Construction & Civil Engineering Issue 131 September 2016

www.ccemagazine.com

ISSUE 131 SEPTEMBER

plan Water

A new groundwater management system at London Luton Airport includes a versatile SuDS solution See page 2

Keep safe

Battersea Power Station project uses wireless fire alarm system

Park life

Research reveals a park view adds almost a fifth to property value

Big Smile

Structure designed to highlight value of hardwood CLT

contents Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

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Art Editor Gerard Roadley-Battin Production Manager Fleur Daniels Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Josh Younespour Operations Director Philip Monument Research Manager Laura Thompson

2 Cover story

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Editorial Researchers Mark Cowles Alasdair Gamble Jeff Goldenberg Natalie Griffiths Tarjinder Kaur D’Silva Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Sales David King Mark Cawston Rob Wagner

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Production/ Office Manager Tracy Chynoweth

FEATURES

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2 Energy Efficiency A new groundwater management system at London Luton Airport features a SuDS system to handle surface water run off

6 University buildings Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1603 274130 Fax: +44 (0)1603 274131 www.ccemagazine.com

A collaborative approach was essential to the success of a refurbishment project at the University of Sunderland Sciences Complex

30 company profiles

@cce_magazine

Š 2016 Schofield Publishing Ltd

20 Gatwick Airport 24 Stanton Bonna Concrete 27 Howarth Windows 30 CEMEX Building Products 35 GECO Mechanical & Electrical 39 Lambert CE 42 Alumno Developments 45 Monodraught 48 Ardent Hire

10 News Updates and information from the construction and civil engineering market

12 Patience, preparation and planning Utility procurement can be regarded as a black art but as long as a sensible strategy is taken, risk can be mitigated

14 Lighting New schemes exist that use projected energy savings to finance new lighting installations

16 Health and safety The benefits of creating a health and safety culture are obvious to John McCann. He uses his own company to illustrate

Please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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WATER MANAGEMENT

plan Water

London Luton Airport has installed a ground breaking new water management system as part of its ÂŁ110 million expansion and redevelopment programme

L

ondon Luton Airport is the first establishment in the UK to be equipped with ground breaking new stormwater treatment equipment, which is set to transform the way in which airports, and indeed all other major infrastructure projects, are able to manage surface water runoff.

SuDS best practice Sustainable urban drainage systems, or SuDS, are now considered best practice to

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maximise the many benefits of surface water management, specifically the ways in which water quantity and quality, biodiversity and amenity can be managed together. Through recognising surface water as a valuable resource that can be harnessed, rather than solely as a problem that must be dealt with, SuDS provide real benefits to society and the

Framework Directive (WFD), 2010 Water Management Act and River Basin Act, has placed increasing importance on the ability of SuDS to achieve prescribed Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) on water quality. Over the course of the next ten years, the UK Government has put in place milestones by which a series of stringent EQS requirements

environment, as well as helping to safeguard against flooding from storm events.

More recent legislative policy, including the 2015 Water

should be met. Latest SuDS guidance requires planners to incorporate the management of water quality into their designs, through specifying proprietary

devices that enable proactive scheduled maintenance to be carried out.

To date, the primary response to these water quality demands has been to integrate into a ‘stormwater management system’ a series of mechanisms, which collectively fulfil a controlled sequence of water collection, treatment, storage and release practices. Above ground, water capture devices such as swales, ponds and wetlands, that provide both enhanced visual appeal and ecological benefits, are combined with underground devices that can further treat, store and control the flow and release of excess water volume to prevent flooding at the surface.

In its latest ‘SuDS Manual (C753)’, the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) recommends the use of such devices in their capacity to limit the amount of silts and attached pollutants from building up in the upper layers of the SuDS system and to mitigate against the ability of pollutant bioaccumulations to remobilise in the event of a surge of water, for example after a torrential downpour.

CIRIA has defined a risk assessment procedure whereby the designer of the water management system will assign risk levels of pollution, which are set according to key criteria such as the type of site into which the system will be installed and the sensitivity of the receiving waters; similarly, each SuDS device will be assigned a mitigation factor. The sum total figure of pollution risks should then be measured against the sum total mitigation figure in order to define the series of devices required. This is the first time that guidance has stipulated the use of proprietary SuDS devices on their own to address

and remedy water quality issues.

However, as standards for these devices have not yet been defined and published in the UK, the Environment Agency recommends that their performance is verified against standards which are already widely used in the United States, in the form of the New Jersey ‘CAT/DEP’ and European ‘DIBt’ protocols.

NJCAT, NJDEP and DIBt The New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology (NJCAT) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) respectively provide a verification and certification process, based on particulate removal rates, for technologies used in the treatment of stormwater in order to meet the legislature and the regulatory requirements of the State of New Jersey, USA. DIBt (Deutsches Institut fuer Bautechnik) is the German Approval body that grants technical approvals for non-regulated construction products and types of construction.

SDS SuDS Last year, SDS launched a range of water separation and filtration devices that have been tested and approved at both NJDEP and NJCAT levels.

Most notably, these devices are largely of high strength HDPE plastic construction, thereby providing a lightweight and low cost alternative to the concrete devices, which until now have been the only option available. In the UK, therefore, SDS’s Aqua-Swirl Separator is unique in achieving NJDEP field certification, having been proven to achieve reliable and sustainable performance through both field and laboratory based testing programmes.

Luton Airport surface water drainage strategy As part of its long term surface water drainage strategy defined in September 2014, London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAOL) commissioned Veolia Water Projects Ltd, supported

by Mott MacDonald, to develop a surface water management strategy which would address the prerequisites to achieve planning consent for the airport’s further expansion.

