Sarah Harvey has thrived for 30 years in construction recruitment. Find out how she achieved this feat and how the industry has changed over the decades. When I took my first construction recruitment job in 1989, I would never have imagined I would still be in the industry 30 years
UK housebuilder Harron Homes has named a new Construction Director to lead its Yorkshire team. Robert Kerr will join the Leeds-based firm with almost four decades experience in the construction industry and on the back of a recent role as Construction Director at a Bradford based housebuilder. The Rotherham man,
The Torbay-headquartered construction company The Cavanna Group has announced three new appointments to its Board of Directors, completing a ten year succession plan for the family business which was established in 1923 in Torquay. The Cavanna Group’s business operations, which include Cavanna Homes developments across the West Country, are overseen
ISG has kicked off 2020 with the announcement of two new senior appointments. The firm has added two professionals to the Engineering Services Leadership Board, with Peter Millett joining as managing director for the Europe datacentre business and Jim McCarthy taking up the reins of a new division in his
CHARLOTTE Booth, a chartered environmentalist with more than a decade of consultancy experience, has been appointed as associate director of sustainability and wellbeing at multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering practice, BE Design. Having grown up on an almost autonomous farm in rural Lincolnshire, Charlotte had a keen interest in protecting the
Costain has named its first ever chief digital officer. Nathan Marsh will take on the role, leading the accelerated implementation of Costain’s commercial digital strategy, with responsibility for the delivery of Group-wide digital services enhancing the solutions to its clients. He will also take up a position as a member
The South West’s largest independent homebuilder Cavanna Homes has made two key appointments to its senior team, to further support the firm’s ambitious growth plans ahead of its centenary year in 2023. Paul Furner, Head of Sales and Marketing, brings more than 15 years’ experience in the new home and
The construction industry is one of the busiest in the world and that is certainly true within the USA. Indeed, the US construction industry is thought to be worth over $1 billion in annual expenditure. With the sector employing over 10 million workers and US construction firms spending more than
Visqueen has appointed Georgia Oxbrough as Business Development Manager (BDM) for the North of England and Scotland. Georgia’s promotion is the latest step in a blossoming six-year career with the gas protection and structural waterproofing specialist. It began straight from school when she applied, successfully, for an NVQ apprenticeship in
Further expansion signalled with appointment of well-known name Pat McGillycuddy. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics and distribution sectors has today announced the appointment of Pat McGillycuddy as Chairman. Pat McGillycuddy, a well-known name in the UK/European logistics real estate industry joins at the start of
Sarah Harvey has thrived for 30 years in construction recruitment. Find out how she achieved this feat and how the industry has changed over the decades. When I took my first construction recruitment job in 1989, I would never have imagined I would still be in the industry 30 years later. Thriving for three decades in this role is rare, as it’s such a tough, competitive environment to work in. My time in construction recruitment has given me a unique insight on the industry as a whole, and I wanted to discuss the evolution I’ve seen and the changes I still want to see. As we approach the end of an uncertain year, we’re hoping 2020 will be reinvigorated through political clarity. For construction talent, be it permanent or temporary staff, if you do a good job and add value, you win through. Construction An Improved Landscape The industry has undergone a major image transformation over the last 30 years and has emerged as more professional and respectable. The industry we know today is process-led, policy-driven and digitalised. The culture of the late 1980s has been largely overhauled, and as a result, we all work in a more positive sector. Whilst policy is a must in order to mitigate risk, there is a feeling that policy can be more of a tick-box exercise with the clear exception of health and safety. We have seen a complete behavioural overhaul of health and safety, and rightly so. The standards have skyrocketed, meaning workers are happier, more productive and significantly safer in their roles. Equally, 30 years ago, there was no such thing as having records and plans stored digitally. Advancements in technology have enabled plans to be viewed in 3D, making it more efficient to plan and develop construction projects. The concept of construction management software has also revolutionised the industry. It allows different parties to collaborate on projects with more ease, which means they can make necessary changes much faster. We also talk about equality, diversity and inclusion, and wanting to