravel being the most extracted material in the world, the problem of expensive sand is likely to have a significant impact on the rest of the construction industry, globally. Women in Construction The Mining Journal has recently reported on the increase in the number of women learning about construction in the form of electricity, welding and woodwork. While this is not directly related to mining, it is significant in the fact that it suggests that more women are being encouraged to take on careers that would have previously been considered to be male dominated. Through encouraging the younger generation to see construction as not just offering career opportunities for one gender, this is likely to have a significant impact on the future of construction and related industries. The future of the mining and construction industries is beginning to shift and this is significant in the fact that it is pioneering the change of challenging gender roles in the workplace.
The latest alarming revelations from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) indicate that the amount of genuine building skills in the construction employee sector is getting worse as time goes by. The federal group found that the average British bricklayer is not the only one to suffer in the reduction of skills crisis that has plagued the building and construction industry. For example, the findings of the FMB indicate that 46 per cent of site managers and construction officials are finding it harder and harder to employ professionals to work on roofs. To make this trend worse, figures have shown that the level of plastering and electrical workers are lower than they have ever been in the last four years. Furthermore, the fact that there are less and less skilled workers operating in the construction industry in Britain is surely a sign that Theresa May and the government need to do something fast to rectify the situation before Britain runs out of skilled workers altogether. Mister Brian Berry, CE of the Federation of Master Builders, explains that the skills set in construction has significantly decreased in the past few years and is an issue that needs to be addressed. A lack of apprenticeships and the growing costs of training and materials is an alarming sign that many construction firms are in danger of losing many of their assets and acquisitions over the years, and Britain’s decision to leave the European Union will surely equally have an impact on the situation of building and construction in the country. The current fluctuations of the English Pound are also a worry for manufacturers in the country, and trade relations with the European Union will need be certified by the government so that the FMB does not have to report any more bad news for the construction industry. There is hope however that 2017 will be a wake-up call for the building industry to seek the government’s help to safeguard its future.
Sales in Q4 of 2016 continued to grow for the UK construction sector – the fifteenth quarter in a row according to the Construction Products Association. On an annual basis, 78% of heavy side firms reported that sales had increased in Q4, whilst on the light side, 75% of firms reported that sales were higher than a year earlier, which was the highest balance since 2014 Q3. However, as uncertainty intensifies and cost pressures from the fall in Sterling post-Referendum hit this year, the industry may struggle to experience similar growth. Among heavy side manufacturers only 6% on balance anticipate a rise in sales over 2017 Q1, and 29% on balance of light side manufacturers anticipate a rise during the same period. Rebecca Larkin, CPA Senior Economist said: “Unsurprisingly, manufacturers’ expectations for 2017 appear to have been tempered by the uncertainty surrounding the economic and political outlook. Heavy side manufacturers appeared most exposed to the effects of Sterling’s depreciation during the second half of 2016. In Q4, two-thirds of firms reported an increase in costs, the highest in five years, and a further 89% anticipate an increase over the next year. Rising costs of imported raw materials continue to be a primary driver of cost inflation, but there is now an indication that currency weakness is filtering through to higher energy and fuel costs too. “The impact of Brexit on the construction industry is, as yet, unclear, but it is unlikely this year will be as buoyant as last unless government is able to provide greater certainty and the industry is able to manage cost pressures.” Interested in this article? Read more at Builders Merchants Journal.
The UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) has introduced a “radical new approach” to inspiring innovation in the built environment, after launching its first Innovation Lab that will offer workshops and collaborative opportunities to develop new solutions in the construction industry. Announced on Thursday (5 January), UK-GBC’s Innovation Lab brings in Canary Wharf Group, Land Securities and Marks & Spencer (M&S) as lead partners in the initiative’s overall aim to foster innovative sustainability solutions and explore future trends of the built environment. UK-GBC’s head of leadership and innovation Cat Hirst said: “Research and Development levels across our industry are painfully low; the UK currently only spends £43m on construction R&D. The risks to a single company of investing in developing a solution for such a high-cost industry is often seen as prohibitive. But we desperately need to find ways of working together to achieve radical change if we are to challenge business as usual and transition to a sustainable way of working. “At UK-GBC we’re seeking to catalyse this change by using our unique position to convene our member organisations to work together to address the issues our industry faces. We want to ensure there is the time, space, and structure for open innovation to occur for the built environment.” The Innovation Lab officially began last month with a workshop aimed at identifying “breakthrough challenges” that will form the basis for the next nine-months of workshops and programmes; Thursday marks the official announcement from UK-GBC. The initial workshop highlighted the key challenges that the industry will face in regards to climate resilience, resource efficiency and technological advancements. The next workshop will be held on 1 February and the open format allows members to collaborate to share both risks and rewards. Land Securities head of sustainability Caroline Hill said: “The Innovation Lab will provide us with an exciting opportunity to work and collaborate with businesses in the property industry, to explore innovative sustainable solutions. Most importantly we want to see how sustainability can help to break through some of the challenges our sector is currently facing.” Read more here.
