jhai have been appointed as the Approved Inspector for the Wirral Water Legacy Project, a £90m, 500 unit, waterfront housing development providing a mixture of one and two bedroom apartments and affordable homes.
This will be one of the first residential schemes of the wider Wirral Waters development, setting the standard for the next twenty years of development, transforming a 500-acre brownfield site and former dockland area on the Left Bank of the River Mersey into
a mixed and thriving community. This will be the largest regeneration project in the UK, creating up to 20,000 permanent jobs.
As one of the leading corporate Approved Inspector’s in England & Wales, jhai’s experience in delivering Building Regulations utilising our highly trained surveyors, Special Projects Teams and industry leading experts, all supported by a network of admin teams and cloud-based IT systems specifically developed to deliver Building Regulations Approval, it’s the perfect fit for the Wirral
Waters Project.
This project is a Joint Venture between Peel L&P, Pension Insurance Corporation plc, Wirral Council and the Legacy Foundation. Led by master planner Parkinson inc, working with Glenn Howells Architects, Re-form Landscape Architecture and Vectos Transport Consultants with Turley acting as planning consultants.
T 01308 428020 info@jhai.co.uk https://Jhai.co.uk
191 local authorities in England have been granted a share of £23.5m from central government to install Changing Places toilets (with changing bench and hoist). This will see approximately 513 new facilities across the country.
Changing Places campaigner, Sarah Brisdion, has an 11-year-old disabled son. She said: “It’s so important that local authorities spend this money wisely and ensure facilities are installed correctly. I’ve seen many simple mistakes made that can result in facilities being unusable, which is a huge waste of resources and devastating to end users. Choosing a partner with the right experience, like Closomat, for these projects is paramount.”
Claire Haymes, Changing Places Project Manager at Closomat, said: “A Changing Places toilet must conform to the technical standard of BS8300:2018 to meet the needs of as many disabled people as possible. It must also meet this best practice standard for funding to be released and to be registered on the official Changing Places map – with so few still in the UK, knowing where they are is vital.”
In addition to the correct equipment, there are many factors that need to be considered when installing a Changing Places toilet, including location in a building, how it is accessed, and the maintenance required to keep it safe.
For further information contact claire.haymes@ closomat.co.uk or visit www.changingplaces.co.uk
In this issue of Building and Facilities News, we are pleased to announce MAC Cabins as our Timber Buildings Company of the Month.
Located in Okehampton, Devon, in the heart of South West of England, MAC Cabins cover Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, providing the largest selection of timber buildings, log cabins, leisure and holiday cabins, and glamping pods.
Founded amidst the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 by Managing Director Dirk McFarlane-Aitken, initially the idea was to separate the timber building sector from his existing property renovation and development company. “I am proud to say that in just a very short period of time, we have come a long way, with our vast variety of cabin and timber building designs, partner manufacturers and sustainably produced products. I have vast knowledge and expertise working in the leisure and holiday sector combined with experience across many areas of the construction and property industry,” stated Dirk.
MAC Cabins will work with you to ensure you get the desired outcome you have always dreamt of. Its cabin range includes Glamping pods, Garages, Office pods, and Tiny Homes that come in a choice of different designs such as Atlantic, MAC West Country, Air, and North Coast.
This large level of experience equates to over 30 years across both industries to which not many can offer the same level of expertise as. To complement its extensive range of timber buildings, MAC Cabins also offer a vast variety of other Timber Frame and Modular Frame options, providing one of the widest ranges of timber building selections within the market-sector.
Whether you’re looking for a cabin to be used for business or personal use,
“Our post and beam classic range continue to be popular where multiple use is required. When combined with accommodation over garages or workspaces, this space provides a perfect annex, home office, or holiday rental unit, with the ability to tailor the design to suit the clients’ exacting requirements,” said Dirk.
Beautifully chunky and made with solid timber for a more traditional style building, the MAC Classic Traditional Post & Beam Buildings come in Oak or Douglas Fir and can be made completely bespoke to the customers exact requirements. Each kit comes with the highest specification including a Sarked Roof - perfect for a watertight roof and Post Levelling System – enabling you to cope with sloping or out
of level foundations. Offering complete simplicity in construction, erecting your building of choice is made easy with pre-cut rafters and all other timbers precision manufactured combining with MAC Cabins unique connective system to reduce overall time on site.
There are ways to customise your building to enable more space, some of which could include using fewer supporting posts in your structure, using larger spans to result in less components and less work, and by using a habitable roof space that requires less additional intrusive support. The MAC Classic Post & Beam Timber Frame Building kits are available for use as a car port or as a garage and there are over 15 ready to go designs on the company’s website to erect as it is, or to add to.
What truly sets MAC Cabins apart from its competitors is the dedicated service provided to each client ensuring the best option is chosen to suit their exact requirements, this could be for a single or multiple plot site. MAC Cabins work alongside small and large property developers to identify the best way to convert the customers vision into reality. Some previous clients have been from holiday parks, resorts, self-build projects and even home owners looking to start or expand on private Air BnB properties.
Of course the effects of COVID-19 were devastating for many businesses, and the construction industry was hit hard with the dramatic increase for timber prices. Initially this was due to a surge in demand from homeowners seeking their DIY projects throughout lockdown. As a result and
since restrictions have eased, timber stock became very limited throughout that time.
Dirk expanded, “Throughout COVID19 timber mill productions were forced to close down globally. Thankfully, we have seen an easing in this market and are hopeful that prices will level out. On a positive note during this time, more people began to adopt a working from home stance which showed an increase in garden rooms and home offices, initially. Since then, we have seen an increase in the demand for private home owners to take advantage of the staycation market, by either creating or expanding their Air BnB income streams. Holiday resorts, holiday parks and other leisure businesses have also seen the potential in increasing their holiday accommodation offering.”
Many employees and employers have now adopted a hybrid way of working with the option to work from home now being accepted as the new normal. However, not many homes are set up for home working, and finding a place to sit quietly and take Zoom meetings for example, can prove difficult. An extra cabin or structure in the garden could be an easy solution, allowing you more space to work as well as being beneficial for the entire household.
MAC Cabins offer a modern range of Office Pods that are fully insulated, providing a much-needed sanctuary away from the home for a perfect working environment. Business owners wanting to continue working from home can finance their new home office and spread the cost of any MAC Cabin range with approved finance as all MAC Office buildings qualify for asset lease finance.
There is much more to come from MAC Cabins in the future as Dirk summarised, “we are continuously evolving as more and more enquiries come in from differing market-sectors. We will continue to expand our extensive range of timber building options from modular units (glamping pods) to self-build kit homes. It’s vital our customers have the option to select the perfect combination of style, size and price for their building of choice, and be left confident knowing they will find the perfect solution to meet their growing demands with us. We can vouch that with every building they will receive a structure that has a higher standard specification than most other comparable products on the market.”
For more information, see below.
T 0800 999 1564
help@maccabins.co.uk
www.maccabins.co.uk
Concrete foundations are known for their associated time, financial and environmental costs. FIRST BASE Ground Screws UK are leading suppliers of a wide range of professional ground screw products which offer a high-quality, simple, but solid alternative to concrete footings, with sustainability benefits too. Developed by experienced civil and structural engineers, in conjunction with scientists and steel manufacturers, FIRST BASE products are produced to the highest engineering standards and designed for rapid installation, high loadbearing (up to 150kN per screw) and a long lifespan. Tree roots just grow around them and if structures ever need to be moved, the screw piles can simply be unscrewed and re-used! They are ideally suited to timber- and steel-framed constructions, modular buildings, pods, lodges and garden rooms, as well as ground-mounted solar installations, playground equipment, staging and tent/ awning supports.
New for 2022, FIRST BASE have introduced their PRO-V Series of extendable
screws to the UK market, which are perfect for slopes and poor ground conditions.
FIRST BASE are currently supplying screw pile foundations and project support for 8 eco-lodges around a lake near York, among many other projects.
FIRST BASE Ground Screws UK pride themselves on providing a wrap-around service from initial site assessment and geotechnical surveys to tailoring a package and price specification to suit each customer’s needs, working in conjunction with our trusted installation partners.
T 01548 859879
info@firstbasegroundscrews.co.uk www.firstbasegroundscrews.co.uk
Deer Technology’s LimpetReader devices are a costeffective way to retrofit ‘dumb’ analogue water and electricity meters so they provide ‘smart’ functionality for wholesalers, retailers, landlords and end users.
Deer Technology has developed a comprehensive training programme for its installers. As well as learning about the LimpetReader and bonding techniques, installers are also taught about cleaning the face plate and aligning the LimpetReader using the Installer app that runs on a tablet.
In addition to learning about retrofitting, installers are also trained on connecting LimpetReaders to AutoReaders. One model of LimpetReader communicates via Bluetooth whereas the other has cables. In operation, the LimpetReader takes images of the meter’s register and passes these to the AutoReader, which transmits them to Deer Technology’s secure servers via GSM technology.
Once correctly fitted LimpetReaders provide meter readings for many years, with no need for on-site checks or maintenance. One of the advantages of the Deer Technology system is that any deterioration in the quality of the LimpetReader image can be identified remotely.
It is important to understand that LimpetReaders are installed without interrupting the supply or dismantling the meter, and the procedure takes 15 minutes or less.
Find out more about Deer Technology’s LimpetReader for remote meter reading at https://deertechnology.com, telephone 01639 363146 or email hello@deertechnology.com.
The University of Wolverhampton’s National Brownfield Institute (NBI) based at its £120 million Springfield Campus in Wolverhampton has taken delivery of amazing technology which will offer researchers, students and businesses an immersive space for collaboration, simulation and visualisation.
The Igloo Vision environment is a 9-metre-diameter cylinder, similar to a giant Virtual Reality headset, that can accommodate teams of people for a shared, immersive experience. The immersive visualisation suite is being used in education and research to review and assess land for remediation and regeneration.
The Igloo provides an immersive, collaborative space for visualising a range of data including site mapping data, geological information, concept designs, interactive VR walkthroughs and 3D laser scan data in one immersive workspace. This brings a new dimension to data visualisation and analysis. The ‘Remote Site Visit’ functionality of the Igloo also allows live 360° video streams from any site in the world to be beamed back to the igloo, allowing people in the facility to walk immersively through a brownfield site from the comfort of the NBI.
Businesses supported by the NBI will be able to showcase their products, designs and ideas on one of the largest shared immersive spaces in the UK.
For more information
University of Wolverhampton, Corporate Communications Team comms@wlv.ac.uk
Natalie Cregan-Evans, Head of Marketing, Igloo Vision T +44 (0)7877 544 535 Natalie@igloovision.com
efficient result, Ecomerchant is actively driving awareness within the UK for consumers to choose natural building materials over synthetic.
Ecomerchant is completely dedicated to making ethically sourced, sustainable and natural building materials, which are accessible to all and affordable for most budgets. As an independent employeeowned business with a significant shareholding held by a charitable foundation, La Renaissance, Ecomerchant holds a keen interest in supporting ethical trading that considers the environmental merits of every product, before including it within their ranges.
We spoke to Will Kirkman, Managing Director at Ecomerchant who expressed the company’s mission and the passion it maintains for what they do. “It’s all about education. Issues such as building durability and indoor air quality are high on our agenda for consideration, and the key to any good design is the durability, carbon reduction, cost and quality of the materials used within that building. We have
developed solutions and combinations of products which give the best performance, coupled with the least impact on our planet at the most affordable rates.”
Sustainable construction is not a new idea the use of natural and sustainable materials within this industry has, unfortunately, been overshadowed with a ‘quick fix’ mentality to use materials such as petro chemical and synthetic products based on mass production usually from large corporates and developers. Ecomerchant is dedicated to breaking this mould, showing a more responsible and ethically sound way of building using natural products that offer a carbon friendly, longer lasting and more durable performance.
With over 2,000 product lines, consisting of some of the top brands, which deliver a cost effective, high performance and
“As a society we need to ween ourselves off consumer style demand for our homes. We must become more carbon focussed. We need to do better. We are not asking, nor indeed expecting people to radically change their opinions overnight, however, we are asking them to rethink how they use their buying power.
don’t need to pay for all the extra stuff that gets marketed to us.” – Will said
There are many new builds and retrofit projects that have used natural sustainable materials that have outperformed traditionally constructed buildings. There is increasing demand from homeowners to create more energy efficient carbon friendly homes, but the UK is far behind that of our European neighbours.
Take back control of what they can do and explore alternative sustainable options. The fact of the matter is we are not building healthy houses. You do not need fancy technology to make a house work for example by stopping the heat demand and reducing heat loss rather than generating more to compensate we all win, this is what our products do. For example we use renewable resources to manufacture sustainable insulation, by simply modifying the internal environment using more sustainable materials then you
With over 35 years’ experience in specialising in screws, bolts, fixings for the DIY, hardware, building, joinery and furniture manufacturing sectors, Screwshop has evolved from its established sister company, NE Fasteners and has also proven a huge success with its online shop.