attract more women into construction. Fortunately, how the industry treats its stakeholders is worlds apart from where we were in the late 80s. Industry leaders who are stuck in their old ways still exist, but thankfully, they are now few and far between. They need to be as they actively deter females from the industry and cause good staff members to look for better prospects elsewhere. Where We Need to Build a Better Industry Culturally, the industry has improved, but there are issues that still need to be resolved. I think the way parties interact with each other has remained largely unchanged with confrontation still rife. Because of this, the industry loses talent that doesn’t cope well in harsh cultures. Being overly tough just isn’t the right approach for today’s talent. The industry has been very slow to adjust here, despite claiming otherwise. Staff retention hasn’t improved massively over the years, but if we adapted the same zero tolerance approach to poor management as we do to health and safety, workers will be more inclined to stay in their roles. People often tell us they feel like they’re in a straight-jacket, unable to offer ideas or honest feedback for fear of it putting a black mark against their name. Similarly, there are widespread comments that people feel like their appraisals are rushed and merely part of box-ticking process. Whilst policy is key to compliance and risk mitigation, there needs to be a greater level of sincerity around policies. We have to take them more seriously instead of using them to simply satisfy legislative criteria. I can still remember how fondly professionals spoke about their careers in the late 80s and 90s. Despite how far the construction industry has advanced, it doesn’t feel like workers these days have the same sense of team spirit and respect for each other. There seems to be a worrying sense of disillusionment with how they’re treated, with company politics and what many consider to be overkill on process. Talented professionals feel stifled and that their roles are now less skilled with the growth of automation processes. I knew many site engineers, site managers, quantity surveyors and the like who are now senior industry leaders. It seems the generation of yesteryear had a real appetite to progress, but these workers are now within a few years of retirement. As a general observation, I think those who have come through the industry in the last ten to fifteen years don’t have the same desires. This is concerning as it poses a potential problem for sourcing future leaders and begs the question as to why people don’t want these roles. It’s highly unlikely they don’t want an increase in salary, bonuses and kudos. It’s more than likely they don’t want to deal with the complicated processes, backstage politics and blame culture that many perceive comes with career progression. Towards the end of the 80s, late payment was rife. We still hear about poor payment issues today, which is leading to the same business failures we saw three decades ago. Payment has improved on the whole, but I feel it may have regressed in 2019. We talk about fair treatment and timely payment, but there are still behaviours that fly in the face of these principles. Recruitment: The Success and Failures of the Industry The recruitment industry has also evolved a great deal during my three decades in the business. When I first started out, recruitment was completely paper-based, and sales offices were smoke-filled dens of relentless, high-pressure sales activity. The role was purely phone–based and job boards were unheard of. The way in which jobseekers look for new roles now has certainly changed. Over the last few years, I have witnessed the rise of job boards, applicant tracking systems, portals and social media — LinkedIn in particular. Previously, advertising was mostly confined to industry magazines, and anyone looking for a different job would need to look at
UK housebuilder Harron Homes has named a new Construction Director to lead its Yorkshire team. Robert Kerr will join the Leeds-based firm with almost four decades experience in the construction industry and on the back of a recent role as Construction Director at a Bradford based housebuilder. The Rotherham man, who is known as Bob, was attracted to Harron Homes because of the high specification of the properties it builds and the opportunity the role offered to develop the construction and customer care teams to further improve customer satisfaction. Noel Adams, Managing Director for Harron Homes Yorkshire, said: “Bob’s wealth of experience means he was an obvious choice for the post. “Our operational area boasts some of the UK’s most attractive locations, some of its richest history and some of its most charming communities. “I am proud to say that the company has experienced great success over the past two decades years bringing high quality, family homes to these areas and with Bob’s input we look forward to playing our part in meeting the continued demand.” Harron Homes is currently building a range of executive new homes across Yorkshire, from Harrogate to Barnsley and Huddersfield to Howden, including a number of new developments due to launch in 2020 in Pocklington and Carlton.