LLAOL has subsequently embarked on a systematic programme of facilities and services development that ensures the Airport is able to comply with all current and anticipated future environmental regulations; this will prevent surface water and groundwater pollution in accordance with the objectives of the Luton Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

Data collected from water quality monitoring conducted at the Airport between 2005 and 2012 identified the main pollution risks from the Airport as oil spills and de-icing chemicals, for which oil interceptors and first flush drainage systems were considered the most appropriate pollution mitigation assets.

As well as providing storage and flow balancing to deal with contaminated surface water runoff, the Airport’s drainage scheme also includes methods to manage acute and chronic pollution events and techniques to continuously monitor the quality and quantity of surface water runoff from all points of discharge to either groundwater or surface waters.

The measures that have been adopted are based on sustainable mitigation, which balances environmental, social and economic factors. Hazardous substances are

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WATER MANAGEMENT

Luton Airport new SuDS system

prevented from entering controlled waters, whilst non-hazardous substances may enter but should not cause pollution.

The water resource receptors, into which any contaminated surface water may flow, are identified as Luton Hoo Lake (via

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a Thames Water surface water sewer) and the River Lea, to which UK/EU Environmental Quality Standards have been applied, along with an underlying Principal Chalk aquifer which is monitored against UK Drinking Water Standards for Groundwater.

Phase 1 of the Airport’s new development programme has included the resurfacing and expansion of car parking areas, extensions to buildings and the construction of a new dual carriageway.

In addition to a known flooding problem that already existed on Airport Way, which provides main access to and from the airport, the main impact of this first phase of development has been the increased risk of flooding caused by multiple new impermeable areas, due in the main to a new road layout and the construction of a second carriageway. The removal of preexisting soakaways, installation of additional piping and the diversion of manholes required that a new SuDS system should not only prevent the increased risk of flooding but also protect habitat and amenity by improving water quality.

In late April 2016 SDS installed a new SuDS system to handle surface water runoff from Luton Airport’s extended medium term car park. Five SDS GEOlight attenuation tanks have the combined capacity to store up to 4277 cubic metres of water which has first been cleansed by each of two SDS AquaSwirl hydro dynamic vortex separators, designed to remove approximately 90 to 95 per cent of the total pollutants in the surface water runoff volume.

The system has been designed to series 500 of the specification for highways works and sewers for adoption and follows engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald’s flood risk design for a 1:100 year storm event including an allowance for an additional 20 per cent due to climate change.

Surface water drainage is managed in accordance with the ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ (‘DMRB’), the ‘Manual of Contract Documents for Highways

Works’ (‘MCHW’) and ‘Sewers for Adoption Seventh Edition’.

Future publications of ‘DMRB’ will recommend SDS Aqua-Swirl as the first water treatment system of choice.

How does SDS Aqua-Swirl work?

SDS Aqua-Swirl separators use gravitational forces to separate out of suspension a diverse range of particulates that are typically found in surface water runoff, in the process removing attached pollutants such as free floating oil, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Inspection chambers provide direct access from the surface to the sediment and oils that accumulate in the reservoir enabling their simple and effective long-term maintenance.

Benefits of SDS Aqua-Swirl As well as providing the site with essential control over water quality, of particular benefit to the infrastructure drainage contractor, Whitemountain, has been the robust build and light weight of the SDS Aqua-Swirl treatment device which could be lifted and manoeuvred easily into position by excavation plant that was already in use on site and without the need for heavy machinery. Site Engineer at Whitemountain, Brian

Fegan, explains: “The installation of a system comprising a device of concrete construction, until now our only option, would have required the use of a 350 tonne crane and most likely, due to the massive inconvenience not just to us but to the airport and local road network, would not have been feasible at all. The Aqua-Swirl’s versatility meant that we could design the devices for the specific requirements of this site, without the need for any bends in piping, whilst their inherent strength allowed us to save on time and cost through not requiring a concrete surround.

Their compact size and small footprint, together with the lifting supports and straps provided, meant installation was very quick and simple and final placement could be done manually; we needed only a single day in which to dig, position, connect up and back fill.”

Additional benefits of SuDS system An additional benefit of the SuDS system has been the reduction, to a great extent, in the frequency and volume of the flooding that occurred in the neighbouring Airport Way underpass. Whilst the flooding hazard for both carriageways continues to remain categorised as ‘significant’ for a one in 100 year storm event, the severity of flooding across the access route in a 30 year event has been reduced to the category of ‘moderate’ for one carriageway whilst, for a one in ten year event, the second carriageway is deemed entirely clear. Furthermore, for all return periods the hazard remains in place for a maximum of only two hours, thereby significantly reducing the duration of restricted access, whilst the installation of a pump, which is able to transfer flows to the SDS GEOlight tanks, ensures that emergency access can still be gained at all times.

Future SuDS developments Sufficient capacity exists within the underground storage facility landside to accommodate excess airside surface water runoff, the first flush of which will be highly contaminated with substances such as de-icing chemicals and will be diverted to the Thames Water foul system for treatment.

Whilst airside and landside runoff have more typically been considered two entirely separate wastewater streams, LLAOL is developing plans to manage holistically all sources of surface water, including the control of their dispersal, in the most environmentally friendly/ ecologically conscious way.

About SDS Widely acknowledged as the UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of SuDS, SDS specialises in engineering innovative and cost-effective water management systems and equipment that enable the efficient control, treatment, storage and distribution of water within the storm-, waste- and industrial coolingwater industries.

The company’s expertise lies in delivering water management solutions that recognise both the value and the problems that water can bring, whilst ensuring compliance with legislation and accordance with policy.