Situated in Cradley Heath in the West Midlands, it prides itself with offering expertise, competitive prices, imported bespoke products and off the shelf products with a nationwide next day delivery.
Our versatile approach to providing a wide range of finishes, including zinc, electro brass, black chrome, satin chrome, bronze and nickel and packaging options, ensure that many buyers consider Screwshop to be a key and valued supplier. We also offer builders metalwork, ironmongery, silicones, sealants and are specialists in kitting and coating. Go to our on line shop at www.screwshop.co.uk and enter June5 for a 5% discount, or message for one of our catalogues. If you can’t find a certain product, get in touch and we’ll try and source it for you. We will give you our best attention and prices at all times.
Contact sales@screwshop.co.uk www.screwshop.co.uk
“There is a huge and rising interest in what we do, so it shows people are trying to change but building regulations can be like opening up a can of worms. How are the British public to know whether one house performs better than another? Where we step in is that we can offer materials and guidance that will help a building perform better. Our materials are an improvement on what is already available, improvements that result in higher performance, lower carbon footprint and bigger health benefits,” said Will.
For more information, see below. T 01793 847 444 info@ecomerchant.co.uk www.ecomerchant.co.uk
DCON Safety Consultants Limited are an independently owned Built Environmental Safety, Health & Wellbeing Consultancy. The company prioritises and specialises in the highest levels of informed and intelligent advice, senior project resource allocation and compliance assurance.
Marked as a one-stop shop safety consultancy, it’s team of highly experienced construction professionals consistently ensures each client’s best interest and statutory conformity. Key services provided by DCON Safety Consultants Limited is Project Supervisor for the Design Process (CDM Advisor Plus), Pre-Planning Compliance, Safe Design Adherence, Health & Safety Strategy Creation and Expert Witness. Dedicated to all of its clients’ projects, regardless of project size or complexity, DCON Safety Consultants Limited maintains a wealth of expertise in the built environment and generates distinctive and innovative ideas born out of traditional construction service inputs and outputs.
DCON Safety Consultants is led by Diarmuid Condon, a construction-industry leader who brings unique perspectives that encourages, supports and mentors the abilities of his colleagues. Diarmuid and DCON Safety Consultants are currently consulting on various aspects of project design, constructability and operational lifecycle matters for various local and global commercial, residential, masterplan, aviation, life sciences, healthcare and education sector clients with projects across Ireland.
T +353 (0)1 611 1556 diarmuid.condon@dconsafety.com www.dconsafety.com
Delivering a real contribution to each individual client project
Safety is top priority when working at heights. No matter how short the project or how few storeys are being climbed, it’s vital to afford maximum protection for workers.
As modern building techniques call for more specialised products, health and safety regulations mean construction hoists have become essential tools for almost any site; the days of clambering up ladders are long gone.
“Companies gain credibility for using the right safety equipment,” says Rob Wilson, founder of ever-expanding hoist hire and sales specialist, Direct Hoist. “Ideally, everything should be mechanised instead of hand-balling.”
Based in the Midlands and serving industry throughout England, Direct Hoist benefits from Rob’s 30-plus years’ experience in hoists. His considerations for safety on site are second to none. Rob says, “We have an exceptional reputation for safety. Ours is a very specialised industry, heavily governed by legislation – which is probably why others in construction say we’re one of the best in the game.”
Extensive knowledge for a customer’s needs allows Direct Hoist to assess what might be needed later in any project to ensure the right equipment is provided from the outset. Direct Hoist offers free advice, site surveys and expert project planning, with all the complicated calculations carried out by Rob’s conscientious team.
And it’s much more than simply working out where a hoist will stand. Static load
CorkSol UK has been awarded a new certification for the use of its innovative SprayCork coating on asbestos surfaces, providing builders and specification managers with an effective new solution. Commonly found within residential and industrial properties built in the mid-20th century, asbestos was used far and wide in construction, from asbestos insulating board (AIB) ceiling tiles and external cladding, through to corrugated sheeting to strengthen roofing materials. While asbestos is no longer used in the UK, it is not required to have it removed from existing buildings, so long as the material is not damaged and releasing any hazardous fibres, making encapsulation an ideal solution to ensure the material stays intact.
Proven to be cheaper and safer than removal, materials containing asbestos can now be sprayed with SprayCork to safely encase it, making it ideal for tackling vast industrial spaces. Encapsulation also keeps the waste out of landfill, plus any buildings where asbestos has been encased can qualify for land remediation tax relief, as the process is protecting the building and the environment from harmful contaminants.
With SprayCork now fully certified for use on any surface that contains asbestos, domestic or commercial, CorkSol is delighted to have been given the seal of approval to branch out into a new area, which will see the team working directly with builders, commercial managers and specification contacts. www.CorkSoluk.com
measurements assess what equipment or personnel a hoist will be required to carry. Ground pressure figures account for cellars or voids below the surface. Dynamic load calculations establish the forces of a platform when moving, starting and stopping on the hoist. Even the existing building has to be checked for its ability to withstand the tie loadings.
Rob says, “A single-mast hoist will have a cantilever effect, so it’s tied to the building to stop it from trying to pull itself over. In turn, that puts a greater load onto the ties and slab.” Of course, good-quality hoists have inbuilt safety measures, such as interlocking gates and overload sensors to ensure the operator hasn’t slid onetoo-many bags of sand or 7N blocks onto
the platform. Direct Hoist’s commitment to up-to-date and fastidiously-maintained German GEDA machinery relieves any worries over reliability and worker protection.
“We do everything we can to make the job as safe as possible for our +employees and customers,” says Rob. Direct Hoists takes no chances, with supervising installers being SSSTS-certified, and all holding CSCS cards and CCNSG safety passports.
Of course, hoists don’t just defend workers from danger. Their cost-saving benefits extend beyond slashing project periods and minimising damage to materials. Because hoists do all the heavy lifting, they also prevent tradesmen and labourers from repetitive strain injuries related to back and shoulder troubles – in turn reducing downtime and sick leave.
That’s why it’s vital, when choosing a hoist supplier, to ensure you appoint a specialist. As Rob says, “All we do are hoists – that’s why we’re on the highest level. We know hoists inside-out, top to bottom.”
Contact Direct Hoist on: +44 (0)1724 781647 or visit the website at: www.directhoist.co.uk
Smart Buildings Show aims to connect visitors to the latest information and technology in the smart buildings industry. The show provides visitors with the information they need to arrive at an informed decision on how to make their buildings more economic for owners and more functional for occupiers.
Last years show took place on 6th – 7th October 2021 and was a fantastic occasion for exhibitors to interact with new business prospects and meet with existing clients face to face. Exhibitors were able to launch new products at the event and market existing product ranges to existing and potential clients. The show was a great opportunity for companies to increase brand awareness through an extensive marketing campaign carried out before, during and after the event. Visitors from all over the UK gathered to have access to the latest trends, news and developments in the market. There were many innovative, industry specific led sessions by industry professionals throughout the event, featuring professional speakers such as Claire Curran, Colin Lawson, Matt Johnson, Linda Chandler, and many more.
Smart Buildings Show will be back in 2022 at ExCeL, London on 12th - 13th October. www.smartbuildingsshow.com
ModCon Cabin Trader was formed in 2017 by Alan Willetts of whom has 25 years experience of working for some major manufacturers in the Modular & Portable Building Industry.
ModCon Cabins as it is also known manufactures and supplies Steel Anti Vandal Portable Cabins, Containers, Modular Buildings and all site ancillary items associated with the Portable Building Industry. Please visit www.modconcabins.co.uk
Items such as Portable Offices, Canteens, Toilet units, Drying units, Storage Containers, Chemstores, Smoking Shelters, Effluent Tanks, Staircases are regular and repeat produced items that we manufacture for our clients.
Based in Gloucestershire in the South West we are logistically nicely placed around all the major motorway networks for ease of transportation.
Our workforce are all very skilled and experienced fabricators of whom have many years experience working within our industry and so know the expectancy of
our customers requirements so you can be sure that if you approach ModCon Cabins to undertake your work you are in very good hands!
Being that all items produced are mostly built on a jig and to customers own specification we are open to undertaking bespoke enquiries too so please feel free to engage with us here at ModCon Cabins even if you have a rather random enquiry for certain products.
Why not also take a look at ModCon Cabin Traders other side of the business which is an Auction/Resale website that allows all and sundry to utilise the site to sell new & used Portable Building products which operates very similar to a well-known auction/ resale site we are all familiar with, however only for products relating to our industry.
Please visit www.modconcabintrader.com
Global Associates Ltd is a multi-award winning BEMS provider bringing together technology and engineering excellence, to optimise building controls, energy usage and integrate environments and workspaces.
Global Associates Ltd exhibited at the Smart Buildings Show in 2021 to showcase the work they are doing with one of the UK’s largest furniture retailers, DFS. DFS turned to Global Associates Ltd for help with significantly reducing its overall energy usage across its stores, offices, factories, and warehouses.
The requirement from DFS was to implement energy efficient controls that could provide a good return on investment within one year.
Global Associates Ltd provided an integrated platform to monitor and manage the existing mechanical and electrical plant, creating a unified data and control layer managed at the API level within the cloud, meaning that integration with third party systems such as CAFM was straightforward and painless.
Bringing together Edge computing, Cloud services such as Met Office integration, the latest LoRaWan wireless sensors and SmartServer Edge controller, they created a hybrid IoT BMS solution that was cost-effective in optimising maintenance regimes and temperature, lighting, and ventilation control, all based on Indoor Air Quality levels (including CO2 VOCs and PM2.5), vibration analysis, Amps, and weather forecast data. As a result DFS now has an operationally focussed digital twin solution with an average energy saving of up to 35% on each site.
For more information, see below.
T 01795 411534 spaces@global-associates.co.uk www.global-associates.co.uk
As part of their Zero Carbon pledge, Aico have increased the number of solar panels on the roof of their headquarters in Oswestry and are installing more Electric Vehicle Charging Points.
As the European market leader in home life safety, Aico places sustainability at the fore, as they continually look for ways to reduce their environmental impact year on year, locally and nationally. In 2021, Aico made a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Following this, they joined the Zero Carbon Shropshire 2030 pledge and now work with other local businesses in the Shropshire Climate Action Partnership to work toward decarbonisation, large-scale restoration of biodiversity and the creation of more sustainable
businesses. Aico are also 1 of only 300 companies globally to be a member of the Climate Pledge and are also a Construct Zero company, helping drive change by helping to share innovative solutions and set transparent goals and clear actions that everyone can help to achieve.
Aico have now increased their solar panel system from 32 to over 200 units to a 160kw system, which will enable them to reduce their carbon emissions significantly.
Aico have also began a project to increase their number of Electric Vehicle Charging bays from four to ten to accommodate for more colleagues and visitors who own emission-free vehicles.
For more information on The Climate Pledge, please visit: www. theclimatepledge.com
To find out about Construct Zero companies, visit: www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/constructzero
To learn more about the Zero Carbon Shropshire pledge and the Shropshire Climate Action Partnership please visit: www.zerocarbonshropshire.org
To learn more about Aico’s sustainability initiative please visit: www.aico.co.uk/sustainability
Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions is launching its brand new, stylish Graphite Grey units to the Etherea with nanoe™X range of air conditioners, available in capacities 2kW –3.5kW.
Heating and cooling to suit any home
Designed to blend seamlessly into the most stylish homes, the latest addition joins the existing silver matt and pure white matt units, allowing for a wider choice to suit more interiors. The high-quality wall mounted air conditioner has an elegant design with a body width of just 870mm and has been meticulously designed to allow for easy installation and maintenance.
nanoe™X: improving protection 24/7
A very welcome addition to any home, the smart Etherea unit comes with nanoe™X technology builtin to improve protection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Abundant in nature, hydroxyl radicals have the capacity to inhibit 5 types of pollutants, including certain viruses and bacteria as well as odours to clean and deodorise. nanoe™X technology can bring these incredible benefits indoors so that hard surfaces, soft furnishings, and the indoor environment can be a cleaner and pleasant place to be.
High-quality performance
It’s not just about the looks: not only are the units stylish in design and colour, but they also boast the highest energy rank of A+++ in heating and cooling and a super quiet operation noise of just 19dB(A), providing the greatest level of comfort. The units also utilise Panasonic’s R32 Inverter Compressor for a lower environmental impact.
Advanced smart control and voice assistant
The Etherea units come with built-in Wi-Fi which enables advanced smart control and voice assistant. The units can pair with Panasonic’s Comfort Cloud app which is specially designed to easily manage all system functions simply via a smart device. Through the Comfort Cloud app, Etherea units can also be connected to some of the leading voice assistants on the market to further optimise air conditioning standards without having to lift a finger.
For more information, please visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu/GB_en
The full Flexigas product range is now available through Tesla UK’s nationwide distribution network!