The Torbay-headquartered construction company The Cavanna Group has announced three new appointments to its Board of Directors, completing a ten year succession plan for the family business which was established in 1923 in Torquay. The Cavanna Group’s business operations, which include Cavanna Homes developments across the West Country, are overseen by Managing Director Keith Miller who joined the company in October 2017. Alongside Keith on the Board are Andrew Addison who has been promoted to Operations Director, having previously served 12 months as Head of Operations. David Green who has been with Cavanna Homes since 2001 is promoted to Development Director and Scott Murray joins the firm as Group Finance Director, replacing Brian Bargent. Brothers Jeremy and Jonathan Cavanna and their cousin Martin Cavanna, who are third generation members of the family business will remain on the Board but have moved to non-executive roles within the Cavanna Group which remains entirely family-owned. Keith Miller said: “2020 marks a significant milestone in Cavanna’s history as we complete the transition from a family owned and managed business to one that is now managed and directed by non-family members. While the Board of Directors are responsible for driving-forward this very successful company, we are answerable to the Cavanna shareholders, for whom the way in which we do business “the Cavanna Way”, embedding the family ethos in everything we do, is paramount. “We are also pleased to have fourth generation Cavanna family members in the business and look forward to supporting their growth and success in the company.” Paying tribute to the Cavanna family, Keith said; “Cavanna Homes charts a remarkable story of business success from humble beginnings when PD Cavanna arrived in Torquay with the tools of his trade and £200 of his family’s life savings, to a multi-million pound business which achieved national recognition as winner at the Housebuilder Awards 2019. “Over the past three decades, Jeremy, Jonathan and Martin Cavanna have laid solid foundations for the future, having grown the company by a factor of one hundred under their leadership. Their legacy is a strong family ethos, professional standards and a commitment to achieving the highest level of customer and staff satisfaction. “It is an honour and a privilege for me and my fellow directors to take this company to its centenary year and beyond. With the excellent team here at Cavanna Homes we will keep the company safe and profitable well into the future.” Cavanna Homes employs 139 staff from its Torquay headquarters and around 250 contractors working on development sites across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. In 2019 Cavanna Homes produced a turnover of £50.9million on 169 open market sales and 59 affordable homes. This year the firm will be building new homes in 14 locations including city, coast and countryside developments. In addition to the day to day business, Cavanna staff raised over £15,000 in 2019 for Children’s Hospice South West and have nominated the same charity for their fundraising efforts in 2020. The company was recently named the UK’s Housebuilder of the Year 2019 at the national Housebuilder Awards in the medium category for housebuilders building between 200 and 1,500 homes a year.
ISG has kicked off 2020 with the announcement of two new senior appointments. The firm has added two professionals to the Engineering Services Leadership Board, with Peter Millett joining as managing director for the Europe datacentre business and Jim McCarthy taking up the reins of a new division in his role as managing director for customer operations. Commenting on the appointments, Bart Korink, Chief Operating Officer for ISG’s Engineering Services business, said: “I’m delighted to announce the addition of Peter to our leadership team and Jim’s new role in our new customer operations division. “Peter joins from Jaguar Land Rover, bringing with him over 30 years’ experience, expertise and insight in construction. “His client knowledge will prove invaluable in helping us continue to build our data centre contractor experience in Europe and provide the best customer service in the industry.” In his role within the latest ISG division, Jim will also lead the deployment of a new, dedicated customer operations team alongside business development director, Richard Irwin. “Our global datacentre, science and health sectors continue to show good growth,” Mr Korink added. “Moving forward, we want to continue to be contractor of choice for datacentre delivery across Europe and expand our customer base across Europe and Asia. “Key to this function will be building our scalability and capability in new geographies, implementing successful win work strategies and managing key client account relationships to inform future tendering opportunities. “Jim has a wealth of experience working with our key datacentre clients after delivering a number of key projects for our datacentre business in Europe. “Under his leadership, we will be able to create a stable, resilient platform that enables us to achieve our ambitions and support the growth of the wider business.”
