Clarkson Evans - Connect 2017 - Issue 19

T C E N N CO E N I Z A G MA Changes at the top

Leading the field

Pride in the job Pa g e

Pa g e Pa g e

7 1 0 2

s8&9

s6&7

s4&5

SPARKING A RISE IN FEMALE ELECTRICIANS

The number of our female electricians and apprentices continues to soar Pages 16 & 17

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HELLO & WELCOME FROM NATHAN EVANS, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Hello and welcome to our latest edition of Connect Magazine. I know from talking to many of our customers that a lot of you look forward to delving into this magazine and catching up with the goings on at Clarkson Evans.

The big drive within our business this year has been to continue to improve the quality of the work we produce on site. You can see the results of our investment in a new quality auditing team reflected in the large numbers of NHBC Pride in the Job awards we’ve helped our customers win this year (pages 8 & 9).

If you want to discover more about the work of our regional quality managers catch up with a day in the life of Spencer Green (pages 18 & 19).

Our biggest challenge is attracting the next generation of team leaders to join the company. However with our in-house training facility and apprenticeship scheme flourishing, it’s a challenge we relish and are determined to overcome.

We’re especially pleased to be attracting larger numbers of female apprentices to join our team (pages 16 & 17).

From a personal point of view, this has been the year when Steve Evans (aka Dad) has chosen to take on the role of part-time chairman and hand me the reins as managing director. I’m hoping most of you will have found this a seamless transition, and I’d like to assure you that we remain passionately committed to maintaining the fantastic relationships and reputation we have secured in the house building industry. You can meet new members of our board of directors on pages 4 & 5.

Finally we really do appreciate all the work you put our way and will always strive to be the best contractor in the industry. We couldn’t achieve this without the hard work and effort of all our staff, many of whom are featured in this year’s magazine.

Nathan Evans

Managing Director

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OUR YEAR IN

NUMBERS

36 IN BUSINESS NEW 1 2

YEARS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

DIRECTORS

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PRIDE IN THE JOB for AWARDS

17,000

NEW HOMES

WIRED

9,280 LOAVES OF BREAD

EATEN FOR OUR FREE

ADDED TO OUR FLEET

HOMES

61 QUALIFYING

APPRENTICES

1

14 CUSTOMERS DIFFERENT

100 NEW VANS

WIRING FOR

RoSPA PRESIDENT’S

AWARD

FOR EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH AND SAFETY

FOR CHAIRMAN S T E V E E VA N S

STAFF BREAKFASTS

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NATIONAL HOUSING DEVELOPERS

50 VIDEO

KEEPING OUR STAFF UP-TO-DATE WITH COMPANY NEWS

NEWSLETTERS

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NEW BRANCHES 3

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Paula Bradshaw Finance Director

@ClarksonEvans

Tim Bisp

Commercial Director

Nathan Evans Managing Director

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Steve Evans Chairman

CHANGES AT THE TOP It’s been all change at the top of Clarkson Evans with the appointment of a new managing director and two new directors.

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Lindsey Young

HR & Training Director

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Simon Kingwell Production Director

Leigh Mason

Technical Director

Nathan Evans has taken over as MD from his father Steve Evans, who started the business 36 years ago.

Nathan joined the company as an 18-year-old apprentice in 1994. After qualifying as an electrician and running sites for a number of years as a team leader, he moved into an office-based commercial role and then business development before becoming production director in 2015.

Nathan’s latest promotion to managing director comes as his dad Steve Evans steps into the parttime role of chairman.

Darren Turley

Operations Director

Our former regional production manager for the South West, Simon Kingwell, has been promoted to the position of production director. Simon brings considerable experience to his new position, having worked in senior production roles for the past five years.

We’ve also welcomed Paula Bradshaw to the company as our new finance director. Paula did her accountancy training with Price Waterhouse Coopers and has since held a number of senior positions including group financial controller at SuperGroup plc – the company behind the hugely successful Superdry brand.

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LEADING THE We know that we have some of the most talented and motivated staff in the construction industry, so it is great when this is recognised by others.

Chairman Steve Evans was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Gloucestershire Business Awards for the part he has played in providing employment opportunities to more than a thousand electrical apprentices over the past 36 years. This special award is not open to nominations and instead the winner is selected by the judges from all the business people in the county.