Since launching in the UK, Flexigas has emerged as a serious player in the CSST market, designing and manufacturing high-quality CSST systems that are available at affordable prices. With recent product additions through the Flexigas DS, FGLink and FG Bond, the Flexigas product range offers gas and heating engineers a quick and simple solution for all gas pipe installations.
As an established manufacturer and distributor within the gas sector, Tesla UK has a wealth of knowledge and many years of experience in product development and bringing new ranges to market. Tesla UK will enhance their CSST offering by adding the extensive Flexigas range of products to its portfolio, opening up the Flexigas product range to a broader customer base and enabling installers to easily obtain the products wherever their project may be.
Both companies are extremely happy with the partnership and feel that gas and heating engineers throughout the UK will benefit from being able to access the Flexigas product range through Tesla UK’s vast supply chain.
Training sessions for the Flexigas range are available either on-site or at Tesla UK’s head office in Sutton Coldfield. If you want to arrange training for your team or organisation please contact the Tesla UK team
Contact https://www.teslauk.com/contact https://flexigas.com/
Flexigas are delighted to announce a formidable partnership with Tesla UK Ltd
London Build is an award-winning show and its 2021 show took place on the 17th and 18th of November. The show is widely known as one of the best exhibitions in the world and is the Winner of Best Brand Expansion at the Exhibition News Awards and finalist of Best Trade Show in the UK at the AEO Awards.
Attracting thousands of attendees from across the UK’s entire construction industry, London Build is the perfect platform to network with key buyers, discover and share the latest project opportunities and acquire thousands of new business leads.
The show provides 27,500+ quality visitors, 500+ speakers across 7 conference theatres, with a 50% representation of female speakers, 220+ CPD sessions, 100’s of exhibitors and exclusive free-to-attend networking events. The event include: Meet the Buyer sessions, Women in Construction and Diversity in Construction, entertainment, the Festival of Construction, celebrity guests and much more.
London Build is must attend networking opportunity, to meet and do business with London’s contractors, architects, specifiers, developers, local councils,
Armatherm™ is one of the leading suppliers of structural thermal break materials for the construction industry. Providing architects, structural engineers and building design professionals with effective solutions to prevent thermal bridging, Armatherm™ is present in both the UK and USA.
Armatherm™ was initially produced by Armadillo Ltd as a response to an EU initiative which set out to improve the energy performance of buildings even further.
Armadillo Ltd recognised that thermal bridging is a significant contributing factor in building envelope heat loss. Armatherm™ 500 thermal break material (TIM) range was designed to significantly reduce energy lost from thermal bridging in building envelope connections and can also be used on Tekla products.
Armatherm™ structural thermal break materials can be provided to a variety of specifications to minimise heat loss. This makes it suitable for any building envelope applications including balconies, canopies, parapets, masonry shelf angles and cladding connections.
Metro Prepaid has developed an efficient way for UK Landlords to manage electricity usage and collect payments from tenants. Metro Prepaid electric sub meters are suitable for a range of residential and commercial Landlords who need to recover electricity usage from tenants. Some features include being tamperresistant, surge resistant, reliable, EU compliant and manufactured for many years of useful life.
For installation, Landlords can use their own appointed electrician to install the electric sub meters. They can install as many electric sub meters per property as the main supply permits, but electricians must comply with IET wiring codes. The prepayment sub meters are quick to install and easy to operate. Once installed tenants can top up their prepayment meters by purchasing Metro Codes vended by Metro Prepaid across thousands of stores in the UK. Metro Prepaid accumulates these electricity (Metro Code) payments for any given month and transfers these funds to the registered Landlord in the first week of the following month. The Landlord uses the funds to service the cost of the main supply (from its Energy Provider).
Registering an electric sub meter is simple. Basic registration can be done in a few minutes by completing the on-line form on the website, or telephonically with its 24/7 Help Desk.
For more information, see below.
T 020 3020 1144 help@metroprepaid.co.uk www.metroprepaid.co.uk
The Armatherm™ Thermal Break plugin can now be used for Tekla Structures. The Armatherm™ component details the Armatherm™ FRR structural thermal break material that has been used in thousands of structural steel framing connections across the construction industry as a thermally separate structural connection. By transferring load in moment and shear conditions, it provides a combination of low thermal conductivity and high compressive strength at the same time.
T 01274 015289 info@armatherm.com www.armatherm.co.uk
housing associations, house builders engineers, suppliers and construction professionals.
This is our pick of the best exhibitors from the show, listed here in alphabetical order: Alchimica® Building Chemicals, Armetherm, Cadline, FR Consultants, Metro Prepaid, One Base Media and OPPORTUNI.
Further details can be found on this page and the next page. Contact www.londonbuildexpo.com
Our turnkey solution to building fire safety compliance will take the stress away from organising multiple contractors, as we can undertake all necessary works in-house – from internal and external surveys (PAS 9980) through to project management of remedial schemes.
Regulatory reform is underway, and the full commencement of the Fire Safety Act 2021 in England will require external walls and attachments to be considered as part of a Fire Risk Assessment on multi-occupied buildings of any height.
To comply, a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) as specified by PAS 9980 should be conducted by a suitably competent professional.
Our Chartered Surveyors and Fire Engineers are on-hand to complete these assessments and capable of guiding you through the next steps should findings be of any concern.
Dorian Lawrence MCIOB C.Build E MCABE, Managing Director of FR Consultants, says: “As a Chartered Building Consultancy with ISO 9001 Certification and £10m professional indemnity insurance, we are trusted by our clients to provide ethical and effective service.
significant experience supporting civil, highways, structural, building services, mechanical and electrical projects.
Our Consultancy has been designed to aid all elements of assessing, mitigating and, if necessary, remediating fire safety risks both internally and externally – ensuring confidence in compliance”
T 01794 332 456 enquiries@frconsultants.co.uk www.frconsultants.co.uk
Cadline provides technology and services that improve business performance, supporting customers in design, analysis, data management, collaboration and business process platforms. As part of the VinZero Group, Cadline is well placed to guide customers on their digital and net zero journeys, support net zero targets and help develop customer global strategies. Combining market strengths and experiences, VinZero is one of the world’s largest AEC and Manufacturing technology and service providers with over 400,000 subscribers under management.
Working amongst a variety of industries including architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing and GIS, Cadline ensures every customer has an effective partner with the necessary industry specific expertise. The team consists of designers, technicians, site managers and surveyors with
From additional functionality through to high performance applications, Cadline offers an iterative, low risk approach ensuring a software solution that is perfectly aligned to business goals. Committed to delivering technical excellence during implementation, technical support, training, consulting and change management services, Cadline is your partner of choice.
Cadline is an Autodesk Platinum Partner, Autodesk Authorised Training Centre, Autodesk Services Marketplace Provider and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO27001 and JOSCAR.
T 01784 419922 sales@cadline.co.uk www.cadline.co.uk www.vinzero.com
FR Consultants is the UK’s leading facade experts and Fire Engineering consultancy, working nationwide to make Britain’s buildings safe
OPPORTUNI is an innovative UK scale-up dedicated to levelling the playing field for SMEs by providing easy access to government contracts.
At the heart of OPPORTUNI’s mission is the desire to find great businesses across all industries and help them to win the valuable contracts they deserve. By empowering SMEs and giving them the tools they need to bid and win work with the public sector, it helps businesses to gain financial stability, provide employment and opportunities to local areas, and reinvigorates communities.
OPPORTUNI are keen to see more SMEs than ever before working with the public
sector, without worrying about the time or money it usually takes to bid for government contracts.
To achieve this vision, OPPORTUNI’s hybrid solution, TenderMatch, revolutionises tender search and sourcing – giving businesses unprecedented access to the widest range and reach of government contracts in the UK. Users of TenderMatch receive relevant, winnable contracts direct to their inbox, as well as industry-leading knowledge and resources, making it the only tender toolkit any business needs.
Earlier this year, OPPORTUNI unveiled
Alchimica® Building Chemicals are the worlds’ leading manufacturers of liquid waterproofing membranes and Sealant technologies for the construction industry. For 40 years, architects, specifiers, and contractors in 105 countries across 5 continents have chosen us for our product innovation, advanced systems & technologies.
We provide our products from the smallest roof to some of the largest projects in the world to building merchants, trade, contractors, and households all over the UK, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Channel Islands and worldwide. We produce the necessary tools for you to deliver durable projects with complete systems for waterproofing roofing, flooring, repairs adhesives and ETICS, we offer innovative products which cover a vast range of applications. These include but are not limited to, liquid roofing systems, polyurethane sealants and adhesives, green roofing solutions, cementitious repair systems, DPM and tanking
solutions. Recently we have substantially increased our product portfolio to include green & energy efficient products, with our Research & Development team focussed on reducing our carbon footprint.
We are proud to design, develop and manufacture products of high technological value that offer to partners guaranteed performance and reliance and we welcome your enquiries to be given the opportunity to provide a competitive quotation
Contact
T 01437 563564
info@alchimica.co.uk
Alchimica® Building Chemicals
BidNow – the UK’s first no-win, no-fee bid writing service. The membership platform offers business access to OPPORTUNI’s marketplace of expert bid writers who can create an unlimited number of bids for their business. BidNow’s no-win no-fee model de-risks the bid process for SMEs, allowing them to find new avenues for growth without worrying about the cost.
To learn more about how OPPORTUNI can help grow your business, visit OPPORTUNI.com today
Contact: Call us on 020 4531 0771 Email us at contact@opportuni.co.uk
Underestimating the power of an effective and dynamic digital marketing strategy costs businesses thousands and thousands of pounds in lost revenue every year.
When searching for local tradesmen or building services, customers instinctively go for the company or individual with the strongest presence online, and no one knows this better than One Base Media. An awardwinning digital marketing agency nestled in the heart of Southend-On-Sea, Essex, One Base Media offer a bespoke and results-driven service to their clients all over the UK.
“We’re passionate about seeing our customers get new leads and more and more business month on month.” says Operations Manager, Grace. For over 10 years, they have worked exclusively with businesses operating in the home improvement, building trade and construction sectors; giving them knowledge and insight that is second to none as well
as a proven track record in making companies stand out from the crowd.Employing some of the best talent in the industry; their close-knit team of digital marketing experts are uniquely skilled to deliver the most lucrative returns and customer engagement.
Synergising the power of strategic SEO optimisation, targeted Google ads, highly-engaging web content and gorgeous web design, One Base Media consistently propel their clients to the very top of Google search results giving them a distinct and enduring edge over their competitors.
If you don’t have a digital marketing strategy or your current option isn’t delivering results, get in touch with One Base Media either by calling 01702 668 207, emailing info@onebasemedia.co.uk or visiting www.onebasemedia.co.uk
Concern for the environment and action to modify our behaviour is strongly supported by young and old alike. Climate change is not a myth. It is already happening.
In addition, the cost of ownership is often not taken into account when pricing up a project, yet it’s a significant additional cost.
If you are going to spend the money, time and effort, doesn’t it make sense to design properties that stay looking good, without an ongoing cost for maintenance?
The Solutions
Recycled plastic profiles are an ideal replacement for traditional building materials and with no requirement
for ongoing maintenance.
Rapid Growth
A family business Kedel Limited, based in Burnley have just celebrated their 12th birthday. They’ve experienced extraordinary growth of approximately 30% a year, since 2010.
Industry Recognition
It’s clear that the building industry is eager to play a part in reducing its impact on the environment, having previously been regarded as a major contributor to global warming and waste plastic pollution.
Typical Example Kedel’s decking products were used for the viewing
platforms on the Archelor Mittal Orbital Tower at the London Olympics to reduce its carbon footprint. More recently the National Trust is replacing wooden fencing with recycled plastic from Kedel as it means they will just need to do the job once.
Wide Range
Other popular products include: V-Cladding, T&G, Decking, Fencing, even Outdoor Furniture, the list is endless. It’s as easy to work with as wood, produces 250% less CO2 in manufacture compared to virgin plastic.
Contact T 01282 861325 sales@kedel.co.uk www.kedeltrade.co.uk
Barnes Associates Ltd is a leading consultancy that provides tree surveys, tree decay and tree stability assessments using hi-tch tree diagnostic equipment. Its tree surveys and arboricultural consultancy services are available to a wide range of clients, but the company mainly specialises in trees on development sites, providing BS5837 tree surveys, arboricultural impact assessments and method statements.
Established in 1989, the company was originally a partnership which undertook tree surgery and surveying works. In 2007, the contracting side of the business was sold, and Barnes Associates Ltd was formally established as a limited company in 2016 by its current directors, husband and wife team, Ian and Sue Barnes.
Ian has qualifications in Tree Risk Assessments (ISA TRAQ) and is a Licensed user of QTRA. He has advanced training in trees and buildings (subsidence) and is a Registered Consultant with the Arboricultural Association (RCArborA). Sue is a Chartered Landscape Architect (CMLI), as well as a Chartered Horticulturalist (C.Hort), Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), and a registered designer of BALI and Fellow of the Arboricultural Association (F.Arbor.A). Both hold vast amounts of experience and knowledge working in the horticultural and arboricultural industry.