CHARLOTTE Booth, a chartered environmentalist with more than a decade of consultancy experience, has been appointed as associate director of sustainability and wellbeing at multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering practice, BE Design. Having grown up on an almost autonomous farm in rural Lincolnshire, Charlotte had a keen interest in protecting the environment from a young age and has since led on energy and sustainability strategies for some of the UK’s largest urban regeneration projects. “From a young age, I recognised the importance of living sustainably,” said Charlotte. “On my family’s 250-hectare arable farm, we grew the energy crop miscanthus, ran our vehicles on biofuel, designed wetlands and wildflower meadows to encourage biodiversity and heated the farmhouse via a ground source heat pump, solar thermal and PV panels. You could say that a passion for sustainability and wellbeing is in my blood. “After completing my degree in Natural Sciences at Durham University – where I specialised in climate change – I went on to study for an MSc in Building Energy and Environmental Performance Modelling at the Welsh School of Architecture. “This greatly contributed to my understanding as to the impacts of development on the environment and led me to pursue a career in the construction industry. “I’ve advised affordable housing providers, local councils and private developers on the environmental impacts of their construction projects. I’ve worked closely with teams to project manage multi-million-pound masterplanning and regeneration schemes. Seeing low carbon, sustainable and biophilic-focussed designs come to fruition is incredibly rewarding. “I’m now looking forward to putting all of this experience into practice at BE Design.” In her new role, Charlotte will be collaborating closely with the team to provide sustainability management, wellbeing and biophilic design support – through accreditations including the WELL Building Standard – and energy and low carbon strategies to BE Design’s clients. Charlotte added: “We want to embed sustainability and wellbeing practices into the heart of our designs. There’s an incredible team here, who are committed to creating exceptional places to live and work in, which have minimal environmental impact and which are fit for future generations. “This passion for sustainability, along with the collaborative and holistic approach to design, is what attracted me to BE Design. “Climate change is a very real threat, one that isn’t going to go away, so we have to be incorporating sustainable practices into everything we do in terms of building design. Businesses and councils are declaring states of emergency. But now, we have to deliver practical solutions to deliver the net zero carbon aspirations of our clients.” Charlotte’s role will significantly strengthen the Nottinghamshire-based practice’s offer relating to sustainable and wellbeing and bring an elevated service to its national and international clients. Director Anna Tsartsari added: “Sustainability isn’t just a buzz word – it’s a practice, an ethos, a commitment to the future of our planet. ‘Designing sustainably for the future’ has been at the core of our business’ approach to design from day one. At BE Design, we very much subscribe to the idea of sustainable placemaking, creating spaces that people want to live and work in. That’s why we’ve also signed up to Architect’s Declare. “Charlotte will hugely benefit our clients, bringing an incredible amount of sector knowledge to their projects. She has already proven to be a fantastic addition to the team and we’re delighted to have her on board.” Find out more about BE Design at www.bedesign.co.uk or join the conversation on Twitter @B_E_Design #BESustainablePlacemaking.
Costain has named its first ever chief digital officer. Nathan Marsh will take on the role, leading the accelerated implementation of Costain’s commercial digital strategy, with responsibility for the delivery of Group-wide digital services enhancing the solutions to its clients. He will also take up a position as a member of Costain’s Executive board. With over 20 years’ experience working in digital transformation, Mr Marsh has held roles at SNC Lavalin, McKinsey & Co, EY and AON. Commenting on the appointment, Alex Vaughan, CEO said: “Ensuring that every service we offer is digitally optimised, and that we offer our clients new solutions founded on the application of digital technology is core to our new Leading Edge strategy which is why we have appointed our first chief digital officer. Nathan’s key industry relationships and experience of enabling digital capabilities across the UK’s critical nature infrastructure will ensure Costain shapes the future adoption of digital solutions and supports our clients in the implementation of this transition.” Nathan Marsh, chief digital officer, added: “I am incredibly excited at becoming Costain’s first ever CDO. Our sector is undergoing a wholesale digital transformation and it’s fantastic to see progressive industry leaders like Costain invest in and prioritise digital. I’m looking forward to helping our people and our clients leverage the full benefits of digital connectivity, designing, building and operating infrastructure for the future.”