On accepting his award, in front of more than 800 members of Gloucestershire’s business community, here’s what Steve said:

“I am most proud that we have been able to offer so much opportunity to so many young people. That’s what makes all the sacrifices of running a business worth it and it’s what makes me feel that I have achieved something worthwhile in my life.”

The company employed its first apprentice in 1983, and has since created more than a thousand apprenticeships for young people in Gloucestershire and across the country.

Former Oxford apprentice, now Team Leader Alex Pollard, was named the Cotswold Life Family Business Apprentice of the Year. Alex was so determined to join the team at Clarkson Evans that he wrote directly to Steve Evans to express his passion to become an electrician.

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Not only is Alex a first class electrician he has been a fantastic ambassador at various careers events across Oxfordshire, even returning to his former school to chat to students about his role.

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

FIELD

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As a company we strive for continuous improvement and want to be the best we can be in all aspects of our business

As a company we were thrilled to be among the handful of finalists at the PwC West of England Business of the Year Awards.

Although we were up against companies that were significantly larger than us, we were proud of how our business was presented on the night.

We received some really positive feedback from the judges, particularly about the quality of our apprenticeship training programme, and have already decided to enter the prestigious awards again in the future.

West of England Business Awards

Luke Hands, an apprentice vehicle technician in our vehicle workshop, was crowned Service Industries Apprentice of the Year at the Gloucestershire Apprenticeship Awards.

Twenty-one-year-old Luke is mature beyond his years and is a real asset to our vehicle workshop, understanding how his role impacts on the rest of the company. Nothing is too much trouble and he really recognises how having vans off the road affects our service delivery.

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PRIDE

IN THE

JOB

Regional Winner

First class workmanship is what helps us win repeat contracts from the UK’s top house builders year-on-year.

Team leaders have worked in partnership with site managers to achieve the best quality finish at first and second fix stage on all the 17,000 homes we’ve wired this year.

We receive regular feedback from our customers who tell us they wouldn’t want to work with any other electricians out on site and we are regularly asked to step in and take over sites from poorly performing contractors.

We’re proud to have helped our customers achieve recognition in the NHBC Pride in the Job awards again this year. The prestigious awards programme is a real pat on the back to everyone involved in achieving the highest standards in housebuilding.

The South West Regional Director for the NHBC, Jim Lyons, took time out of his busy schedule this year to talk directly to our sitebased staff about the role of the NHBC and how Clarkson Evans can continue to raise standards in the UK’s housebuilding industry.

He featured in our weekly staff video newsletter, congratulating our staff on the part they played in helping more than 50 site managers win awards this year.

With competition so fierce we understand that it’s often the little things that make a big difference.

NHBC South West Regional Director, Jim Lyons

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REGIONAL AWARD WINNERS 2016

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SUPREME AWARD 2015

Andy Addis, Lioncourt Homes and Dan Potter, Clarkson Evans Senior Team Leader

Dan Budworth, Clarkson Evans Site Supervisor and Kirk Raine, David Wilson Homes Mercia - Winner of a Supreme Award 2015

David Baggs, Croudace Homes and Ben Proctor, Clarkson Evans Senior Team Leader

Last year we helped Kirk Raine, from David Wilson Homes Mercia win a Supreme Award in the large builder category, a career highlight for any site manager.

Steve Northam, Taylor Wimpey, with Jack Hopkins, Clarkson Evans Team Leader and his team Paul McKeown and Jack Daniels and Chris Ahearne, Taylor Wimpey

52 Quality Awards 10 Seals of Excellence 3 Regional Awards 1 Overall Supreme Award We’ve invested in appointing three highly experienced regional quality managers to audit the work of our teams on site. Spencer Green, Matt Greener and James Smith were all time-served team leaders before being appointed to their current roles.

Now the trio spend their days auditing the work of our teams – with an impressive 350 audits being conducted each month across our branch network. See pages 18 & 19 for a day in the life of Spencer Green.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AREA MANAGER

AARON WELCH

Six years after joining Clarkson Evans as an apprentice, 27-year-old Aaron Welch has become our youngest ever area manager. The former Oxford area supervisor moved to Southampton this year to take up his latest challenge.

6.30am

bright and early and into the Southampton branch to meet “ Up everyone as they arrive. Kelly, our storeman, is already there and we have a quick catch up on material requirements. ”

7.10am

the day we show our weekly video “ Today’s newsletter to the teams before they head to site – it’s a great way of letting them know about staff changes and company news as well as technical updates and new site wins in the area. It’s the one time in the week when I can guarantee I’ll see everyone at the branch in the morning.