Developing near trees? A BS5837 Tree report maybe requested, therefore, Barnes Associates Ltd have the extensive experience in this field and have undertaken additional training in this area. As well as fully assessing the constraints of a site for any legislative restrictions and planning constraints, Barnes Associates Ltd also provides high quality plans which allows information to be clearly understood, tree dimensions to be quickly identified, as well as categories, shade potential, and Root Protection Areas (RPA).
Plans can be produced with various plotting outputs to suit customers needs from 2D to 3D, and Barnes Associates Ltd is there to be called upon throughout all stages of the development process. Working alongside land owners and developers, planners and architects, Barnes Associates Ltd will find the most realistic and costeffective solutions to tree problems, whether this is for a small extension or several hundred of units.
For more information, see below.
T
We are celebrating our 40th year in business this year at Fisher & Company! We have been manufacturing high quality products for a wide variety of purposes from Highways & Streetlighting, EV Charging and Outdoor Power & Leisure to Sports Facilities, Car Parks, Markets and many other purposes. See www.fisherandcompany.co.uk to view our great range of galvanised, stainless and powder coat finish Feeder Pillars, Cabinets, Belisha Beacons, Lighting & Sign Brackets and Digging Tools.
We are having a good start to the year. Emily Greenway, who has been a stalwart of our Sales Team for the last 2 ½ years has been rewarded with a promotion and has moved to the position of Operations Manager. She will now be overseeing the production and delivery schedule and materials purchasing amongst other tasks. We are very proud of her speedy progression within the company and we wish her every success in the British Powerlifting
As BBL Batteries enters its 50th year, it remains as a leading U.K. battery specialist, embracing the latest technology and helping businesses make the most of a fantastic opportunity.
BBL Batteries is a leading, multi branch, U.K. based, battery business that is increasingly focused on the development, introduction and distribution of new and improved battery technologies to today’s market.
Founded in 1972 and proud to remain one of the few fully independent family enterprises in the aftermarket, BBL Batteries understands that being successful in an ever increasingly competitive market is down to a number of core competences. These include experience, expertise and unrivalled, superior customer service as well as the desire to solve problems and advise on solutions that work for our customers.
Championships in Scotland on 12th and 13th March, following on from her amazing medals achievement at the Europeans in December. We welcome to the Sales Team Naomi Anderson who is already helping our customers get the products they need.
Our last bit of great news is that we are also pleased to announce that we have now received our certification for Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015! So you can be assured that the service you receive is top notch and that we work to a consistent high quality that is matched only by the products we manufacture.
To get a quote for your latest project please contact the Sales Team on 0333 666 2122 or email info@fisherandcompany.co.uk
We source our batteries from across the globe and have long standing relationships with the world’s leading manufacturers. This enables us to ensure a consistent stock holding and onwards supply of premium quality batteries at fantastic value. We have a dedicated, in-house team that assemble both bespoke and ‘off the shelf’ battery packs which can be delivered the next day.
Our VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) ranges include the full suite of Yuasa NP and Yucell batteries. In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of Fire & Security batteries and battery packs covering Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Li-Ion (Lithium Ion) which are commonly used for Emergency Lighting applications. Indeed, we can offer a quality solution for every conceivable application. If the application is unique, our specialist Battery Pack specialists can design and assemble bespoke battery packs based on a customer’s exact requirements.
For further information, advice or to order please do contact us on 0808 1680635 or email sales@bblbatteries.co.uk
www.bblbatteries.co.uk
Established in 1991 by John Jones the current Managing Director, alongside his wife Doreen, Bluerun is a bespoke joinery manufacturer with over 30 years of experience.
Bluerun has established an impressive history, leading to a renowned reputation, positioning the company at the forefront of the industry for manufacturing top quality, purpose made joinery for the domestic and commercial markets.
Utilising its 7,000 square foot factory, the company can manufacture in hard or softwoods, and veneered and painted panels. In addition, Bluerun also features its own modern spray paint and lacquer facility, enabling products to leave the factory in a fully finished state. Furthermore, excelling at attention-to-detail, the company ensures complete customer satisfaction, by providing products that are custom made to order and not available pre-made.
Boasting unrivalled skills, whether it’s for a small project or one-off custom made product such as a gate or stairs, or a larger scaled project like a production run of doors and windows for a new housing development, or commercial project; Bluerun has the skills and resources to deliver exactly what you need.
Through its notion of no job being too big or too small, Bluerun has worked on many varying sized projects including supplying items as small as a 1m length of moulding
and one of its most unusual articles, Bluerun produced a 10m high oak hardwood catapult for a castle.
Regarding recent events, the company has undergone new changes in response to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. In early 2020, the Government announced that certain businesses would have to close and although officially Bluerun could have remained open as it is a manufacturer, Bluerun decided to close its doors. The company reopened in May 2020, and has gone from strength to strength, achieving unprecedented growth with an ever increasing flow of work.
Indeed, the company’s rich history, industry leading skillset and expertise has created an enviable reputation for quality, and Bluerun plans to continue growing and providing exceptional products and services for its customers.
If you would like to find out further information, please see the details below.
T 01799 599995
www.bluerunltd.co.uk
Set amongst the 2,400 acre mixed broadleaf and evergreen Delamere forest, Forest Holidays 66 woodland holiday cabins include Marley AntiSlip Plus® timber decking and each cabin comes with its own outdoor decking area and hot tub accessed by walkways and bridges, to offer guests a tranquil rural escape.
In keeping with the woodland surroundings, Forest Holidays were looking to use natural timber products, choosing to specify a treated anti-slip timber decking that would reinforce the organic sense of place between the forest, timber cabins and walkways and keep guests safe.
By making changes to site practice as well as moving to an anti-slip decking product, Forest Holidays have been able to extend the life of their deck boards. Handmade in the UK, Marley check the quality at every stage of the process, and for extra reassurance, AntiSlip Plus® comes complete with DeckMark® and DeckMark® Plus certification, so you can be sure that it is made to last.
To learn more about our decking range, speak to our expert Laura Qualters: 07775 543709 | laura. qualters@marley.co.uk
To register for our Timber Decking CPD, just visit: www.marley.co.uk/cpd/timber-decking
Eighty Grosvenor Street is set in the heart of the art district in London’s prestigious Mayfair not far from Bond Street. Developed by Frelene Ltd, it is an excellent example of how an existing historic building can be reimagined for modern use. Behind the traditional facade, sits a contemporary structure that belies the age of the original buildings on the site.
Originally three individual period townhouses, the building has been transformed into a single, mixed use structure spanning five upper storeys complete with private terraces on the 4th and 5th floors. The new steel frame structure (SFS) has been created to overcome the challenges of delivering modern day open plan spaces flooded with light in a traditional historic building. The use of reclaimed suffolk white brickwork and sensitive replacement timber windows to the front ensure the building remains in keeping with the Georgian aesthetic of the street.
Working with Orms Architects, Kier Construction set out to retain part of the original facade at the front of the building as per planning. Due to our extensive experience working on retained facade projects, George Barnsdale was appointed to manufacture and install the timber windows to the front of the building where
the Georgian aesthetic needed to be retained. George Barnsdale invested a great deal of time at tender stage to ensure the designs met the requirements of the Grosvenor Estates team. Having worked on a number of properties in the area, the company’s experience and knowledge proved invaluable to the design process.
The window specification stated timber tilt and turn windows and Juliet Balcony windows to match the originals as far as possible. Stephen Wright, Director at George Barnsdale had a number of early concept design meetings and discussions with the architects and contractor in order to meet the design brief alongside the thermal, solar and acoustic performance requirements.
Back onsite in Lincolnshire, the concept sketches were handed over to the Technical Director Hayden Darley to develop the designs and drawings in detail. In order to meet the project’s requirements, Hayden had to adjust the designs to ensure an overall frame thickness of 128mm which is not part of George Barnsdale’s standard range. Explaining the process, Hayden said “Essentially we took one of our standard frame profiles as a base and then designed two versions of
decorative frame add on. This enabled us to use our existing robust tested performance data to ensure the windows met all the technical requirements whilst incorporating a sympathetic bespoke design, a win win!”
A simple pencil round profile was used on the majority of the items and a more ornate profile was used on the two arched openings to replicate the originals. High performance acoustic and solar glazing was used throughout to ensure an optimal internal environment for tenants/residents.
The windows that were due to be installed into the new structure were straight forward and went into manufacture using the schedule sizes. However, the largest of the retained openings caused a few issues because the size of the opening was changed post survey.
In this issue of Building and Facilities News, we are pleased to announce Granada Glazing as our Secondary Glazing Manufacturer Company of the Month.
Granada is the UK’s leading manufacturer of bespoke secondary glazing solutions to companies, supplying its products across the UK for both residential and commercial use.
Operating out of its 40,000 sq. ft manufacturing plant in Dinnington, on the outskirts of Sheffield, Granada has two specific functions. Firstly, to provide its products to trade customers that deal directly with homeowners, and secondly, to provide products to commercial architects and specifiers that are looking to add secondary glazing to their projects.
“We have a dedicated team that manage the trade arm of the business, and a team that focus solely on commercial projects. Specifically, from a trade perspective, Granada’s route to market is through a number of installation companies across the UK who sell Granada’s products directly to the homeowner, ensuring they can enjoy a quieter, warmer and more secure home,” stated Craig Robertson, Managing Director.
Since 1983, Granada has made nearly one million frames, averaging 100 frames a day, and around 25,000 every year. Granada is proud to provide industry-leading secondary glazing to companies around the UK for over 35 years. Since 2013, the company has undergone some significant changes that have dramatically propelled and shifted its growth in a rapid way.
“We launched a brand new, best-in-class product range in August 2021, offering the most discreet secondary glazing solution on today’s market. Featuring even slimmer sightlines, homeowners and commercial partners alike can enjoy an additional glass expanse – in some cases over 30mm –allowing their homes and projects to be flooded with ample natural light. Our new range also allows us to ensure that the aesthetics of the product are not negatively impacted when accommodating larger glass expanses or more robust glazing,” said Craig. Available in two specific ranges – The Classic and The Enhanced also come supported by an unrivalled level of customer service and support.
Commenting on this Ian Wright, Installations Manager said “The site measure was completed as soon as access became available, the designs and drawings were signed off and the windows went into production. However, it became apparent that the height of the opening was due to be increased by around 1 metre. This meant the window we had in production would be too small. This caused delays in the project, which was frustrating for everyone.”
Having made the window to fit into the existing opening, once work began on the repair of the facade, it became clear that the structure wasn’t in any state to be kept and the entire retained part of the building was knocked down and built as new.
www.georgebarnsdale.co.uk/professionals/
Combining a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, and a new owner, Malcolm White, Granada now operates out of the most high-spec manufacturing plant across the entire secondary glazing sector with its own powered-coating facility, industry leading technology and range of automated manufacturing processes.
Purpose-built to suit all property and window types, there are six variations to its secondary glazing product range including Horizontal Slider, Hinged Unit, Lift Out Unit, Vertical Slider, Fixed Unit, and Bespoke and Arched Units. Offering smart, elegant and practical solutions, all its products can be viewed via the brochure on the website.
In more exciting news, Granada has announced its due to launch a fully integrated online quotation and ordering system allowing trade customers to submit
their requests with just a few clicks. Craig commented, “the system puts the power firmly back in the hands of our trade customers by streamlining the entire quoting and ordering process. We wanted to ensure this process was a seamless as possible and view the new system as a crucial part of ‘phase 2’ of our new product launch.”
Completing a trio of managerial changes over the past 12 months, Granada is confident that the appointments made within its senior management team will set them up for success in the coming financial year. In terms of future plans, Craig commented, “beyond the launch of our online ordering system, in line with customer consultation, we’d ideally like to grow both our commercial and trade arms in equal measure over the next 12 months. We will continue to tweak and refine our new product range, as we’re also set to launch a revamped push button in the coming months. This will span across all our horizontal and vertical sliding units.”
For more information, see below.
T 01909 499899
info@granadaglazing.com
www.gsecg.com
Highways UK has rapidly established itself as the sector’s must-attend event and the highlight of the highways industry’s annual calendar.
Bringing together the people responsible for planning, developing, managing, maintaining, and futureproofing the nation’s roads networks. Join a high-level multi-stream conference together with a major services and suppliers-led exhibition.
Highways UK took place on the 3-4 November 2021 at the NEC, Birmingham, where fellow exhibitors
boasted, “I found it to be engaging, positive and highly useful for my client. Both in terms of networking for sales leads and personal professional development.”
The show was extremely well organised, widely attended and provided great opportunities for visitors to connect with industry professionals. Regarded as the most high-level multi-stream conference in the Highways industry, exhibitors from all sectors attended the show including Technology and Innovation, Sustainability, EV and Alternative Fuels,
Civils and Materials, Local authority Collaboration, and Drivers and Workers.