For more information, please see

www.sdslimited.com About London Luton Airport London Luton Airport is the UK’s fifth largest airport carrying over 12 million passengers in 2015, an increase of almost 17 per cent on the previous year. £110 million has been invested over the next five years to improve access and passenger facilities both inside and outside the terminal, including rail shuttle bus connections and new and upgraded car parks. This expansion will create circa 10,500 new jobs over the next 15 years and see passenger volumes rise to 18 million. At its current rate of growth, the Airport, which already supports £1.3 billion of economic activity and 27,000 jobs, is anticipated to contribute £2.3 billion to the economy by 2030.

For more information, please see

www.london-luton.co.uk

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university buildings

An exact

science Paul Gouland uses a university project to reveal the benefits of a collaborative approach

T

he second phase of major refurbishment at the University of Sunderland Sciences Complex has demonstrated how collaboration between a forward looking client, an innovative design team and a committed contractor can achieve significant improvements in timescales and building performance to embrace funding opportunities and deliver a highly successful outcome.

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On the face of it phase two of the University of Sunderland project, a second major segment of works to the existing Science Complex, was a relatively standard refurbishment development.

However, when a significant funding opportunity arose at very short notice, the University had to rethink its design and procurement strategies to ensure the funding could be utilised in just 14 months. A major challenge for any construction project.

As a forward-thinking University, with a reputation for a high quality

of teaching, the University of Sunderland wanted to develop an internationally recognised science facility to provide modern, wellequipped facilities to support high quality teaching and learning.

As a result, significant investment was made in the City Campus to build a new Science Complex which would attract high calibre students not only from the UK but across the world. The new Science Complex, comprising state-of-the-art laboratories, research facilities and a ‘living lab’ consisting of a hospital training

elements of the client body. For the University of Sunderland’s Science Complex this was certainly the case.

To meet the challenges of the rapid programme, which required the works to be completed in just 14 months following the award of HEFCE STEM funding, The University of Sunderland, Clugston Construction, Identity Consult and Faulkner Brown Architects adopted a collaborative approach to reduce timescales, meet deadlines and improve on the outputs from phase one.

Established consultant and contractor frameworks enabled a design and construction team to be mobilised in January 2015,

ward, point of care centre, a high-fidelity simulation suite, examination rooms, a pharmacy, together with teaching hubs, training rooms, seminar rooms and staff offices, required significant planning to ensure it could be delivered on time and within budget.

Designed by Faulkner Brown Architects and built by Clugston Construction – the sole contractor to the University of Sunderland’s Major Capital Contractor Framework – phase two which began in January 2015 and was

completed in June 2016, involved the design and formation of a new entrance to the existing four storey building, as well as the refurbishment of the existing 3,000m2 Science Building to improve laboratories, classrooms and circulation spaces to maximise existing teaching spaces.

Against the clock For university projects, the achievement of a cost, time and quality balance is particularly challenging, as different aspects will be important to different

however it was soon realised that the project could only be delivered within the HEFCE spend profile if construction commenced in June 2015 – a design and procurement period of just five months.

Despite such time limitations, excellent stakeholder engagement processes developed in phase one ensured a programme could be developed – with the project delivered in three key sub-phases.

Such thorough planning enabled works on each sub-phase to commence, whilst planning was still taking place for the subsequent portion of work. A key example of this in practice was the construction of the teaching labs and office space.

By working closely with the University’s Framework Contractor Clugston, the University was able to instruct the company to commence the teaching and research labs and office space whilst the design and contract sum for the clinical laboratory areas were still being developed and agreed. This meant the challenging timescales were met ahead of schedule.

Environmental impact As well as tight delivery timescales, practical

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university buildings

considerations in terms of sustainability also had to be taken into account. Delivering a sustainable facility was a key client objective, along with reducing future maintenance costs and energy efficiency.

Whilst refurbishment projects are challenging with regard to sustainability improvements, the University, design team and Clugston strived to minimise the environmental impact during the build and also for the future operations of the facility.

By opting for a refurbishment rather than introducing a new build, the University was able to minimise the impact on landfill by limiting the demolition required and therefore demolition waste created. Clugston was able to redevelop and modernise existing facilities, creating buildings that were designed to be as flexible and space efficient as possible.

The University set a stringent carbon reduction target of 48 per cent by 2021 and so the role of construction projects in meeting this target was vital. This second phase of refurbishment to the Sciences Complex has made significant contributions in

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meeting this target.

Refurbishment enabled the energy and carbon already embodied in the building to be extended across a longer period, as opposed to the significant additional energy and carbon embodied in a new build.

Efficient lighting, plant and equipment was also specified throughout the project to maximise the energy efficiency of the building on completion. Such planned specification was particularly

important for the laboratories within the Science Complex.

As laboratories are one of the worst offenders in terms of high energy consumption and carbon generation, special focus and planning had to go into this element of the Science Complex. The installation of new fume cupboards, ventilation and lighting helped achieve significant reductions in both energy and carbon emissions, ensuring the laboratories remained in-line with

the University’s green ambitions.

Whilst the introduction of new ways of working for the academic offices have helped to improve both utilisation through greater flexibility, as well as increased spatial efficiency reducing the area per workstation substantially from 11m2/person to 7m2/person.

Meeting the challenge The construction and refurbishment of Universities can pose significant challenges for

the institutions and construction companies alike. However, at the University of Sunderland, Clugston Construction have demonstrated how a collaborative approach can help deliver projects to record timescales, on time and on budget.

In fact, such was the impact of the collaborative approach and forward planning, that construction periods were reduced by 40 per cent, significantly decreasing the level of disruption on campus.

Paul Gouland is marketing director at Clugston Construction. Clugston Construction is part of the privately owned Clugston Group, a ÂŁ150 million turnover company that specialises in construction, distribution services, property development, and facilities management.

Clugston Construction operates nationally from its headquarters in Scunthorpe and regional offices in Stockton-on-Tees, Leeds and Bromsgrove.