”

8am

up it’s a quick catch up with my “ Next Regional Production Manager Simon Jones.

We’re looking ahead to labour requirements on all our active sites and reviewing the progress of our apprentices. The future’s looking bright for the Southampton branch with lots of new work in the pipeline – good job we’re actively recruiting more staff for the branch at the moment.

”

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9.30am

out to site to catch up with a few teams. First up I drop in on Jon Tavener and his team at the Taylor Wimpey “ Now site in Eastleigh. Jon’s just relocated from our Cardiff branch. He’s doing a great job for us on the south coast. Sam Kirkwood, our Southampton Apprentice Ambassador is part of his team. He’s making excellent progress since he joined the company just over a year ago and is turning into a great sparky.

”

2pm

it’s a quick phone call to check “ Now final arrangements for a site meeting

“

11.45am Drop in on Site Manager Neil Hickman to check he’s happy with the lads’ work.

There’s a hive of activity on site at the moment with all the trades working together to meet the Christmas completion deadlines.

this afternoon. All the ‘internal’ trades are at the meeting and we confirm that we’ll play our part in making sure the new sales suite is powered up and fully functional for the grand opening on Saturday.

”

” 7pm

to catch up with my “ Pleased old boss, Oxford Area Manager James Smith, and some of my former Oxford apprentices at the Apprenticeship Presentation Evening tonight. James tells me that one of the Oxford apprentices, Liam Reddy, has already been promoted to a sub-team leader. Liam is a talented electrician and I’m sure he’ll fly through the ranks now he’s qualified.

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TRICKS AND TREATS

AT CELTIC MANOR More than 200 people joined us at the iconic Celtic Manor Resort for this year’s Clarkson Evans Golf Day. After the success of last year’s event we took over not one, but two championship courses, for a glorious autumn day of golf.

We also invited a number of female customers to join us for a relaxing spa day and beginner’s golf lesson, for those who had always fancied taking up the sport.

With bacon rolls for sustenance, our teams representing Barratt Homes, Bellway Homes, Bloor Homes, Bovis Homes, Cala Homes, Crest Nicholson, David Wilson Homes, Galliford Try, Linden Homes, Miller Homes, Persimmon Homes, Redrow, St Modwen and Taylor Wimpey, soon got into the swing of the day.

As always we tried not to take the golf too seriously. Despite this there were some impressive performances with the Bovis Northern team, made up of Chris Evans,

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Chris Wright, Paul Sewell and Ian Evans, being eventually crowned overall winning team.

Cala Quantity Surveyor Pauline Mahoney was also acknowledged by the golf pros at Celtic Manor as the woman with the most potential to pick up the game. See you on the first tee next year Pauline!

At the nineteenth hole we rounded off the day with a display by World Golf Trick Shot Champion Geoff Swain who entertained us with his breathtaking skill and comic delivery.

We’re already planning a return to Celtic Manor again in September next year so you can look forward to another fantastic day of golf.

A video of the day is now available on the Clarkson Evans’ YouTube channel and website.

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A full album of photos from the day is available on our facebook page /ClarksonEvans

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O U R

6 1 0 2 UAT ‘GRAD

ES’

APRIL 2016 We’ve had scores of apprentices qualify as electricians this year and have staged not one, but two Apprenticeship Presentation Evenings to celebrate the achievements of our newly-qualified staff.

Comedians Dominic Holland and Tony Hawks were our hosts for the Apprenticeship Presentation Evenings which saw a total of 43 electricians celebrate with their family and friends. It was not long after the evenings began that parents soon appreciated, if they didn’t already know, the exceptional talents of their offspring.

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Since qualifying many of our staff have bought their first homes, splashed out on new cars or planned long-awaited weddings. We’re thrilled that they are able to reap the rewards of their efforts and look forward to seeing them continue to grow and develop within the company in the months and years to come.

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NOVEMBER 2016

Chairman Steve Evans on stage with Managing Director Nathan Evans at the Apprenticeship Presentation Evening in November

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S PA R K I N G

FEMALE ELE Emma Clisby Former Ski Chalet Host now Team Leader, Southampton

Sarah Ridout

Hannah Barley

Former Admin Officer now Apprentice, Exeter

Former Waitress now Apprentice, Exeter

Dominique Paton Former NHS Call Handler now Apprentice, Oxford

K

Hayley Coleman Former Dental Nurse now Apprentice, Southampton

The number of our female electricians and apprentices has increased dramatically over the past 12 months.