Highways UK 2022 will take place on the 2 – 3 November, in Hall 1 at the NEC, Birmingham. www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/highways-uk
Are refuge areas on the Smart Motorways as SAFE as people say? Some statistics say that Smart Motorways are safer than any other motorway. The question is are they really?
There is an overriding concern that Smart Motorways are not as SAFE as the older designs of motorways. Is this because of a few things, one being that the Emergency refuge areas are much further apart they can be as far apart as 1.5 miles, this can mean that some drivers that break down would be forced to stop in a running lane as the refuge area is too far away. This means that the constant use of the hard shoulder makes it more difficult for any Emergency Service Vehicles to get through the traffic in emergencies. It can also make traffic more erratic meaning that the risk of accidents is higher as traffic volume increases.
KITEStep being KITEStep came up with an idea to help anyone that have been stranded on the side of the motorway keep safe and out of the way of traffic flow. Have a look at our possible solution to this challenge on the KITEStep website.
T 01962886290
rebecca@kitestep.co.uk
www.kitestep.com/kitestep-refuge
The
with an amount of time you want your device on for.
Mainteno is a complete, cost-effective solution for task facilities management.
Whether it’s managing planned maintenance or dealing with fault repairs, Mainteno simplifies the day-to-day maintenance of almost any organisation.
Our award-winning software keeps everyone in the loop and archives all your communication and documentation in one place. For total control of your organisation’s assets, Mainteno also seamlessly incorporates asset management and tracking.
Mainteno streamlines every aspect of the maintenance management process, saving your organisation time and money.
Mainteno was designed with practicality in mind. The interface is so intuitive that basic operation can be learned in minutes, and you can be a power user in one afternoon.
Elegant usability usually means a hefty price tag – so our customers are often surprised to learn just how affordable Mainteno is.
No set-up fees, no lengthy contracts. Mainteno adapts to any organisation’s maintenance needs.
The GSM Multi Switch has been designed to operate electronic equipment by using your mobile phone or landline.
It is very easy to install and operate with no complicated coding required, just in plug and go.
Simply dial or text the simcard number to operate the relay.
If you call the unit it will reject. Therefore, you are not charged.
You will receive a text acknowledgement to say relay on or off.
INPUT: 240vac (12/24vdc & 115VAC is available)
Access Hire Nationwide is the UK market leader in the hiring and leasing of van and 4x4 mounted access platforms. We operate the UK’s largest, most modern fleet of over 1,100 vehicles backed up by unrivalled 24/7/365 operational support and industry knowledge. Our fully maintained leasing deals allow businesses to source brand new vehicles with an easy to budget monthly payment inclusive of servicing, maintenance, breakdown and recovery, and everything you need to keep your vehicles fully operational and compliant with regulations. All this is fully managed by our dedicated Operational Support Team taking the stress away, and with full UK coverage, you will be supported wherever you are working.
Access Hire partners with customers working across numerous sectors including facilities management, security and highways as well as key infrastructure sectors such as telecoms, power and rail. We have the expertise and knowledge, and we fully understand what is needed to manage and maintain these crucial specialist vehicles. With stock vehicles constantly in build, we can also help you to beat the long lead times currently being quoted on new vehicles, with brand new van mounted and 4x4 mounted access platforms ready to go within a matter of weeks
Contact Harry Kidd: 07966776530
Martyn Kandrotas: 01924 220824
info@accesshirenationwide.com
www.accesshirenationwide.com
Pickfords has announced it has set a science-based carbon reduction target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per thousand moves by 75% by 2050.
In 2021 Pickfords began work with the leading provider of sustainable services Carbon Footprint Ltd to become a Carbon Assessed Company. In 2022, Pickfords published its Carbon Reduction Plan in line with the Government’s Net Zero strategy.
Pickfords has been working on its environmental strategy since it became the first removals company to achieve ISO14001 in 2008. The company has invested in new survey app technology to reduce the CO2 emissions from road transport and created a formal recycling policy which includes a move day charity collection. The management team has also conducted a full assessment of its packing materials to reduce the amount of single use plastics used during a removal. All Pickfords vehicles comply with Euro 6 emission standards and all drivers receive training to ensure that they drive in a fuel-efficient manner to reduce the impact of emissions on the environment.
Pickfords’ Carbon Reduction Plan sets out the roadmap of further carbon reduction initiatives to ensure that it meets its science-based carbon reduction targets.
The company has left no stone unturned, from exchanging all electricity utilities to 100% renewable tariffs to monitoring new transport technology as it becomes available to switch to greener alternatives.
www.pickfords.com
The UK’s leading parking solutions business APT SKIDATA has come up with an innovative way of solving the country’s electric vehicle (EV) charging shortage. It has launched a packaged solution for car parks that makes EV charging as easy as parking and allows EV drivers to pay for both services in one simple transaction.
Known as ‘Charge’, the new solution combines new ePlug charging stations with APT SKIDATA’s proven Parking.Logic management system to enable customers to pay for parking and charging at the same time through the standard pay machine or at the exit.
Crucially, they can do so without the need for any additional app or payment terminal, simplifying the process and further improving the customer experience.
The demand for EVs and chargers has surged over the last four years, with a 66% increase in the number of EVs on the road since 2019. While there has been a rise in the number of public EV chargers, with 22,000 available, the number is limited when compared to the 1 million EVs on the road, resulting in a ratio of 1 charger per 43 EVs.
Drivers readily complain that charging points are often inconveniently sited, there are too many networks, and there are already too many apps.
APT SKIDATA’s ePlug chargepoints are available as either wall or pedestal mounted and come with a standard type two connector to a maximum of 22kW. ePlug operates alongside APT SKIDATA’s eSelector user interface, greeting users with a comprehensive charging guide and instructions. Customers can check out using a 2D barcode, QR code, or with their licence plate when an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system is installed. sales@aptskidata.co.uk
The Housing Safety & Wellbeing Taskforce with founding member Aico and in conjunction Cebr have launched a seminal piece of research into the human impact of fire and how the different legislations across the four nations impacts the prevalence of fire.
Domestic fire safety legislation is a crucial regulatory field to ensure that buildings are safe for habitation and that fire safety risks are adequately managed. However, due to several factors legislation and policies vary starkly between the constituent nations of the UK.
As fire safety is a matter which is devolved to the UK’s constituent nations, there is an inevitable divergence in key regulations and legislation. The
most pronounced tightening of restrictions has been in Scotland, where there will now be a requirement to have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in all dwellings from February 2022. In the other nations, these pieces of equipment are only required in properties under certain types of tenure. With the cost-of-living crisis potentially pushing
families into poorer quality accommodation and into fuel poverty the government needs to address not just the fire safety standards but housing wellbeing. With potential savings of up to £243m a year this money can be spent helping those who currently live in unsafe homes due to the cladding crisis or those who are struggling with household essentials. The Taskforce framework will enable all involved to work together collaboratively, and the organisation will be strictly non-commercial and non-partisan, committed to promoting a holistic approach to housing safety and resident wellbeing.
www.hswtaskforce.org.uk
Wagstaff Interiors Group is the UK’s leading commercial office design and fit-out company. As one of the largest independent interiors companies in the UK its broad range of linked offerings, include interior design interior fit-out, design and build, furniture solutions, workplace consultancy, move management, hire services and Reuse/Recycle.
Wagstaff Interiors Group has been trading for over 117 years, and it’s that longevity that gives it a respectable depth of experience and an impressive history of achievements. Through a combination of passionate individuals and a true love of working within the commercial interiors industry, hundreds of projects are delivered every year. Its financial strength and independence
create a unique and powerful base to operate from, and a freedom to work without restriction to deliver fantastic projects time-after-time.
Each team member holds vast experience and expertise in specific areas to help you with your
Perimeter security has never been more important whether at home or at work. Advanced Perimeter Systems range of perimeter security systems provide solutions for every security challenge.
Our solutions are quality assured, proven, reliable, robust and simple to install. Whatever challenges you face securing your property why not give us a call to discuss your needs we may be able to design a bespoke solution just for you.
Advanced Perimeter Systems has a reputation as a manufacturer and designer of high quality, high security, perimeter security solutions. We have a range of products available for installation to make any premises more secure from industrial, commercial to domestic property.
T 01786 479862 sales@apsltd.net www.advancedperimetersystems.com
project including analysis, design, visualisation, presentation, quoting, communication, managing logistics, managing suppliers, processing information and project delivery.
Through its buying power, Wagstaff Interiors Group not only reduces its own costs but passes the savings onto its customers. Wagstaff Interiors Group work for you, negotiating on your behalf with suppliers to provide you with the most relevant products at the most competitive prices.
To find out what Wagstaff Interiors Group can do for you, please see below: T 0844 375 9690 businessdevelopment@wagstaffgroup.co.uk www.wagstaffgroup.co.uk
Leafield Environmental, the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of litter and recycling bins are proud to have designed an extra large (XL) litter bin to help local authorities collect more waste and achieve the UK’s target to be net zero carbon by 2050.
Leafield’s best-selling Heritage Square XL Litter Bin houses a 240litre wheelie bin inside allowing more than double the amount of litter to be collected than a standard litter bin. The wheelie bin makes it easy and simple to empty. Its robust double wall structure for ultimate rigidity and durability makes it ideal for all-year round use. The bin allows space for up to four posters to use to promote campaigns or place advertising. Bespoke colours and personalisation of labels are available upon request. Dimensions: 1415mm (H), 800mm (W) & 850mm (D).
The Heritage Square XL is also available as a recycling bin due to the increased demand for on-thego recycling. It is the same unit as the Heritage XL Litter Bin, but it can collect mixed recyclables that is clearly identified by the WRAP
The National Painting and Decorating Show is the industry’s biggest annual industry trade show for painting and decorating professionals. The Ricoh Area in Coventry welcomed the 26th year Anniversary of The National Painting and Decorating Show, the UK’s only national event for the painting and decorating industry.
The Show is the annual gathering place for the painting and decorating industry that suppliers really can’t afford to miss. For 26 years, it has been the UK’s biggest national showcase of products, materials, ancillaries and services for contractors, stockists, designers and facility managers. It is held at an ‘exhibitor-friendly,’ easy-to-find venue right in the heart of the UK.
The show took place in November 23rd-24th and welcomed over 3,000 painting and decorating professionals from all over the UK and abroad who enjoyed the nationwide exposure of the latest products and services available from industry leading brands. The show held many masterclasses and business boosting sessions, with lots of great ‘Show-only’ deals available.
compliant labels and aperture colour.
Leafield’s standard black bins are made from up to 100% recycled material*.
*Subject to availability.
For more information on the Heritage XL Litter and Recycling Bin call Leafield Environmental on 01225 816541, email recycle@leafieldenv.com or visit www.leafieldrecycle.com
protection and accessibility; the entire kit has just one expiry date, enabling simple, easy replenishment with just one refill pouch.
Comprising of the ‘worlds stickiest plaster’ AeroPlast™ with its SupaBond™ extra strong adhesive, along with an array of enhanced first aid staples, AeroKit’s time saving and practical solution invites significant repeat purchases upon expiration.
materials, catalogue material, first aid product training and eye-catching marketing initiatives designed to generate sales. Aero Healthcare really does make it better for the wholesaler and consumer.
For more information on profit opportunities and Aero Healthcare’s AeroKit™ range go to https://www.aerohealthcare.co.uk/products/ aerokit email sales@aerohealthcare.co.uk or call 01403 790704.
This year marks the 27th Anniversary of The National Painting and Decorating Show, which will take place on the 22nd–23rd November 2022, 09:30–16:00. Grab your free tickets below: www.paintshow.co.uk
Since their small beginnings in 1998 Aristospray have consistently worked at bringing spray to professional users in several markets, with the emphasis in more recent years on the needs of the professional trade decorator. Market research shows that this sector of market needs a simple product range – one that’s easily understood and used and is available at a price point that is consistent with the requirements of the trade. It’s these requirements that Aristospray have worked to satisfy, with two distinct but complementary ranges and brands.
AeroKit™, the new premium first aid kit with a Surefill™ innovative refill system from Aero Healthcare, is giving distribution partners an exciting, first of its kind opportunity to maximise profit opportunities from both the premium and economy segments of the firstaid market.
Directly addressing consumer data which strongly highlights the ‘uselessness’ of first aid kits with plasters that do not stick and end-user complaints relating to disorganised first-aid kits; AeroKit™ is already welcomed by business customers across the globe.
Incorporating Aero Healthcare’s Surefill™; a four pouch tent refill system that organizes its premium quality contents for maximum
The uniquely comprehensive Surefill™ refill pouch meets the regulatory requirements for many different industry sectors, and the range includes British Standard First Aid Kits, HSE First Aid Kits, Eye Wash and Burns Kits, Body Fluid, Protection and Travel Kits.