For more information, please see

www.clugston.co.uk

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news

Keep safe Bull Products’ Cygnus wireless fire alarm system has been selected for use during the re-development of one of London’s major landmarks, Battersea Power Station. The Grade II listed building designed in the 1930s by Sir Giles Gilbert-Scott was decommissioned in 1983 and is now subject to an £8 billion re-development within 42 acres of former industrial land.

Phase 2 of the development involves the iconic power station building itself, where no less than 150 Cygnus wireless alarm systems are installed to ensure a safe environment for construction workers on site. With the project at groundwork stage and nearly all of the internals demolished, the Cygnus wireless alarm system is there to protect workers in the old wash towers, on ground levels and around all the pedestrian walkways.

Intended purely for use on construction sites, the CE marked Cygnus system has been specifically designed for use in dense concrete and steel structured buildings and areas where there are many other radio frequencies in operation, and so particular attention has been given to achieving an impressive connection range. Where there are multiple sites within range of each other, the Cygnus system has been designed to operate on different site addresses in order to keep each system separate and free from interference.

Dynamic plans Two decades is a long time yet that’s not how it felt for Maurice Moreton during his time as Sales Director at Dickies workwear specialist. Following a triumphant 2016 at Dickies, in early August Maurice retired on a high and handed over the reins to his successor Rob Haines.

Rob brings with him a wealth of experience - he started his career selling tools to end users, and also worked for six years previously at Dickies. Maurice kept an eye on the young entrepreneur and he was enticed back into Dickies fold as regional sales manager. Within two years he was promoted to director to prepare him for his new role as Sales Director. His wider remit incorporates far reaching sales strategies for the sales division.

“I am delighted to have been appointed Sales Director and cannot wait to expand into the UK market and am looking to move into new areas. We have some dynamic plans currently being put into action - so watch this space,” said Rob.

Range of services

Big Smile The American Hardwood Export Council has collaborated with Alison Brooks Architects, Arup and the London Design Festival to present a cross-laminated tulipwood structure on the Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground of The Chelsea College Of Arts from 17 September Until 12 October.

Brooks has designed ‘The Smile’, an urban installation that showcases the structural and spatial potential of cross-laminated hardwood using american tulipwood. The Smile is one of the Festival’s Landmark Projects; a timber structure that can be inhabited and explored by the public.

With expertise from top engineering firm Arup, and using construction sized panels of hardwood CLT for the first time, Alison Brooks’ concept is a spectacular 3.5m high, 4.5m wide and 34m long Curved rectangular tube – the first ever hardwood ‘mega-tube’.

All four sides of The Smile’s interior will be made of the same beautiful hardwood panels as the structure. It will offer a complete sensory experience of colour, texture, scent and sound. The Smile is one of the most important developments in a decade of research and development into structural timber innovation with Arup, and one that could broaden the use of CLT in the construction industry.

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Scape Group, the public sector owned built environment specialist, has appointed Perfect Circle – a consortium comprising Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM – to lead its new National Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework.

This is the first time a joint venture has been appointed by Scape and the three partners will work together, supported by an extensive local supply chain, to deliver vital public sector projects. Worth £350 million over four years, the BECS framework offers the broadest range of consultancy services available to the public sector.

In brief £1.2 billion Raises the roof Spaciotempo, the only temporary building provider to manufacture its own structures, has launched Oxygen, the new product offering in its family of temporary structures, characterised by a stylish curved roof profile. It combines high-end aesthetics with robust construction.

Scott Jameson, Managing Director at Spaciotempo, commented: “With the UK currently facing a nationwide shortage of warehouse space, we are finding that more and more businesses, while seeking a costeffective solution to their need for extra space, are not wanting to compromise on quality. As a result, many have the brief, which combines the need for extra space, together with the look and feel of a permanent structure.

“This is especially the case with more established logistics brands. Many well-respected and established businesses, particularly those that open up warehouses to third party integrators, are keen for their temporary structures to adopt the same aesthetics as a permanent build, but without the high costs and installation time associated with permanent options. Oxygen offers the best of both worlds, meaning businesses can take advantage of premium temporary structures, which complement their existing buildings. And because Oxygen is available on any size structure, up to an eight metre leg it delivers massively both in aesthetics, capacity and durability.”

Game changer ebb3, in partnership with Cisco, NVIDIA, NetApp, APC, Microsoft and Citrix, has launched the High Performance Virtual Computer (HPVC), an innovation in virtualisation for 3D software applications.

The HPVC offers a cloud-based platform for 3D software, enabling multiple professionals to collaborate remotely over long distances and on any device.

Andy Bowker, ebb3’s executive founder, comments: “Before now, architects using 3D graphical software like Autodesk Maya were confined to a workstation in a fixed location.

We designed the HPVC to push new boundaries, making it possible to deliver 3D graphics to 4K screens, and to give access to 3D graphical applications smoothly and seamlessly, wherever there’s an internet connection.”

The HPVC was developed by Andy Bowker with co-founders Ben Jones, Mark Vickers, Simon Cottrell, Paul Williams and Chris Brassington when they identified multiple challenges faced by companies using 3D visualisation applications. ebb3’s ‘A Team’ are experienced technology innovators and entrepreneurs. They have held senior positions at Cisco, HP, BT, NCR and Capgemini, and have worked on infrastructure projects such as The London Olympics.

Co-founder Bowker comments: “With the HPVC, architects can show prospective clients 3D wireframe models on an iPad instead of a printout, or collaborate on a project while one partner is in London and one is at a conference in Las Vegas, without the lag or performance issues of physical workstations or legacy virtualisation solutions. This is a game changer for the industry.”