The South West’s largest independent homebuilder Cavanna Homes has made two key appointments to its senior team, to further support the firm’s ambitious growth plans ahead of its centenary year in 2023. Paul Furner, Head of Sales and Marketing, brings more than 15 years’ experience in the new home and property sector, and Victoria Potter, Head of HR, joins the firm with a strong background in human resources management and employee professional development. Paul joins Cavanna Homes from Countrywide Plc, where he managed the new homes division for the South West. He will oversee the sales and marketing teams at the Torquay headquarters and across all development sites to ensure visitors and customers have the best experience possible. Paul said: “Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases most people are likely to make, so we need to make that experience as informative and as pleasurable as possible. We want our homeowners to be as proud of their new homes as we are! “This is an exciting time for Cavanna Homes, with the recent opening our stunning new show home at Cavanna @ Wolborough Hill in Newton Abbot and with more developments lined up to open later this year. I’m really pleased to have joined the fantastic team at Cavanna Homes, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into this new challenge supporting the company’s growth plans and encouraging people to come and visit our sites to see our beautiful new homes”. Victoria Potter, who was previously Head of HR and Training at British Ceramic Tile, will be supporting the company’s 130 employees with a focus on raising awareness of mental health through training programmes. Victoria added: “Moving into homebuilding has been a big step, but the ethos and goals at Cavanna Homes are inspirational and we have a great team here to deliver them! “My role is all about attracting, training, and retaining the best talent and supporting the business to achieve its goals. I’m looking forward to working with the business managers and employees to continue making this firm a great place to work”. Andy Addison, Operations Director at Cavanna Homes said: “We pride ourselves in having employees who are passionate about what they do, and Victoria and Paul are shining examples of this. “Cavanna Homes is a long-established company in the South West and has gained a strong reputation for building brilliance. Having a forward-thinking and enthusiastic senior team will support the company’s continued growth and success”. Cavanna Homes currently has the largest number of live developments to date in its 96-year history, including Newton Abbot, Dawlish, Paignton, Tavistock, Newton Poppleford near Sidmouth, Barnstaple, Stoke Gabriel, and Bodmin, with sites in Holcombe, Wincanton and Exeter set to open later this year. The firm has also welcomed its largest number of apprentices to date as part of its commitment to nurture new talent in the construction sector.
The construction industry is one of the busiest in the world and that is certainly true within the USA. Indeed, the US construction industry is thought to be worth over $1 billion in annual expenditure. With the sector employing over 10 million workers and US construction firms spending more than $10 trillion annually on goods, it is clear how important this sector is to the whole economy. Of course, the construction industry itself is only able to play this important role due to the many contractors it uses. Past figures from the US Bureau of Labour showed independent contractors make up 6.9% of total employment across the country and construction certainly sees its fair share. Why do contractors play such a major role within construction? With the number of contractors active in construction, it is obvious how important they are in facilitating its smooth operation and in getting projects completed on-time. But just why have contractors become so powerful? It is because of the flexible access to specialist skills that they offer. A construction company may have won a project to build a housing development but lack the skills required to complete key elements, such as installing next-gen acoustic solutions or specialist drainage work. Rather than missing out on the project or doing a poor job, construction companies use independent contractors to do the work. Of course, independent contractors also help companies to save money. By allowing them to only hire the particular skills they need for a set time, a lot of money is saved on employing permanent staff who may only be needed a few times each year. This combination is what gives contractors a lot of power within the whole industry. After all, without them, a lot of projects would not be able to be completed and a lot of construction companies would not be able to stay operational. Tips for independent construction contractors If you are a contractor in this sector, then it is always wise to get a few tips on how to become even more successful. A great idea is to use an umbrella company. They effectively act as your employer rather than the actual client that has contracted your services. Why is this a good move? In short, it sees the umbrella company handle your payroll, sort out any tax deductions each month and produce a payslip. They will also submit timesheets for you, handle any admin queries concerning payments and generally make this side of your business less hassle. For more details on umbrella companies, Crystal Umbrella information about umbrella companies is worth looking at. Network, network, network Another great tip for any construction contractor is to always be networking. While this can sometimes seem hard to do when busy with projects, even chatting with other companies on-site can lead to new opportunities. If you do get time, networking online via sites like LinkedIn is also a good way to forge new partnerships in the construction sector. Keep gaining new skills and equipment As you will be aware, construction is an ever-changing industry with new skills required constantly. A great tip to have more success as a contractor is to always be learning new skills so you and your team can offer more to potential clients. As well as this, it is also worth keeping your equipment up to date, so you are not left behind by competitors when tendering for jobs. Keep an eye on the law As well as new skills being in demand all the time, the US Government is prone to making law changes to building regulations at times. To make sure you are fully compliant on any job you take, ensure you are always working in accordance with the latest legal advice. If you do not then you may be kicked off a job or even be sued if you build something wrongly which then causes an accident. Umbrella companies can help partly here as they will always be working to the latest laws around your tax requirements. This means you do not have to worry about keeping up with those! For the rest though, you must make sure you pick up on any current regs to comply with. Contractors hold the power To get an idea of how much power contractors hold within the construction industry, you only have to imagine there not being any. It would leave a huge skills gap in the industry and have a big impact on the ability big construction firms have to operate. This leaves working as an independent contractor in construction as a great career choice and one that will always be in demand.