Like their male counterparts, our site-based female staff come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Yet all have the same goal – to deliver a first class service to our customers.

Gloucester Team Leader Katie Boutcher is our longest-serving female electrician. She’s mentored a number of high-flying apprentices during her nine years with the company and is highly regarded as an experienced electrician who can be relied upon to get the job done.

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A RISE IN

ECTRICIANS

Katie Boutcher Former Baker now Team Leader, Gloucester

Sarah Bolger Former Sound Engineer now Electrician, Bracknell

Ashley Cross

Chelsey Doran

Former Forklift Truck Driver now Apprentice, Birmingham

Former Quantity Surveyor now Apprentice, Birmingham

Anee Kerry Former Hairdresser now Apprentice, Stafford

Birmingham Apprentice Chelsey Doran, who is just starting out in the industry, switched on her career as an electrician after being told she wasn’t strong enough to train as a carpet fitter. Funny that, as lifting drums of cable hasn’t proved to be a problem! Susan Burnikell (not shown in the photograph) is another female electrician who completed her apprenticeship with us. She has recently moved into the role of workshop technician within our training department.

We’ll continue to recruit the best people for the job – offering long-term career opportunities to those who demonstrate a passion for the trade and the determination to succeed.

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A D AY I N T H E L I F E O F REGIONAL QUALITY MANAGER

SPENCER GREEN Spencer Green is one of three regional quality managers working across our 17 branches, auditing the work of our site-based teams. A former team leader, Spencer knows what it’s like to be ‘on the tools’ and is using his experience to ensure we strive for continuous improvement in our work.

7.05am

at the Gloucester branch to catch up with Area Managers “Arrive Mark Fritchley and Chris Pike to let them know which electricians and team leaders I’ll be auditing today. In a typical week I’ll undertake around 20 audits to check work is up to the required standard.

”

7.45am

heading off to site to see the teams I check their last audit scores and “ Before the points where I feel they need to have made improvements. I’m like a mystery shopper in that our staff do not know I’m coming so that I see a true reflection of the quality of their work.

”

8.20am

background as a senior team leader gives “ My me credibility with our electricians as they know I’ve done their job in the past. possible I try to undertake a first fix, “ Wherever second fix, final fix and testing audit on the plots where the electrician is working so that I get a comprehensive picture of the quality of their work. Each audit can take up to an hour and covers all the areas that you’d expect. fix audits look at the quality of the clipping “ First and sheathing, cable installation and ducting as well as accessory box installations. Second fix audits check all sockets and switches, lighting, fans and smoke alarms as well as earthing and bonding and the consumer unit.

”

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12.20pm

always take time to feed “ We back to the electrician while we’re on site, pointing out not only the areas where they need to improve, but also what they’ve done well.

This is particularly important for our newly-qualified team leaders who want to continue to learn and improve what they do.

”

1.20pm

my second site of the day for more audits and it’s satisfying to see this electrician has really upped his “ Onto game from my previous feedback. Sockets and switches were neatly installed and level and fitted using the prescribed measurements. ”

Regional Quality Managers Matt Greener, James Smith and Spencer Green

3.30pm

it’s time for my quarterly catch up with Production Director Simon Kingwell and the other two Regional “Now Quality Managers James Smith and Matt Greener. Between us we cover the whole of the Clarkson Evans’ branch network, travelling around 800 miles a week. listen to customer feedback and work closely with our customer care teams to update our audit criteria. As a “We result of our meeting today the first fix audit item on TV cable installation has now been amended to cover the full length of the TV cable installation. From now on we’ll be checking that TV cables are free from tight bends and not being crushed by clips before being clipped up high in the loft and labelled.

”

5.15pm

off home after another satisfying day – two of the electricians that I’ve audited today have achieved “Heading 100 per cent scores and it’s been great to see how they have improved. I’m looking forward to seeing them featured on our weekly staff video newsletter and getting a pat on the back from their area manager. ” 19

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IT’S PARTY TIME As our company grows we’re committed to providing plenty of opportunities for our hardworking staff to get together and let their hair down.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS Last Christmas we had exclusive use of a Gloucestershire country hotel for our festive celebrations. More than 500 people danced the night away in our pop-up Zanzibar club room, tried to beat the dealer in our casino and took home photos to remember (or not!) from our photo booth.