Gatwick Airport has announced the contractors that have been awarded agreements within its low and medium complexity frameworks to deliver construction and engineering projects as part of the new Capital Investment Programme over the next five years. The new CIP has an additional £200 million attached to it, bringing the five-year projected spend to £1.2 billion up to 2021.

Park life A room with a view – a park view - adds almost a fifth or close to £41,000, to the average value of a property, according to new research from HouseSimple.com. Top of the tree is Priory Park in Southend-on-Sea, with the value of property close to or overlooking the park, 165 per cent or £444,177 more expensive than the average property price for the town.

And as you might expect, buyers will pay a substantial premium of 85 per cent to buy a property in the streets surrounding London’s Hyde Park!

Full member Aggregate Industries has become the first construction materials producer and supplier to achieve full national membership status of Constructing Excellence, the organisation charged with driving the change agenda in the construction industry.

As a fully-fledged member, Aggregate Industries will play an important role in helping Constructing Excellence achieve its aim of improving industry performance in order to create a better built environment.

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IT

Patience, preparation and planning

Jason Horner discusses de-risking the black art of utility procurement

P

rocuring services for large construction projects, whether it’s water, gas, electricity, heating/cooling or voice/data/video services, is a delicately balanced process.

Often projects require the removal or alteration of existing utility services as part of an early or enabling works contract before new services can be installed, which needs to be done according to a clearly defined series of activities. Getting the process wrong can be costly and lead to long delays.

It is fair to say that most developers, contractors, engineering and M&E practices are now aware of the wider utility connections marketplace; a supposed panacea where accredited contractors are appointed as nominated subcontractors to design and install water, gas and electricity services, which are then adopted by utility companies. In this setup, developers don’t often deal with utility companies directly

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except when they purchase the completed utility networks from the developer, significantly reducing their financial contribution.

The independent utility connections marketplace is not quite as progressive. Yes, Lloyds Accredited single and multi-utility contractors can design and install new utility networks; yes, these single and multi-utility contractors can, to a small degree, get involved in wider design team coordination; yes, these contractors are typically more flexible in the programming of works; and yes, these utility contractors can typically offer – through the adopting network operator – a capital contribution toward the cost of the new infrastructure.

However, as in all aspects of our businesses, there are different products available for different types of project and the same can be said for utilities and infrastructure procurement. You need to find the right one.

For example, a large commercial project such as the extension

of a major retail destination such as Intu’s Lakeside, would significantly benefit from the early engagement of a Lloydsaccredited single or multi-utility design and build contractor because of the likelihood of having to integrate substations, switchrooms and meter rooms into the architect’s vision. The network operator will also ultimately have to adopt plant and agree non-standard leases for substations and switchrooms.

The procurement of a suitable service provider should start as soon as the developer or principle contractor has a concept design in place to ensure that the detail design of plant rooms and containment systems is right first time.

Alternatively, the delivery of new water, gas, electricity and fibre connections on large multiphase urban extension projects typically delivered by a consortia of volume house-builders, will invariably benefit from the early development of a utilities strategy. This is partly because

Utilities Planning Statements are becoming mandatory but, more importantly, because a robust commercial framework is required to deliver primary infrastructure and secure water and electricity capacity early, whilst being sufficiently flexible to detail the secondary infrastructure so it is fit for the future. This commercial framework can only be robust if the big picture and long-term strategy are fully understood.

In this regard, Hilson Moran can provisionally agree a capital clawback mechanism for clients, which will allow a principal developer to fund primary infrastructure and be credited each time a secondary developer benefits from this primary infrastructure investment.

Although this is now clearly defined in electricity regulation Hilson Moran is currently in dialogue with a water undertaker and has agreed in principle a process which will achieve the same outcome for investments in new on and off-site water network reinforcement.

Multi-phase urban extensions are also complicated because multi-utility companies or contractors are arguably not good at undertaking design activities within an ongoing iterative process of highway, sewerage, SUDS and landscape design, and do not typically capture the emerging telecommunications network design. Similarly, a multiutility contractor may not be best placed to deliver tender drawings or land-sale drawings for each new parcel of development. It is therefore likely that a utilities co-ordination role needs to be provided by the client to make sure the process runs smoothly.

Developments that combine the two scenarios above, i.e. dense mixed-use development or major regeneration projects such as ABP’s Royal Albert Dock, are likely to be at risk from both new connection activities (remote network reinforcement and/

or off-site network extensions) and diversions associated with existing utilities apparatus; both underground and above ground.

These projects are located on land where there is a myriad of existing underground services, many of which are often unverified. Some can be terminated outside the site boundary, but meter removal and the physical termination of service pipes are often separate activities such that demolition cannot start until up to 20 weeks after vacant possession. Some of these sites also contain electricity substations and other networked assets that need to be moved off-site, or worse still have to be moved to a temporary location to facilitate demolition. By the time services are diverted to house a temporary substation, demolition works may be up to 40 weeks from vacant possession.

In these cases, the primary risks are associated with existing services, and the developer must therefore deal with the traditional utility companies to mitigate these risks. Sometimes diversion works and new connections are conjoined – an existing substation diverted to a new standalone or building-integrated location in order to provide additional capacity for new connections. This means that the new connection activities also need to be procured via the traditional incumbent utility undertakers, thus reducing the value of more innovative procurement methods.

That said, this doesn’t mean there are no options for innovative infrastructure procurement.

Some of the developments described above contain one or more large plant rooms that can lead to opportunities to talk to both independent gas network operators and particularly independent gas meter operators.

These organisations can design, build and manage the installation of new gas networks, service pipes, meters and meter rigs. Both

network and meter operators may still contribute capital based on the revenues derived from operating gas networks or gas meter(s).