Ministers have given the green light for construction to begin on thousands of discounted homes for first-time buyers. The government chose 30 local authorities to partner with in developing the first wave of Starter Homes, which will be available to buyers aged 23-40 at 20 per cent below market value. The homes will be built on brownfield sites across the UK, with the councils being chosen on availability of land and ability to deliver homes quickly. The partnerships between the Homes and Communities Agency and the local authorities have been established under the government’s £1.2bn Starter Homes Land Fund, which was launched last April. The fund supports the acquisition, remediation and de-risking of brownfield land for Starter Home developments. Construction of the first Starter Homes will begin later this year. Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell said: “This government is committed to building Starter Homes to help young first-time buyers get on the housing ladder. “This first wave of partnerships shows the strong local interest to build thousands of Starter Homes on hundreds of brownfield sites in the coming years. One in three councils has expressed an interest to work with us so far.” Read more at https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/markets/sectors/housing/government-kick-starts-starter-homes-construction/10016061.article
Contractor, Wates Construction, is encouraging women across the region to consider a career in construction in response to data estimating that almost 4,000 new industry jobs will be created annually across the east of England. The call to action follows a report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) predicting an annual growth of 2.3pc for the region’s construction industry, which should see roughly 3,910 new jobs created each year between 2016 and 2020. Louise Reeve, who has worked as a Framework Assistant and Community Investment Advisor for Wates Construction since 2015 said: “The diversity of the roles in construction is one of the industry’s biggest draws, something many people perhaps don’t realise when they are choosing their career and I think this is particularly true for women. “In addition to the hands-on trade roles available, there are so many more elements to construction. For example, a key part of my role is ensuring that our work in the region is used to create training, apprenticeship and work experience opportunities for local people.” Louise is currently based at the Quadram Institute at Norwich Research Park, which is expected to have an on-site team of approximately 380 operatives during peak periods. She added: “My advice to anyone currently reviewing their career choices would be not to discount construction. More and more women are opening their minds to the industry, which is very encouraging, and with a rise in constructions jobs predicted by the CITB, I personally hope to see the sector’s gender gap in the east of England become even smaller.” Currently there are 96 available positions being advertised in the construction industry across Norfolk on recruitment website Jobs24. These vacancies include site technicians, contracts managers, carpenters and surveyor roles. Article taken from http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/women_in_norfolk_urged_to_consider_careers_in_construction_1_4817739
Councillors are set to be asked to approve the tender from Wilmott Dixon Construction Ltd to build the new schools and community project in Coldside. If approved, work on the project will get under way in February with an expected completion date of June 2018. The facilities will then become operational for the Autumn term in August of that year. Bill Campbell, depute convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “With work completed or well underway on similar projects in other neighbourhoods across the city it is good to see progress being made on the Coldside scheme. “This will bring two new single stream primary schools designed over two storeys, a separate nursery area and a dedicated facility for community use to Coldside that will provide services for people who will live in the adjacent new houses being built in this part of the city.” Stewart Hunter, convener of the city council’s children and families service committee, said: “This new build will replace Our Lady’s RC and Rosebank primary schools and the Frances Wright pre-school centre with modern custom designed facilities. “As well as the schools there will be four additional flexible classrooms, nursery facilities and a dedicated area for community use of 500m² which together will create buildings in which staff will be able deliver a 21st curriculum and local people enjoy leisure and culture.” Vehicles will gain access to the main school, community facility, pupil drop-off and service yard car park from Alexander Street, while the nursery school car park and pupil drop-off facility will be in Ann Street. New social housing is currently being built on another part of the site, which was formerly home to the Alexander Street multis. Labour’s education spokesman Laurie Bidwell could not be reached for comment. The city development committee meets on Monday December 12.
Building work is underway on the new £32 million West Calder High School. The new school will be home to 1,000 pupils and is set to open in 2018. It will include a floodlit 3G sports pitch, a swimming pool and sports facilities to be used by both the school and wider community. Pupils joined Cathy Muldoon, the council deputy leader, along with education executive vice chairman David Dodds at the site to mark the occasion. Representatives from Hub South East, West Lothian Council and builders Morrison Construction were also in attendance. Cllr Muldoon commented: “It’s fantastic to see work start on the new West Calder High School, with a good deal of activity now taking place to get the site ready for construction. “We are investing over £100 million in education infrastructure projects to ensure West Lothian children have the best possible learning environment. West Lothian already has one of the best school estates in the country and our ongoing investment will build on this.” Plans for the £32 million school were officially approved in June, which is West Lothian Council’s largest ever single investment in education. It was developed through Hub South East Scotland, with Morrison Construction appointed to build the new school. Councillor Fitzpatrick said: “I’m delighted to see the project to deliver the new £32 million West Calder High School, the council’s largest ever investment in education, is progressing well. “The modern, high-quality school will be a fantastic resource for local young people, providing an ideal learning environment for them to achieve their full potential. “This investment will help ensure that West Lothian continues to have one of the best school estates in Scotland. “The construction work phase will also provide valuable training and job opportunities for local residents. “At its peak, 70-100 people will be employed on site, with up to an additional 10 full-time positions being created.”