CHRISTMAS

PARTY

More than 200 children, accompanied by their mums and dads, came along to our Children’s Christmas Party. There was face painting, a disco and most importantly the chance to meet Father Christmas who handed each youngster a personalised gift.

CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS

PARTY

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SUMMER PARTY

All pictures taken at our social events are available on our facebook page /ClarksonEvans

With the warmer nights of summer we moved south towards Bristol and enjoyed a relaxing get together with colleagues. Live band the Acoustic Rascals entertained the crowds and we broadcast a World Cup match for those who were interested in football, whilst others chatted outside around the cosy firepits.

SUMMER

PARTY

A DAY AT THE

RACES

We rounded off our sociable year when we made a return visit to Cheltenham Racecourse for the BetVictor Gold Cup Day.

A DAY AT THE RACES

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A D AY I N T H E L I F E O F T E A M L E A D E R

SEAN LUCE

More than 75% of our current team leaders are former apprentices and Bristol’s Sean Luce is no exception.

Six years after joining Clarkson Evans, Sean is a highly prized electrician who has just helped Barratt Homes Site Manager Paul Cromey win a Seal of Excellence in this year’s Pride in the Job Awards.

6.30am

quick spot of breakfast at the branch with my “ AApprentice Jack Ainsworth and Sub-Team Leader Alex Moran before we head off to site. It’s a great opportunity to brief them about our work schedule and to make sure they are firing on all cylinders for the day ahead.

”

6.45am

and Jack load the van with the materials needed for the “ Alex day before we head off to site. Everything’s pre-ordered for us to collect from the branch – so much easier than having to hang around at a wholesaler. Leaving before 7am means we beat the traffic and can get a full day’s work completed on site.

”

7.30am

in on site before I get the lads to unload the van while I “ Sign catch up with the site agent. I’m currently managing a team working on four different sites in and around the Bristol and Bridgwater areas so it’s important I plan ahead to meet build programme deadlines. I’ve worked with the site agents for a number of years now. I know how they tick and what’s important to them and I work hard at maintaining good relations with everyone on site.

”

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7.45am

got a first fix and second fix to complete today. I run “ We’ve a disciplined team and everyone understands the role they have to play to get work completed quickly and accurately.”

10.30am

the work of my team throughout the “ Idaycheck but not in a ‘Big Brother’ way. My goal is to give them tips so they can work more quickly but without cutting corners. They’re generally receptive to what I have to say and, just like when I was an apprentice, they know they’ve still got plenty to learn.

”

1.00pm

break for lunch and an opportunity to catch up with some of the other trades. Sites that run like clockwork are “ Quick those where there’s co-operation among all the trades so that we work together and don’t get in each other’s way. ”

1.30pm

to congratulate Site “ Time Manager Paul Cromey for winning his Seal of Excellence Award at this year’s Pride in the Job awards. Feeling pretty chuffed about this myself, knowing that my team and I played our part in Paul’s award win. is the first Seal of “ This Excellence I’ve helped to secure for a site manager.

Treating all the homes we wire as if they were my own has paid off.

”

2.00pm

on with more “Cracking second fix work during the afternoon. ”

5pm

any outstanding paperwork in the van on “Completing the way home as Alex drives back to branch. One last job before we clock out for the day and that’s booking out materials for tomorrow – you have to keep one step ahead in this game!

”

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Operations Director Darren Turley with Health and Safety Manager Matt Gilbank, receiving the President’s Award

THANK YOU

MR PRESIDENT! Our longstanding commitment to health and safety has helped us secure a highly prized award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

As RoSPA celebrated its diamond anniversary we achieved the President’s Award (for 10 consecutive Golds) as part of the charity’s acclaimed annual awards scheme.

Judges considered our occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

We take our health and safety responsibilities extremely seriously and it is a huge honour for us to have achieved the President’s Award.

Several of our customers also acknowledged our record of first class health and safety. We’d like to thank Barratt/David Wilson Exeter and Barratt Bristol for their recent awards.

Accident prevention initiatives continue to be developed by the team. Cut proof gloves are now routinely available to our electricians after it was identified that hand injuries were a higher risk on site.

Our overnight drivers, who deliver materials to our regional branches,

Our health and safety team has been bolstered this year with the appointment of Health and Safety Officer Mick Mulraney who works alongside Health and Safety Manager Matt Gilbank.