There are also opportunities to procure the services of a Lloydsaccredited single, dual or multi-lay utility contractor to design, build and manage the adoption of new infrastructure in a proactive, flexible and commercially advantageous manner. Real commercial benefit will only be delivered if utility connections providers are engaged as part of a well-considered procurement process that includes a robust Employers’ Requirement. It needs to capture provisional terms of engagement, the wider utilities strategy, concept drawings, a detailed specification, a flexible commercial framework to capture capital costs, improved cash flow options, the maximisation of capital contributions, and importantly clarity of all design resource inputs, and fully detailed project management and construction supervision resources.

While procurement can be a risky process with significant implications for project delivery and costs, if all options are carefully considered and the process is well planned, risk can be mitigated and opportunities for greater commercial value can be harnessed. Patience, preparation and planning are the key.

Jason Horner is Head of Infrastructure Services at Hilson Moran. Hilson Moran is a leading, international multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy. It applies the latest design techniques, technology and innovation to its work in the design, procurement, occupation and operation of buildings. The firm’s expertise spans new-build, fit-out and refurbishment in the public and private sectors. Projects include some of the world’s most innovative and iconic buildings, including 30 St Mary’s Axe and 20 Fenchurch Street in London, Ordnance Survey’s HQ in Southampton and the North Yas Island masterplan in Abu Dhabi.

For more information, please see

www.hilsonmoran.com

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lighting

rent Light for

Simon Taylor discusses new schemes that use projected energy savings to finance new lighting installations

L

ighting consumes approximately 20 per cent of all electricity in the world, 30 per cent of electricity in commercial spaces and 40 per cent of electricity in office buildings worldwide. So it stands to reason that energy efficiency has become the hot topic when talking about lighting, with organisations asking themselves ‘How can we save more energy?

How can we save on carbon emissions? How can we become more sustainable? How can we make financial savings?’ There are still many companies using old lighting installations,

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Simon Taylor, managing director of Aura Light UK

which have very high energy and maintenance costs. Because of the advances that have been made in lighting technology, there are now products with up to four times the life of a standard lamp and the energy saving lighting solutions help customers save up to 80 per cent of electricity they use for lighting. This means that it is possible to reduce the maintenance and energy costs at the same time as contributing to sustainability with raw materials, packaging and transport all minimised.

With many different light sources, luminaires and lighting controls available,

there is a lighting solution for any application, whether it is sustainable lighting for warehouses, factories and offices or schools, hospitals, streets, highways or even offshore oil rigs.

Better lighting packages LED is a technology that is growing fast and has many advantages particularly long life and low energy. However, often with this technology, when the lifetime of the light source has ended, the whole luminaire is discarded. At Aura Light however, we believe that this is the wrong way of thinking and we advocate modularity for sustainability

where only the light source needs to be replaced rather than the whole luminaire. Another concern about LED is that the quality on the market is still in the early stages of development, so variable and often poor. With quality manufacturers there is real sustainability with no need for constant replacement.

By introducing the latest in light management systems, controlling the lighting enhances the energy saving possibilities still further.

Lighting control opens up many possibilities when it comes to maximising the energy savings and it makes it possible to control when and how much light is needed. In fact, lighting control can reduce energy consumption by up to 80 per cent. For instance, Aura Light has its IQ sensors, which save both energy and money as they have a typical payback of one to two years.

Sensing with this type of lighting control means that no-one needs to remember to switch lights on and off again.

Renting your lighting With such advanced energy saving lighting packages available and combining LED efficient light sources and lighting controls, it has become logical to use the high energy savings to finance new lighting systems and installation. Aura Light is an accredited Energy Service Company (ESCo) and as such offers energy services and can guarantee energy savings.

Accredited ESCo’s are eligible for White Certificates or TEE’s which are documents certifying that energy consumption has been reduced – these can be traded at the TEE stock exchange by the ESCo’s.

The ‘Rent Your Lighting Scheme’ that Aura Light has recently launched eliminates investment in equipment and reduces an organisation’s energy

costs from day one. It is an exciting development with big benefits for UK commerce and industry. The concept is likely to appeal to all business directors and accountants as the scheme aids cash flow keeping costs off the balance sheet and also takes advantages of tax benefits.

Importantly, the scheme provides a full performance guarantee over the contract period. In Aura’s experience the lighting installations will continue to provide large energy savings well into the future. The scheme is ideal for all types of applications including offices, warehouses, industry, retail, hotels, education, and exterior lighting.

How the scheme works Financing arrangements are entirely flexible with monthly rental payments adjusted to projected energy savings making the project cash positive right from the start. The way the scheme works is that once contacted, Aura Light visits the company to conduct a survey of existing lighting installation and energy consumption by a technical expert. This is then followed with the provision of a new lighting plan with a full financial calculation, together with energy saving and CO2 saving documentation. Once the project is agreed, it is entirely managed

by Aura Light from start to finish including installation, financing and a performance guarantee during the full contract period.

At Aura Light we have brought together some of Europe’s leading experts so as to deliver the Rental Lighting Scheme using projected savings as a means of providing funding.

Whirlpool uses funding for new lighting Aura Light Group AB has already completed several lighting projects under this type of

scheme. One recent example has been with Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer of domestic appliances.

Aura Light signed an agreement with Whirlpool Corporation to assist the funding of lighting investment using White Certificates. This is for the lighting of the Whirlpool production facilities and Aura Light’s role is to verify the reduced energy consumption obtained through the installations and manage the certification process.

The company has installed energy saving lighting at its production facilities and most recently at its Cassinetta plant in Italy where Aura Eco luminaires are fitted with Aura Eco Saver long life fluorescent lamps. Thanks to a special survey and Aura Light’s expertise, the refrigerator factory in Cassinetta is reducing its energy consumption by 37 per cent per year and saving 103 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Simon Taylor is managing director of Aura Light UK. Aura Light designs and supplies sustainable lighting solutions to professional customers worldwide.