As a global first aid and healthcare leader, Aero Healthcare’s fully harmonized range and surety of supply spans the higher premium market with AeroKit™ and the economy market with the lower-cost A-care range. Committed to helping distributors drive sales and profit opportunities that really stick, Aero provides dedicated account managers to collaborate with wholesalers and merchants to deliver comprehensive category management, along with the alignment of kit for individual customer needs.
AeroKit™ is backed by a long-term launch campaign tailored to drive both trade and end-consumer awareness, with point of sale
Downloadable information resources are available on www.aerohealthcare.co.uk
QTech is exclusive to Aristospray and has one overall goal – to keep spray simple. Featuring a comprehensive range of airless and HVLP sprayers all the products are carefully designed to ensure that they are consistently fit-for-purpose – while retaining an affordable price point. The machines are supported by an ever-increasing range of consumables, including the game-changing QuickConnect® tip extensions.
TriTech is a USA manufacturer of innovative airless sprayers that brings a high level of craftmanship to the industry which is normally only seen in the aerospace industry. These beautifully crafted, all metal airless sprayers have the ability to handle virtually any decorative application. Aristospray is the sole importer of this range for the UK and Ireland.
Both of these brands are marketed through an extensive number of trade dealers and online stores, including in the UK and Ireland Dulux and Johnstone’s trade decorator centres. QTech is also marketed in other regions globally; notably Australia, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe.
T 01895 276751 www.aristospray.com
In this issue of Building and Facilities News, we are pleased to announce Moore MedTech as our Health Technology Company of the Month.
As we continue to live with COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics, the need to develop effective protection is becoming increasingly important. Since the 1920’s, ultraviolet light has been used to protect people
from airborne diseases and is now used in many settings such as care homes, offices, hospitals, operating theatres, and even retail.
In 2020, Moore MedTech recognised the lifesaving potential of Far-UVC technology and wanted to bring it to the UK. Not only could it help to combat the oncoming effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it could also reduce the spread of all other contagious diseases which adversely impact workplaces every year such as colds, flus and norovirus. “Samantha and I have worked in the medical industry and are aware of emerging technologies, so we knew this technology had been around for years but were frustrated as to why no-one was utilising it to help fight COVID-19. We developed the business to provide the best solutions enabling other businesses to combat COVID-19, as well as future pandemics,” stated Jamie Moore, CTO & Co-Founder.
“Far-UVC technology can destroy 99.98% of pathogens in the air and on surfaces, including COVID-19, Influenza, MRSA and Norovirus. The technology uses a wavelength of light that is strong enough to destroy the cell wall of any pathogen rendering them inactive. It’s quite incredible really.” stated Jamie.
This technology can help businesses to reduce viral transmission at their workplace, reducing absenteeism levels and helping their staff to feel more confident about being
Leading impartial waste and sustainability comparison platform, WasteQuoteSupermarket, appoints Chris Gee, former Head of Software at business services switching provider, Verastar, to reinvent how businesses access and compare their second-largest utility expense after energy.
New CTO, Gee, will apply almost two decades of experience in defining and embedding strong technical growth strategies to develop the WasteQuoteSupermarket platform, enabling FM managers to access the very best waste, recycling, sustainability and carbon reduction deals as utility prices rocket over the coming months. The pioneering data-driven platform partners with waste service providers to provide instant comparisons on a wide
scope of business waste services including trade, commercial and industrial services, all types of recycling, shredding, skips, bulky waste, hazardous, WEEE, clinical waste, and washroom services. It does this by directly matching the two parties together through the company’s bespoke AI virtual waste expert, a key USP that will shortly be able to showcase a full array of deals to improve resource efficiency and provide measurable solutions to form part of a business’s ESG-friendly policies.
Carl Bennett, WasteQuoteSupermarket Founder, comments: “We’re perfectly placed to help SME businesses to save money and reach their sustainability goals through our tech-enabled portal.” carl.bennett@wastequotesupermarket.com
British brand, Dryflow, has launched ten 100% carbon neutral electric hand dryers, as officially verified by ClimatePartner.
The verification process saw each dryer meticulously analysed to measure the full extent of its lifetime’s emissions, from ‘cradle to grave’. This ensures everything, from the manufacture, transport, and end-oflife recyclability, to the day-to-day usage, is generating minimal emissions, and the CO2 that is created is effectively offset through recognisable projects.
The Dryflow range of dryers has been developed exclusively in partnership with Intelligent Facility Solutions, which has specialised in supplying sustainable hand dryers and washroom accessories to the commercial and educational sectors for the past 10 years.
Intelligent Facility Solutions has been dedicated to providing optimal sustainable washroom solutions since the company was founded in Sheffield in 2012.
As such, the business has recently banned airfreight to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and offers long warranties and lifetime guarantees to keep commercial hand dryers in use for as long as possible.
The full range of Dryflow carbon-neutral hand dryers, verified by ClimatePartner and available exclusively through Intelligent Facility Solutions, includes Bulletdri, D-Flow, Dryflow Elite Mark II, G-Force Mark II, Jetforce Junior, JetDri Mark II, Turboforce Junior, Turboforce, Ecowave and Viper. All dryers are available in a variety of designs and finishes, and include features such as HEPA filters, Quiet Mark approval, and fast dry times.
To discuss your washroom requirements or place an order, visit www.intelligenthanddryers.com, email sales@ihdryers.co.uk or call 0114 493 6675.
on site. As well as a reduction in absenteeism costs, businesses can also benefit from reduced cleaning and HVAC costs too. It is also an environmentally friendly solution as it does not involve the use of harsh chemicals and can be adapted to most working environments.
Working primarily in the commercial real estate, corporate and health and social care sectors, Moore MedTech’s solutions are ideal for any environment where large groups of people come together within a shared space.
“We are social beings therefore it’s important for people to feel confident in shared spaces again, knowing the air they share is sanitised by our technology. Our solutions offer a safe umbrella of protection around the area. It is also cost-effective as it saves businesses spending money on PPE, cleaning equipment and extra
staff to cover sickness and absentees and can also significantly reduce the cost of HVAC systems. Our solutions weren’t just developed for COVID-19, but to provide protection from the future pandemics that scientists are predicting.“
For more information, see below.
T 0113 543 1450
info@mooremedtech.co.uk
www.mooremedtech.co.uk
A North East construction firm has celebrated a successful first year in business after winning work with one of the industry’s major names.
WOODSmith Construction Group was launched in March 2021 by Gary Wood, who has more than 15 years of experience in the construction industry, and forms part of Dale Smith’s SDDE Smith Group, a portfolio of real estaterelated businesses.
The firm has been taken on as a key contractor for British Steel at the Skinningrove site, in North Yorkshire, as part of what could be a long-term relationship with the company.
Gary, who previously worked for Tolent Construction Ltd before setting up WOODSmith Construction, said: “I worked for British Steel on numerous projects when I was a joiner and foreman and always had a great relationship with them whether at Skinningrove or Lackenby, so I was delighted to win the tender for this latest work on the Skinningrove site.
“I couldn’t be happier; to be asked to work with such a big and reputable company with a massive history in the area and country is something I could have only dreamt of when we started up in March last year.”
The deal is the latest in a successful first year for WOODSmith Construction, which has driven turnover of £1.7m in its first 12 months of trading, as well as growing the team to 16 direct employees and five-plus subcontractors.
For more information about WOODSmith Construction Group, visit www.woodsmithgroup.com
Strand Hardware has rewarded the skills and expertise of two team members by promoting them to senior roles. Jo Wallis, previously General Manager, becomes Operations Director, while Andy Michel moves from Warehouse Supervisor to Warehouse and Production Manager.
Jo joined Strand Hardware in July 2019 and has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. She began her career as a Supply Chain Coordinator for Allgood plc before joining GEZE UK as a Purchasing Assistant and later became its Purchasing and Distribution Sales Manager. She is MCIPS qualified and remains a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. In her new role, Jo has day-to-day responsibility for all operational aspects of the
business, including health and safety and human resources for Strand Hardware’s 20-strong workforce. She will work alongside Sales Director Craig Fox to support customer service delivery. Outside work, Jo, who is married to Richard, enjoys running, exercise and spending time with their dog, Molly, who is a 3-year-old cockerpoo. She said that she is looking forward to taking on more responsibility for day-to-day operations and
becoming more involved in developing business strategy to “help strengthen the brand and help support its future growth”.
Andy joined Strand Hardware in 2012 and his new role will also see him take on more managerial responsibility including production planning, co-ordination, administration, efficiency reviews and quality assurance. His duties now extend beyond the distribution warehousing to include manufacturing, alongside fulfilment and dispatch responsibilities. In his spare time Andy is a keen amateur photographer who specialises in portraiture and is a committed family man who lives with his partner Edyta.
T 01922 639111 info@strandhardware.co.uk
Decorex is the ultimate high-end interior design exhibition that has brought together the best of the design community each year for the past 43 years. Decorex is your avenue for discovery; a place to meet emerging and established interior design brands and discover unique products for your upcoming projects.
Decorex 2021 took place on the 10 - 13 October at the Olympia, London, where a number of handpicked leading designers reimagined long-standing features of the show, each one provoking a conversation that
left visitors feeling inspired.
Visitors had the chance to meet emerging brands such as Crofts and Assinder Ltd, A Rum Fellow, Abraham Moon & Sons Ltd, Empty State, and many more. Some of its well-loved features returned including The Bar, designed by Sara Cosgrove Studio, the unique entranceway
by Moritz Waldemeyer, and Future Heritage, curated by Corrine Julius, the Liberty. Café designed by Liberty Fabrics and the Live Wall installation, bought to life by Jan Erika.
Expert-led talks were hosted by a star-studded line up including Lee Broom, Sophie Ashby, and Simone Suss providing insight, ideas and practical advice at its heart.
Don’t miss out on this year’s event at the Olympia London on the 9 - 12 October 2022.
www.decorex.com
After a year’s absence, SALTEX roars back into life and celebrates a very memorable 75th anniversary.
Put back a year due to the pandemic, the buzz was certainly back on the show floor as SALTEX 2021 reunited the industry and brought together almost 7,500 attendees across two days.
It was apparent among exhibitors and visitors that Europe’s largest annual turf management event was exactly what the grounds management industry needed.
The annual exhibition organised by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), offered visitors a fantastic opportunity to witness the largest product and service showcase in grounds management, including many new innovations being unveiled for the first ever time at this year’s vibrant show.
New and inspiring technology was celebrated through the SALTEX Innovation Awards; a prestigious hallmark for products showcasing the future of groundscare. From
It’s been a busy few months since Saltex 2021 here at One Ash Training. Our new First Aid and Health and Safety Trainer, Emma, joined us in January and has delivered EFAW+F and ROLO Health & Safety courses every few weeks through to April.
Emma has had excellent feedback from everyone who has attended and hopes to meet more of you soon. We recently expanded the products we offer to include Lantra’s Online E-Learning courses which cover a wide
variety of topics such as Rodent Control and Litter Picking from the comfort of your own home or office! Our newest addition is the offer of IOSH Managing Safely courses with our next course coming up in May.
All of our trainers have been very busy delivering courses such as Brushcutters, Chainsaws, Pesticides and Tractor Driving just to name a few. The training dates page on our website is regularly updated with available open courses, some are now planned up
robotics to battery-powered mowers, tractors to utility vehicles, grow lights to chain saws, the entries included a wide variety of high-quality products, services and equipment.
This is our pick of the best exhibitors from the show, listed here in alphabetical order: GreenBest, Handy Distribution, One Ash Training Ltd, Spa Power and Weedingtech. Further information can be found on this page.
For more information visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk
Follow SALTEX on Twitter @GMA_SALTEX and Facebook –www.facebook.com/GMASALTEX
to the end of the year. If you need some training why not plan ahead and book at a time of year that suits your workload?
We had a great time at Saltex 2021 and look forward to returning in 2022!
T 0151 420 4522 info@oneashtraining.com www.oneashtraining.com
Whether you’re looking for a granular or liquid fertiliser/biostimulant, GreenBest will have a product to suit you. Our Velvit product range is designed for the most demanding turf applications. Our Sales and Product Development team are sharing this season’s must have products that are guaranteed to increase root development, reduce negative impacts of many stresses, and leave your turf looking green, healthy, and growing.
Granules:
▲ Black & Green - The high level of iron in Black and Green causes moss blackening and intense green-up
▲ Command - Each granule contains a full nutrient package ensuring consistency of sward colour, growth, and performance.
▲ Nutrilong - Designed to release nutrients carefully over time. The range provides sustained nutrition with profiles designed to nourish and maintain the turf for optimum health, performance, and appearance.
▲ Velvit Standard - A range of essential granular fertilisers containing readily available nutrients for colour, growth, sward density and plant health.
Liquids: ▲ NMAXX - Providing up to 5 weeks of nitrogen availability and protection against leaching, denitrification, and volatilisation.
▲ Onyx Liquid - Onyx provides the nutrition for growth and root development and is packed with a natural cocktail of biostimulant substances. These boost the plant’s ability to cope with stressful conditions including drought, heat, and salinity.