Mick’s appointment has meant the duo has been able to complete significantly more site safety audits this year – a 200 per cent increase on those undertaken in 2015.

Production Director Simon Kingwell (left) and Managing Director Nathan Evans with the Health and Safety Award from Barratt Bristol

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are now issued with personal safety alarms, should they feel threatened.

Fortnightly toolbox talks, delivered by video, are also helping to get health and safety messages to our teams.

Matt and Mick have other exciting plans to improve health and safety in 2017 – so watch this space!

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Crawley MP Henry Smith on site with Emma Clisby, George Francis and Sean Farmer

FLYING THE FLAG FOR APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING IN CRAWLEY

Crawley MP Henry Smith donned a hard hat and high visibility jacket to meet our apprentices on site in West Sussex.

We invited Mr Smith to meet some of our apprentices in a bid to raise the profile of our apprenticeship opportunities in the county.

Our HR and Training Director Lindsey Young chatted to Mr Smith about the apprenticeship programme and our recruitment plans in the Crawley area.

Mr Smith met former apprentices, now team leaders Emma Clisby and George Francis, as well as apprentice Sean Farmer at the Persimmon Homes’ Forge Wood site in Crawley.

Mr Smith pledged to signpost potential new recruits to the company and was impressed by the confidence and skills of our staff.

Mr Smith’s visit came after we were named a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer at the National Apprenticeship Awards – the only electrical contractor named within this prestigious list.

Our reputation for delivering excellent apprenticeship training resulted in our HR and Training Director Lindsey Young being invited to attend a special reception at 10 Downing Street.

Lindsey flew the flag for Gloucestershire and the construction industry, rubbing shoulders with national heavyweights such as Sainsbury’s, BAE Systems, Deloitte and the Adecco Group.

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DIGGING DEEP FOR

CHARITY You can always count on staff from Clarkson Evans to don fancy dress or eat cake until we’re full – all in the name of charity of course!

This year we’ve walked, run, cycled, dug, brewed, baked, decluttered and donated for ten different charities.

A post-Christmas clear out kicked off our fundraising year with staff having a New Year declutter for the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice. More than 30 bags of pre-loved clothes and unwanted gifts were donated to the charity.

Friends and relatives of staff have been cared for at Leckhampton Court and so there was a genuine willingness to support the hospice.

We put our backs into our charity efforts this year when we donned wellies and gardening gloves to revamp some overgrown allotments managed

by CCP – a Midlands-based charity that supports vulnerable families and young homeless people.

The weather was kind to us as we dismantled sheds, dug, weeded and planted new crops to transform the space. At Christmas we supported the charity again by donating food to its Hamper Scamper Appeal for disadvantaged families.

In September we supported one of our customers Redrow West Country, when they hosted an ambitious running, walking and cycling charity challenge. Seven members of staff from Clarkson Evans took part in the charity extravaganza, completing either a 5km run or a gruelling halfmarathon. The Charity Challenge, in aid of Get Changed and Devon Freewheelers, generated £8,000 through sponsorship and donations.

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Gemma Martin, Meghan Jackson, Tracy Jackson Olivia Hughes, Emma Duncombe, Lesley Thomas, Rachel Vale and Becky Merryweather, eight members of our finance team and customer care teams, ran the length of the runway at Gloucestershire Airport to raise money for Clic Sargent. The team generated an impressive £1,200 for the children’s cancer charity.

We have so many talented bakers that Channel 4 need look no further for a replacement for Mary Berry on the Great British Bake Off! While our staff waited for a call from the TV producers they created mouthwatering sweet treats as part of the World’s Largest Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer Support. The coffee morning, which was co-ordinated by Customer Care Administrator Georgina Green, raised £1,000 for the charity.

Our third year of raising money for Children in Need was a great success. Staff got into the spirit of the day by ditching their suits and dressing up in fancy dress instead. As a result Fred Flintstone, Henry VIII, the whole cast of Grease, Scooby-Doo and an excitable colony of penguins took over our Anson office!

The event was organised by Commercial Director Tim Bisp, ably supported by Assistant Customer Care Manager Lucy Workman. Star Baker awards were presented to Commercial Accounts Controller Becky Wood and HR Administrator Jo Drinkwater, while Quantity Surveyor Richard Shortman won the penalty shoot-out competition.

“It’s such a great morale boost, and although work is still key on the day, people have fun by dressing up, baking cakes and even taking part in a penalty shoot-out competition,” said Tim. Thanks to everyone’s generosity a total of £3,000 was raised for the children’s charity.