For more information, please see

www.aura-light.co.uk

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Continue to

improve Using his company as an example of best practice, John McCann talks about the benefits of creating a health and safety culture

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or over 40 years, Nottingham-based civil and electrical engineering construction company, J McCann & Co Ltd (McCann), has been successfully delivering large-scale, highlycomplex, labour-intensive infrastructure projects for both public and private sector clients.

Clients such as Highways England and many of the UK’s Local Authorities – in the process gaining an enviable reputation

for reliably completing jobs on schedule and on budget.

And, ask MD John McCann how the company has achieved and maintained this success for over four decades, continuing to thrive even during more recent ‘belt-tightening’ times where Local Authorities have seen unprecedented cuts to budgets?

His response is clear.

“I’m certain our ongoing business success stems from our deep-rooted ‘health and safety’ culture,” says John. “Prioritising

the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and everyone we work with is the foundation upon which we deliver our services. Much more than merely complying to legislation or ‘following the rules’, we constantly strive to create an atmosphere where everyone at the company feels valued. It’s about making them feel empowered to either speak out without fear of reprisal, or commended for highlighting a safer, more sensible way of doing something. It’s giving everyone

a voice that is listened to, where stopping to think about safety is second nature – a given.”

Over the years, McCann’s has introduced many working practices that have helped create and sustain this ingrained health and safety culture. As well as employees having direct access to the company’s managers and H&S department, where they are encouraged to discuss or report issues or solutions as soon as they arise, there are also elected Safety Representatives who attend their own meetings

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HEALTH & SAFETY

A health and safety culture is all about looking after those people that work with you. No one wants to carry the burden of knowing that through their actions or inaction they allowed others to come to harm or even worse

where managers aren’t present – purely to promote open discussion amongst workers who may not have experienced such a unique, transparent culture in previous employment. These meetings are documented and the minutes made available for all employees.

The company continuously updates methods, materials, equipment, and leads the industry by regularly adopting standards above the legal requirements. It also operates a system whereby employee, sub contractors, clients and those affected by McCann’s works are encouraged to complete ‘Observation Cards’ – a ‘no blame’ reporting system reinforcing McCann’s commitment to listening to its workforce.

Effective health and safety auditing is used by the company to proactively monitor and

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control its safety performance on site and to control its effective implementation of the H&S Policy. In addition, employees are encouraged and empowered to report incidents that could have the potential to cause harm to line management who are responsible for completing weekly documented safety audits.

Line managers are trained in the techniques of safety auditing to ensure that audits examine all areas of risk, methods of working, work equipment etc, and are used to promote best practice and continual improvement.

Site audits are also carried out independent of McCann’s line managers by the HSEQ Manager and Safety Advisors. All incidents are recorded, analysed and discussed at site level and again at safety committee meetings where

additional corrective actions are implemented to prevent reoccurrence.

With Defibrillators in all McCann’s permanent offices, ‘Safety Days’ four times a year where every harness and lifting accessory is checked for compliance and safety, plus the provision of helmet-mounted ICE health / personal information tags, it’s practices like these that have lead to McCann’s achieving impressive industry accolades.

Most recently, McCann took home a coveted Gold Award at this year’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Awards ceremony. This award “recognises their commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record and raises the bar for other organisations to aspire to,”

said Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of awards and events.

“From deciding on our approach and methodology for delivering a project, the pricing, planning, right through to the handover documentation that gives the owner / operator a clear understanding of all the issues and risks going forward – health and safety is always our first consideration,” adds John.

“A health and safety culture is all about looking after those people that work with you. No one wants to carry the burden of knowing that through their actions or inaction they allowed others to come to harm or even worse. This is why we at McCann are proud to have adopted the mantra ‘Nothing is so important that in cannot be done safely’ and it’s a phrase that we believe should be deep-set in

the foundations of every business within our industry.

“Strong leadership is required to make improvements to a health and safety culture, but once staff see that management are not just ‘ticking the boxes’ and are actually leading by example, positive improvements are more easily cascaded through a company and the health and safety message will be fully-embraced.

“By engaging staff at all levels we develop co-operation and commitment to improve safety.

Fostering a good attitude towards health and safety not only reduces the occurrences of harm, it has been shown to reduce staff time off through work-related stress and fatigue, develops stability, and improves staff decision-making and performance. This all leads to creating a consistently high level

of service and professionalism, which helps build and maintain a positive reputation amongst existing and potential customers.

In my opinion, every business should continually aim to improve their health and safety culture, irrespective of the industry – the benefits are immeasurable.”

John McCann is MD, J McCann & Co. Ltd. McCann is a leading civil and electrical engineering construction company which operates throughout the UK on major road, rail and airport infrastructure projects for public and private sector clients. Since its formation some 40 years ago it has developed wide range of specialist contracting services to support the successful delivery of major infrastructure projects throughout the UK. For more information, please see

www.mccann-ltd.co.uk

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profile: Gatwick Airport

A framework for Operating as one of the UK’s largest air terminals, Gatwick Airport continues to develop through framework agreements, construction and engineering projects within a five-year investment programme

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ondon’s busy Gatwick Airport represents the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest and most efficient single-runway airport in the world. The terminal serves more than 220 destinations across 80 countries, including more than 50 direct long-haul flights to major destinations.

Gatwick flies in excess of 41 million passengers each year on short and long haul services and the airport is also a major economic driver for the South East region, generating around 21,000 onsite jobs and a further 10,000 jobs through related activities.