▲ Purity Soil Conditioner - Supplying the soil with a building block of organic matter, Purity will stimulate all available nutrients to release steadily over a 6–8week period.
T +44(0)1963 364788 sales@greenbest.co.uk www.greenbest.co.uk
Fifty Five South is one of the most coveted and experienced luxury brands in high fashion for the home. With over 15,000 products lines ready for immediate despatch, we pride ourselves on our extensive collections. From statement furniture to trendled accessories and those must-have staples, that are all designed and sourced from around the world, with an emphasis on individuality and modern elegance.
We are so much more than a homeware supplier. We have an in-house team dedicated
definition 3D, you can zoom in for a closer look, and click any product for more details, and can shop 24/7.
Create your trade account today and start working with us for high quality products and instant shipping.
to forecasting industry trends, keeping our products current so your business can stay ahead of the competition.
More recently we launched three of our brand-new virtual showrooms where you can take a digital stroll around our 72 room sets! Captured in high-
SPA Power Machinery is the European distributors for Easy Petrol Post Driver, since 2012, manufactured by Christie Engineering of Australia, and is the UK and Ireland distributors for Westermann of Germany, since 2018. The company was pleased to be displaying its two brands at the SALTEX show 2021.
Laurie Anthony, Director remarked, “this was our first exhibit back after the pandemic and indoors. It was a great experience for us. The quality of leads and sales we received, were really high. It was really positive for us and we made new customers as well as saying hello to our old customers too.”
In terms of its products showcased at the show, SPA Power Machinery
displayed the Easy Petrol Post Driver, the portable handheld machine designed to easily knock any size stake, peg or post into the ground, up to a 4” diameter.
Another brand the company presented was the Westermann Range, including the Westermann Honda Moss Brush, Westermann Honda Weed Ripper and the Westermann Ride-on range.
“The shows has been a real boost for moral and allowed us to meet customers, talk to users and enabled them to ask questions. Often through online sales and calls, we can be faceless and we lose touch with our customers, and the shows are key to meet them and gain an understanding of their needs.”
Laurie continued, “we will be attending SALTEX 2022. We have found it a great exhibition for us and for end users, offering a diverse range of attendees. We were also pleased to have won the ‘Best Small Open Space Stand for Exhibition Practice and Customer Experience Award’ at the show.”
T 0114 269 9119
www.spapowermachinery.com
Weedingtech care passionately about the world we live in which is why it has developed Foamstream: the world’s leading herbicide-free weed control technology. It kills unwanted vegetation, including weeds, moss and algae, using the precise application of hot water insulated by a specially formulated biodegradable and organic foam, all delivered by Weedingtech’s range of patented machinery.
Weedingtech is proud to present the Foamstream M600H, their first hybrid unit for herbicide-free weed, moss, and algae control. Featuring a battery-powered generator, the hybrid combines the efficiency of electric power with industry-leading hyper-efficient boilers. Foamstream is an ecologically safe, simple, patented process that works by killing unwanted vegetation using heat delivered by near-boiling water, insulated by a biodegradable foam made from natural plant oils and sugars.
The M600H is their quietest machine to date delivering
After an absence of two years, I’m sure you would agree it was good to be back at Saltex. Grounds care is a relatively small community and there are a lot of close bonds that make it a fantastic industry to be part of.
In 2021, it would be impossible to ignore the transition away from petrol products towards battery power cars and other more sustainable/environmentally friendly options.
Throughout the event, we were delighted by the interest in Cramer, and sometimes almost overwhelmed by the number of visitors at our stand. Local authorities, contractors and sports and leisure operators are all now firmly setting their sights on converting to battery power now that they can see the irrefutable benefits to themselves, their clients, and the environment in general.
The Globe Group has been from day one a major driver of delivering a credible alternative to the use of petrol products to the commercial user through their Cramer 82V lithium-ion range.
a flow rate of 7 litres per minute, which means it is particularly well suited to smaller-scale jobs and harder to reach areas in inner-city and rural environments.
Also on show at Saltex was the Foamstream L12 machine. Operator driven, its diesel and petrol dual-fuel source powers its 12 litres per minute flow rate. Its robust design and additional functionality make it ideal for street cleaning and a new rinse-mode feature provides the operator with an option to use the machine with just water and no foam at high or low pressure.
For more information, see below.
T 0203 909 0050 info@weedingtech.com www.weedingtech.com
The latest Cramer 82v technology delivers unbelievable power, low noise, and unbeatable lifetime cost efficiency.
To find out more about the range visit www.cramertools.com or if you’re interested in a demonstration, please contact alanw@handydistribution.co.uk.
which is why when it opened its European branch at the end of 2013 countries such as Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and many more all benefited from its services that became immediately available to them. Wonder Grip® UK was the last plant to be launched only two years ago in 2020 but has seen tremendous growth already throughout such a short period of time.
frostbite, cuts, burns, and irritations that can then hinder quality of life and lead to less productivity in the workplace. Wonder Grip® has a vision that consists in continuously providing the ultimate solutions for users faced with a perpetually changing environment. By placing the end user at the heart of its R&D, Wonder Grip’s range of solutions evolves on a permanent basis, defining the very notion of hand protection.
A recent addition to its ever-changing product range is the new WG-360 range. Available in three different colours, each glove is touchscreen compatible and perfect for general handling tasks.
The Wonder Grip® WG-360V Comfort Advance combines a brand new ultra-thin and stretchable liner that is engineered with Wonder Grip® Technology and guarantees to improve suppleness, reduce hand fatigue and enhance hand movement for best comfort during long periods of use. The Wonder Grip® WG-360YG Comfort Advance is the must-have solution for performing precision tasks in a dry or wet environment. Using proprietary TPDT™ technology, the glove includes touch
In this issue of Building and Facilities News, we are pleased to announce Wonder Grip® as our Hand Protection Company of the Month.
Wonder Grip® is a global manufacturer of innovative industrial gloves, and its role is to provide people with the best hand protection.
Wonder Grip® distributes a large range of stock from its UK stock holding to PPE distributors and merchants across the country. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, its UK office is located in Manchester with two more offices based in Paris, France and Hanover, Germany.
The parent company was established in 2011, in Japan, and since Wonder Grip® has evolved into an international company with a presence that is known across the globe. Working closely with its customers is a core priority for the company
Companies around the world rely on the expertise from Wonder Grip’s logistics partners to offer a reactive, flexible and transparent service.
Wonder Grip® offers hand protection to many industries including construction, waste and utilities sectors where the gloves allow end users
to perform to the highest standard whilst having the comfort of knowing that their hands will always be fully protected when wearing them.
Wonder Grip® gloves are gentle on the most sensitive of skins, and come in a vast range of colours, sizes, and gauges with various design purposes including mechanical, tight fitting, special, coatings, cuffs and knitting fibres.
We spoke to Cameron Leung, Marketing Assistant, who told us a little more about the technology used to make their products.
“Wonder Grip® Technology offers superior grip in wet and dry conditions, enhancing safety to the highest level. This results in better performance and comfort whilst working. Wonder Grip® strive to ensure quality and comfort for users no matter the environment or conditions.” He went on to describe their industry leading manufacturing facilities, “we have our own factories where we have complete control over the process from obtaining raw materials to the final product. We have our own R&D department and our own patents and technologies that make our gloves the best on the market.”
The human hand is a body part that is used every single day and can be exposed to such risks as
screen functionality to improve working conditions and is perfect for applications in DIY, aerospace and many other industries. Lastly, the Wonder Grip® WG-360R Comfort Advance guarantees improved suppleness, reduced hand fatigue and enhanced hand movement for best comfort during long periods of use. Latex coated, it delivers an excellent grip performance and refined mobility. A perfect glove for warehouse packing and logistics environments, as well as for electronics and assembly work.
“We also have our WG-1875 and WG-1885 gloves which are also touchscreen compatible as well as being cut to level C and D, respectively. Both of these gloves are also heat resistance, giving you multiple types of protection as well as unrivalled dexterity,” added Cameron.
Wonder Grip UK may only have been running a short period of time but its impact on the UK market has had a dramatic effect. So much so, the company has had to move to a bigger office to accommodate for this growth. Cameron explained, “we still remain in our Manchester office, in the same building, however, we have moved from a 1000sqft office to a bigger, 3000sqft office. This is credit to what we have achieved over a short period of time and how ambitious we are as a company.”
COVID-19 left a sharp, dramatic effect on everyone to which no-one could have predicted, however, we could be starting to see the end of the economic drought that has occurred across many industries. “Having started the UK company during the pandemic allowed us to slowly build the team. As we have slowly started moving away from the pandemic, this is the time where Wonder Grip® UK can really begin to push forward and keep expanding,” mentioned Cameron.
After having such an incremental impact on the market within its first two years of business, surely the only way is up for Wonder Grip® UK?
“As far as future plans go, we are always looking to continue expanding within the company and keep growing at a similar, if not quicker rate. We will always aim high and there is no reason why Wonder Grip® can’t be the number one glove manufacturer brand in the UK in the not too distant future.”
www.wondergrip.com
One of the UK’s leading providers in the design and manufacture of access solutions and riser doors for ceilings, walls and partitions, Profab Access, is supporting architects, specifiers and contractors in achieving the highest standards of efficiency with its PRIMA 1000 Fire Rated Series Access Panels.
Providing secure and unobtrusive access to ceiling and wall services for both residential and commercial projects, the fire rated panels are not only aesthetically pleasing and easy to install, but ensure compliance with latest building regulations.
As part of Profab Access’ commitment to
construction excellence, the access panels are independently bi-directionally tested and fire-rated up to 120 minutes to BS EN 1634-1:2000 for single and double door configurations up to 600mm x 1200mm. Sizes up to 750mm x 1500mm are also available and are fire-rated for up to 90 minutes.
The PRIMA 1000 FR Series Access Panels are available in standard and bespoke specifications, providing first class performance and functionality, the panels are also smoked sealed with an intumescent and smoke seal gasket.
The lightweight metal doors can be easily
installed into jointless plaster, plasterboard and partitions to provide concealed access to electrical and mechanical services and are etch primed to support onsite decoration.
As a member of the official Made in Britain accreditation, Profab Access can deliver stock sizes in the shortest lead times from its UK headquarters. Its team of engineering experts can also design bespoke specifications to meet specific project requirements.
For further information on Profab Access and its range of riser doors, access panels, and steel doors, call +44(0)1827 718222 or visit www.profabaccess.com.
Varso Place, the site of the tallest skyscraper in the European Union, is using a HID Global smartphone-based solution to allow over 7,000 people to move more freely and securely throughout the building.
Located in Warsaw, Poland, Varso Place is an ambitious mixed-use development from HB Reavis. Designed by Fosters + Partners, it comprises three buildings, with the project’s showstopper the fully glazed 53-storey Varso Tower standing at over 310 metres high.
HB Reavis sought a single access system for the entire building so that every tenant would have an easy-to-use and one-stop solution for security management. It wanted to move away from people having to carry key fobs or cards to use a high-tech system which allows for the management of digital credentials using Android and iOSbased smartphones.
The solution chosen includes HID Mobile Access® and mobile-enabled readers which are equipped with Bluetooth and Near Field Communication technologies. A software development kit enables easy updates over time.
“Not only does mobile access provide state-of-the-art security control, there’s no need to remember to take a pass with you when you leave home or move around the building. When security is based on the phone, it is frictionless because people always have their phones with them,” said Jakub Kacer, Security Manager at HB Reavis.
www.hidglobal.com
Jangro, the largest network of independent janitorial distributors in the UK and Ireland, bolsters senior team with two new appointments. Independent janitorial distribution network, Jangro, is delighted to announce two new appointments.
General Sales Manager, Sue Gernon has been brought in to head up the national accounts division, whilst Tim Corbett, who joined the team late last year, has been appointed as Business Development Manager. He is responsible for building relationships with new and existing customers.
Their addition strengthens Jangro’s senior team, and will help the company to continue building on its great customer offer. As the UK and Ireland’s largest network of independent janitorial distributors, Jangro is able to offer its national account holders fantastic benefits. Firstly, Jangro can reduce its customers’ costs. With 47 members in the network, it has superior buying power so can offer sustainable, high quality cleaning solutions at consistent, competitive prices. National account holders can also stay in control of their spending across all of its sites thanks to Jangro’s budget management system. Consolidated invoicing and management reports can also be accessed via a
state-of-the-art
e-commerce ordering system, which can be integrated with big name ERP systems such as Sage, SAP and Merlin. Jangro’s unique health and safety compliance solution, called Site Manager, is also available to national account customers. It contains hundreds of Safety Data Sheets, COSHH risk assessments and process risk assessment documents. Each time a new product is ordered online, the relevant compliance information will automatically be added to the customers’ bespoke Site Manager portal.
To qualify for a Jangro National Account, customers must have multi-sites across the UK and Ireland. For more information, or to apply, visit www.jangro.net/national-distribution or call 01204 795 955.