Visqueen has appointed Georgia Oxbrough as Business Development Manager (BDM) for the North of England and Scotland. Georgia’s promotion is the latest step in a blossoming six-year career with the gas protection and structural waterproofing specialist. It began straight from school when she applied, successfully, for an NVQ apprenticeship in business and administration. Since then Georgia has risen through the ranks from Key Accounts Support & Development Executive to Senior Specification Support & Development Executive, then Construction team leader looking after a team of 10 people. As a BDM, she will have a more external role, with duties including building close relationships with merchant customers, distributors and end-users to increase awareness and ensure the message gets across that it pays to invest in quality solutions and products. “There are tremendous opportunities for growth in the sector,” she said. “I have already gained experience working with customers in the North in a previous role, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to build on that with a broader remit covering Scotland.” Laura Guy, National Sales Manager for Visqueen, said: “As a company, we are committed to investing in our people as well as in the development of our range of market leading products. “That includes creating a pathway for talented employees such as Georgia, who joined as an apprentice and whose hard work has been recognised with her appointment as BDM for the North and Scotland.” Visqueen is the market leader in the manufacture and supply of structural waterproofing and gas protection systems. Visqueen offers complete support at every stage in the specification process and supply chain. This includes a comprehensive range of advanced products, a dedicated technical support team of specialists – offering specification, design advice and a best in class level of customer service. With a team of highly trained and experienced technical experts offering the highest level of support to our customers, including, architects and specifiers, contractors and merchants – all of Visqueen’s technical team have been awarded the CSSW award (certified surveyor of structural waterproofing), a nationally recognised professional qualification – aiming to promote excellence within the industry, improving consumer confidence and encourage professional development.
Further expansion signalled with appointment of well-known name Pat McGillycuddy. Glencar, an expanding construction company specialising in the industrial, logistics and distribution sectors has today announced the appointment of Pat McGillycuddy as Chairman. Pat McGillycuddy, a well-known name in the UK/European logistics real estate industry joins at the start of July following over 30 years at the helm of leading European Logistics developer Gazeley. At Glencar, Pat will work together closely with co-founders Edward McGillycuddy and Chris Gleave to spearhead the company’s further expansion and reinforce the customer service ethos that was the basis of many successful programmatic partnerships in his previous roles. Speaking about his appointment, Pat McGillycuddy said: “Glencar has traded successfully for three years and is growing at a steady rate. Eddie and Chris have an outstanding pedigree in the management and delivery of large-scale industrial developments throughout the past twelve years. Over the past three years they have grown Glencar’s capability steadily on several industrial projects. We are very firmly committed to a strong customer service ethos as the basis for building strong partnerships with our customers and supply chains. We believe that this enables better service and ensures the same consistent level of quality and service is delivered right across our operations. I look forward to developing upon that further and supporting Glencar’s continuing expansion”. Glencar Managing Director, Eddie McGillycuddy also went on to say “From years of construction industry experience, we knew there was a better way to do things and that’s what we have set out to achieve with Glencar. Our clients, partners and suppliers tell us they are feeling the benefits of our proactive and diligent approach and we will work hard to continue to build and improve on the excellent standards which we have already set ourselves. We look forward to welcoming Pat into the business and benefitting from his years of knowledge and abundant experience.”