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B E A T I N G

Despite the predicted doom and gloom in the housebuilding industry we’ve had an impressive year with work projections bucking post-Brexit expectations.

Repeat business from our longstanding customers continues to fuel our success and we’ve opened new branches to help meet demand.

With our area of operations reaching further north west we’ve strengthened our branch network with the opening of our new base in Telford. We’ve already recruited two apprentices in the area and have ambitious plans going forward.

STAFFORD TELFORD BIRMINGHAM

Work in South Wales continues to grow so we have invested in replacing our old branch in Newport with significantly larger premises in Cardiff. The new branch is more centrally located, with better transport links to reach sites across the region.

MILTON KEYNES GLOUCESTER (HQ)

With the demand for new homes in Oxfordshire continuing to grow we were bursting at the seams at our Oxford branch and have been actively searching for new premises in the county for more than 18 months. Our new branch in Cowley will now be more than twice the size of our former base and our teams were excited to move in.

Further expansion into the East Midlands is on the cards for 2017 as we continue to win work from customers in that region.

NEWQUAY

CARDIFF BRISTOL

BRACKNELL

TROWBRIDGE BARNSTAPLE BRIDGWATER SOUTHAMPTON EXETER PLYMOUTH

Left to Right - Production Director Simon Kingwell, Oxford Area Manager James Smith, Oxford Area Supervisor Liam Brookbanks and Regional Production Manager Mark Moore at the new Oxford branch

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OXFORD

CRAWLEY

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2017

IN THE FRAME FOR BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIPS We believe that framework agreements are beneficial to both housebuilders and their sub-contractors and we are delighted that more and more of our customers are keen to enter into such long-term arrangements with us.

We currently have a number of framework agreements spanning our branch network. For us we have the security of knowing what work is coming down the track which allows us to plan our apprenticeship recruitment programme and other resources accordingly. Long-term relationships of this kind lead to genuine partnership working so that we can deliver continuous improvement in all that we do.

But don’t take our word for the benefits of framework agreements. Here’s Alan Bray, Group Commercial Director for Bovis Homes, to explain why his company works with Clarkson Evans in this way.

“We have enjoyed the benefit of partnering agreements with Clarkson Evans since setting up our South-West region in 2013 and this has since been extended to our Western region. These agreements ensure that we benefit from the best commercial terms while our production teams know there’s a commitment to meeting our demanding build

programmes and to helping us achieve high standards of customer service,” said Alan.

“Clarkson Evans is well-known throughout the industry as a leading sub-contractor and our partnering agreement has built on the already excellent relationship between our two companies. We remain highly motivated to work together for the foreseeable future,” he added.

Clarkson Evans Commercial Director Tim Bisp who has been instrumental in setting up our various framework agreements commented “My commercial team really appreciate the close relationship we have forged with Alan and his team and likewise with other Bovis regions along with various Linden Homes and Crest Nicholson offices where we have similar frameworks set up. These deals really are win-win and I’d be more than happy to have an informal chat with any customers who’d like to find out more.”

Left to Right - Managing Director Nathan Evans, Bovis Group Procurement Manager Nigel Tompset, Commercial Director Tim Bisp and Bovis Group Commercial Director Alan Bray

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We used National Apprenticeship Week as a springboard to promote our award-winning apprenticeship training.

All staff were encouraged to send in photos holding signs pledging their support for the week to share on social media and with the local press.

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www.clarksonevans.co.uk

In addition we worked in partnership with the Cabinet Office South West to produce a video showcasing Exeter Apprentice Oliver Lawrence.

Throughout the week our apprenticeship and marketing teams, supported by local site-based staff, attended scores of promotional events, including the first ever National Apprenticeship Show, held at the MK Arena in Milton Keynes. As a direct result of the show we recruited two new apprentices, Ben Carter and Devon Roberts, who have since joined our team in Milton Keynes.

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2017

In the South West, Plymouth Apprentice Ambassador Lewis Bennett and other local staff helped to promote our apprenticeship opportunities at the Skills South West Show in Plymouth. The show helped to cement our relationship with Building Plymouth, a consortium established to promote local careers in the construction industry.

We are already planning our National Apprenticeship Week activities for next year and will be highlighting the success that our former apprentices have achieved within our company.

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Clarkson Evans | Connect 2017

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