TDB Supply Solutions joins the independent janitorial distribution network.
Jangro, the largest network of independent janitorial and cleaning distributors in the UK and Ireland, is delighted to welcome TDB Supply Solutions, who officially joined its membership on 1st March 2022. Jangro currently has a total of 47members in its network, which are all strategically located across the country to provide a speedy, efficient and caring personal service tailored to clients’ needs.
Established in 2010, Dorset-based TDB Supply Solutions is a British company that prides itself in researching, understanding, and solving everyday problems, no matter how small or large and providing excellent customer service. Its aim is to provide customers with good quality products from leading manufacturers at competitive prices.
Joining the Jangro group will support the company in doing just that, since it will now benefit from the network’s increased buying power, enabling it to keep prices stable and pass on savings to customers. It also has access to all member benefits, which will help the company to build on its great customer offer. For example, it can provide its clients with added value in the form of Jangro’s award-winning training platform, the Jangro Leaning Management Solution.
For more information about Jangro, visit www.jangro.net.
Leading waterless urinal provider, Smarti Environmental, is urging the facilities management sector to play its part in the battle against needless water wastage.
The business is encouraging organisations to review their use of flushing urinals amid the UK’s growing water crisis. Its research shows that there are currently around 3.5 million water-supplied urinals in the UK, collectively wasting 217 billion litres of water each year.
To encourage the move to flushless urinals, Smarti Environmental is offering facilities management organisations with 100 or more urinals a free trial for 3-months, including free installation of its retro-fit valves. Smaller businesses can also benefit from savings of more than 50% compared to the cost of running flushing urinals.
Smarti Environmental is also offering to replace blocked pipework – the result of the chemical reaction between urine and water in flushing urinals.
Smarti Environmental’s Kimberley Hill commented: “Businesses can play a key part in reducing water waste, and one of the simplest steps is switching to waterless urinals. This saves 100,000 litres of water per urinal, per year, cuts related costs by over 50%, and CO2 by 105kg per urinal.”
Smarti Environmental’s valves fit 98% of standard urinals with no need to change urinal bowls.
Contact www.smartilimited.com
In this issue of Building and Facilities News, we are pleased to announce Linaker as our Building Services and Engineering Company of the Month.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, Linaker provides self-delivered engineering and building services maintenance across multiple disciplines. Linaker is a truly national M&E specialist business that prides itself on fulfilling tailored solutions for a range of clients across diverse sectors, including hospitality, leisure, residential and corporate.
Established in 1993 by Bill Harrison, Linaker has four main hubs across the UK, with its Head Office and finance centre located in Oxted, Surrey, 24/7 Reactive Response Unit in Haydock, Merseyside, support team unit which includes compliance, fleet, HR, technical and warehousing in Minworth, Birmingham, and the major hub for its regional network that is located in Almondsbury, Bristol. There are also smaller offices in Scotland, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and London. Because of its critical business model and capabilities, Linaker’s services offer an unrivalled flexibility for its clients and team members, alongside a crucial increase in accountability and control.
These core services enable the company to establish the critical building blocks needed to engineer the perfect environment and are backed by its 24/7 in-house helpdesk whose main aim is to help clients receive a consistently high-quality level of service all day, every day.
Claire Curran, Linaker Managing Director said, “We are the only engineering company to offer a four-click triage and reactive job logging system through smart QR code software, which is asset specific and therefore allows us to
match the most value driven solution whilst maintaining great service and up to the minute communication to our clients.” Linaker has been a specialist in the creation and maintenance of tailor-made business environments for over 25 years. Its industry leading engineering capabilities are steeped in its heritage of designing and regulating unique spaces that truly work.
In latest news, Linaker is proud to announce that it has just been appointed by Bright Horizons nurseries for their 300+ sites across the UK.
“Linaker is now ideally placed to become recognised as the engineering company of choice with our great engineer density across the country and unrivalled first-time fix capabilities. To maintain our position, we will
continue to invest in and pioneer industryleading technology, focus on our sustainability and green credentials with our carbon strategy – from zero-emissions-in-use vans to route optimisation, and ultimately continue to invest in our people to harness and nurture talent to realise their hopes and ambition to break boundaries and stereotypes,” stated Curran.
Following recent further strengthening of the senior management team, the infrastructure behind Linaker is currently stronger than ever. Combining its outstanding Reactive Response Hub 24/7 service alongside new contracts with household brands, have all contributed to cementing its credibility within the industry.
A huge part of the company’s latest success goes to Claire Curran, an inspirational trailblazer who has been a force within Linaker since she joined in early 2018. Becoming only the third female Managing Director of a M&E/FM business, under the mentorship and guidance of Bill Harrison, Claire has been able to successfully lead Linaker to achieve its vision.
www.linaker.com
LANDSCAPE is the UK’s leading trade event dedicated to bringing the industry together. Established as the essential trade event, LANDSCAPE attracts garden designers, landscape architects, landscape contractors, local authority landscaping professionals, architects, architectural technologists, facilities managers and interior designers from all over the UK and beyond.
The show returned for yet another successful year on the 3-4 November 2021 at the NEC, Birmingham, with a packed programme housing guest speakers across three seminars. From topics such as Mental Health and your business to bringing colour to your garden, the show offered an amazing event that delivered lots of variety to all aspects of the landscaping industry.
For exhibitors, LANDSCAPE provided the ideal platform for organisations to showcase leading trend products, new services, and key skills as well as the perfect environment for visitors to discover the newest and most innovative products and solutions to help them in their designs and projects.
LANDSCAPE 2022 will take place on the 28-29 September, in Hall 3 at the NEC, Birmingham.
For more information, see below. www.landscapeshow.co.uk
The Arboricultural Association is a charity & the largest institution in the UK for tree care professionals with over 3000 members.
We’re here to support everyone who works with and cares about trees.
Our vision is to inspire, support and promote the tree care community for a society that better appreciates and cares for trees. With governments and
the general public recognising the importance of trees, the expertise and knowledge of tree care professionals is now more important than ever.
Arboriculture has a critical role in protecting and caring for those trees we have now and ensuring that the trees we plant today will establish and thrive in the decades and centuries to come.
The association also runs the only UK accreditation for tree surgery businesses, ARB Approved Contractor. The association is committed to promoting the work of our members and the arboricultural profession to the general public, our communities, politicians, policymakers and allied industries, ensuring arboriculture is represented as a key profession in its own right.
Find out more today: Access free help, advice and guidance on a wide range of tree-related topics or join our cause and become a member at trees.org.uk or call 01242522152
Enabling homeowners to make the most of their garden whatever the weather, CRL Glass Rooms are simple to construct providing shelter from the elements and offering unobstructed views of the great outdoors.
With an intelligent modular design, the aluminium structure means very few supports are needed even over large areas. The innovative connectors give a high degree of flexibility with many variations possible, while optional extras including sliding doors, vertical blinds and ceiling blinds makes it simple to create a unique space that can be enjoyed throughout the seasons.
The system’s modular design enables the Glass Room to be configured to suit any space, from simple rectangles to more complex L shape designs. The drainage is cleverly integrated into the post, with rainwater channelled through the gutter into the drain pipe. The front profile of the post can be easily removed using a clip system to allow easy access to the drain.
All rafters come with integrated channels for fitting lighting and attaching motorised awnings. Available in a Range of Standard RAL Colours CRL Glass Rooms have a maximum projection length of 600cm.
For further information call 01706 863600, email crl@crlaurence.co.uk, or visit www.crlglassrooms.co.uk
Flexible, stylish and easy to install, CRL Glass Rooms make the most of outdoor living
and activities.
1883
Vandecasteele Houtimport is a family-run timber company founded in Belgium in 1883 and is today run by the fourth and fifth generations of the Vandecasteele family - they have the number one objective of trading 100% certified wood from 2025 onwards.
Vandecasteele Houtimport imports timber and timber products from over 45 countries worldwide. A modern and expanding business, it has a long-term commitment to service a wide variety of customers in the construction, joinery, cladding and furniture sectors, as well as the high-end marine industry.
Right in the heart of Europe, with easy road access to customers in all European markets, Vandecasteele Houtimport has consistently developed its long-term strategy to become Europe’s number one timber stockist. Its facilities are in Kortrijk, Aalbeke, Belgium, where the company specialises in the import, trading and export of tropical hardwood from Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. The company also provide Scandinavian and Russian softwood, Siberian Larch, North American soft and hardwood and European hardwood. The company has been passed down through the generations to its current owner Stefaan Vandecasteele. Stefaan took over the running of the company in 2000 and together with his son Louis, keeps the company’s family spirit alive.
150,000
Its impressive set up allows its storage facility - which is situated on 39.5 acres of land - to accommodate more than 150,000m³ of sawn timber products. The total covered space of the company’s main warehouse reaches 16 hectares, contained in a site of 60 hectares.
Timber coming from all over the world are centralised in one location. Working alongside timber importers, timber merchants and wholesalers, the company can deliver stock that is difficult to source within days using its own fleet of 18 vehicles. In a matter of days, Vandecasteele Houtimport has the resources and ability to adapt and bridge the gap between sources of supply in Africa, Far East, South America and North America to Europe. This makes the company the first choice with many importers and merchants.
130
The company has over 130 timber species in stock including the new addition of certified European Beech and Oak in joinery, prime and super prime grades and certified steamed Beech in all qualities. From the most expensive and rare hardwoods to a full assortment of softwoods in all qualities and sizes, everything is neatly bar coded and displayed.
100% certified
Its impressive and vast stockholding of hardwoods and softwoods is coupled with strong environmental credentials (FSC®, PEFC, OLB, LegalSource) and an efficient, accurate processing of customer orders. The company has set a challenging goal to trade in 100% certified timbers only from 2025. Experienced staff unload incoming lorries and prepare outgoing deliveries and all parcels have a quality file in which the quality of the parcel is registered, with quality control inspections of goods at the ports of Antwerp or Ghent or in Aalbeke.
In 2021, Vandecasteele Houtimport invested in 17 new Volvo trucks with Volvo Connect tracking system, five new side loaders of which one full
electric and 10 new trailers. The racking system has also been extended which will now reach five miles. The company has launched a dedicated customer portal, which allows customers to order their timber online. In a world where consumers seek instant response to any ‘search,’ Vandecasteele Houtimport’s sales representatives have quick to real time information on all inventory moves from all over the world. The company is also investing in new IT tools to track and trace the timber from source and ensure the provenance of the timber is EUTR compliant.
Currently, 100% of the softwoods the company stock is already certified and over 65% of the tropical hardwood. This number is continuously growing and makes Vandecasteele Houtimport the biggest stockholder of certified tropical timbers in Europe. Vandecasteele Houtimport really do love what they do and have a strong passion to grow within the industry.
Vandecasteele Timber Ltd
One way in which the company is making growth take place is its reaction to Brexit. To combat new rules and importation structures, Vandecasteele Houtimport has set up a company in the UKVandecasteele Timber Ltd - that facilitates the trade to all UK partners.
Vandecasteele Houtimport endeavour to show that timber is the world’s most ecological and sustainable material. And future plans only echo the company’s approach to sustainability within the industry.Vandecasteele Houtimport has a dedicated team to ensure all due diligence is up to date and in addition to the strict process, the company has invested in a forest engineer in Brazil to ensure full control on the chain of custody (CoC) of the Brazilian timbers purchased.
Vandecasteele Houtimport is passionate about timber being used for sustainable building and construction materials. Every step the company make boasts several ecological advantages showcasing the use of timber compared to traditional materials. With a low embodied energy and minimal carbon impact, timber really is the most sustainable material. It is ecological, recyclable and biodegradable, which is why Vandecasteele Houtimport is implementing a strict sustainability policy in all its future actions
Every step Vandecasteele Houtimport takes, shows the dedication and passion of the company and its future goals. As the company strive to be the European market leader in the trading of the richest assortment of certified timber, exclusively sourced from well-managed certified forests, it is not going to be an easy journey, but it will most certainly be rewarding. With the goal of maximising the social, economic, and environmental value of timber, now and for future generations, Vandecasteele Houtimport is creating economical sustainable change in a world that needs it most.
20
Since the year 2000, Vandecasteele Houtimport has committed itself through the Corporate Sustainability Charter by signing up to environmental objectives exceeding applicable environmental legislation. In 2021, Vandecasteele Houtimport has achieved the Charter for the 20th time in a row, which makes Vandecasteele one of the few businesses who participated for 20 consecutive years and successfully completed the trajectory. All the initiatives are linked to the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). A good annual assessment ultimately yields an annual certificate of the Voka Sustainable Business Charter. When the final balance is positive after three years, and companies have elaborated at least one action in each SDG, companies receive the internationally recognised Unitar- SDG Pioneer certificate.
1 Vandecasteele Houtimport is the first timber company in the world to have obtained the Unitar- SDG Pioneer Award!
Contact www.vandecasteele.be