Throughout its history Gatwick Airport has continued to expand and develop to ensure that it remains an effective transport hub for the South East region, as well as the wider UK and discussions regarding a second runway are ongoing. “It is important that Gatwick is ready to start work should the Government grant approval for a second runway to deliver the increased capacity Britain desperately

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Below Raymond Melee Gatwick Airport Development Director

needs. By opening discussions with architects, engineers and contractors means we will be well placed to take forward our plans for a second runway, on time and on budget. Gatwick remains the cheaper, faster, and more sustainable scheme. Legally, politically and environmentally, we are the only deliverable option that can actually deliver the jobs, growth and additional capacity that airport expansion would bring,” says Gatwick Airport Development Director, Raymond Melee.

“Gatwick has already invested £1.3 billion since becoming independent from BAA ownership, transforming the way we operate to deliver a world-class experience for our passengers. Over the next five years we will be investing a further £1.2 billion to meet accelerated passenger growth and bringing forward crucial infrastructure projects,” Raymond continues.

“The South Terminal has seen the completion of a completely new Pier 1 with five new gate-rooms and aircraft stands, alongside a completely new baggage

system with Gatwick’s first ‘Early Bag Store’ facility - allowing passengers to check-in up to 18 hours before their flight. In the North Terminal a new departure level now houses the world’s largest self-service bag drop zone and a re-configured second floor provides a new security zone with ten lanes of security processing, halving the time it takes for passengers to be screened. Pier 5 has also seen a re-configuration of its aircraft stands and an upgrade

of gate-rooms, ensuring an improved passenger experience before boarding their flight. Our focus has been to improve the level of service to our passengers and work with our airline partners to ensure sustainable and efficient growth.”

During September 2015, Gatwick Airport invited firms to apply for low and medium complexity frameworks totalling £750 million to deliver construction projects as part

of a new Capital Investment Programme (CIP) for the next five years. “The new frameworks include a total of six supply chain categories of building, mechanical and electrical, and civil engineering projects. A key aspect of the new frameworks is a change in procurement strategy which create options for Gatwick to shape its own supply chain and get closer to the performance of its contractors thereby allowing a more collaborative approach to

project delivery. Low complexity projects typically involve contracts of up to £1.5 million, while medium complexity projects for contracts between £1 million to £10 million,” Raymond explains. “Of the 127 companies that submitted pre-qualification information a final shortlist of 17 preferred contractors has now been chosen, including both local and national, mid and larger sized firms, which align with Gatwick’s policy of sustainable procurement. Each

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profile: Gatwick Airport

contractor was selected based on their competency and cost effectiveness and they include a range of different business models to give Gatwick maximum flexibility when approaching the programmes of work ahead. We expect local businesses to play a key role in the next phase of our investment programme, boosting jobs and growth throughout the region.”

The construction frameworks will support proposed projects within the Gatwick CIP, which relate to enhancement and replacement elements of the airport’s infrastructure including expansion of the North Terminal International Departure Lounge; South Terminal International Departures Lounge capacity extension; North Terminal Early Bag Store Facility; expansion of the South Terminal Immigration Hall; additional aircraft parking stands across the airfield; optimisation of taxiways; increased car parking capacity for short stay, long stay and staff across the airport; surface access improvements; and road network improvements.

“Gatwick is growing fast with more than 41 million passengers a year travelling through the airport, which is a decade ahead

MARCO AIRPORT FACILITIES Marco has been working with Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) since 2001 and has just been awarded a multi-million pound contract to provide a framework of design, construction and operational services for low complexity projects up to £1.5 million. The new agreement, which comes off the back of a recent £4 million six month contract, is testament to Marco’s proven track record with GAL and it is proud to be given the opportunity to support the airport’s continued growth.

of industry predictions and the Airports Commission forecasts.

Gatwick could not have achieved this rapid and record growth without huge investments into its infrastructure, systems, and the overall passenger experience,” Raymond says. “To be able to accommodate this continued growth in passenger numbers, Gatwick is investing in technology that will help speed passengers through the airport, while also improving their experience by reducing queues and putting passengers in charge of their time at the airport.”

Works have now begun at the airport to expand the North Terminal International Departures Lounge, which includes a complete re-design

and creation of additional retail units. Gatwick is also currently in the process of tendering for new architecture and engineering and professional services frameworks.

When combined with its new construction frameworks these forthcoming frameworks will position Gatwick for the near and mid-term future to develop the airport’s ambition to be London’s airport of choice. During the coming years Gatwick will continue to focus on the delivery of its CIP to ensure that the airport is well place to meet the growing demands of its passengers.

“To accommodate our rapid growth, we need to have our biggest airlines positioned in the right terminals so they can continue to grow, but more importantly we want our passengers to have the best possible experience when they fly from Gatwick. In January 2017 British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and easyJet will be moving terminals as part of Gatwick’s transformation programme.

This will provide fantastic new spaces for passengers to enjoy, while also allowing Gatwick to look after growing numbers of passengers. The moves in January are dependent on 42 separate construction projects involving nearly more than 80 different tasks. Most of these will not be seen by our passengers, however, as they are part of the behind the scenes operation in areas like new crew reporting, engineering and forward operating bases,” Raymond concludes. “Gatwick is on a fast-paced journey of transformation. We are striving to eliminate queues and put passengers in charge of their time at the airport to provide them with the best possible experience and levels of service.”

Gatwick Airport www.gatwickairport.com Services: UK’s second largest airport 23

profile: Stanton Bonna Concrete

Firm

foundations

Whether supplying a small local project or a fast moving multi-million pound project with complex delivery arrangements or challenging design and manufacturing demands, Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd has the experience to meet a customers’ needs

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tanton Bonna Concrete Ltd is just ten years away from reaching the milestone of a century since its beginning, and while the business has developed a great deal since its early days, the next decade is likely to see even further changes. Through this history the company has diversified from its roots as part of British Steel, and as of 17 years ago became a part of a larger conglomerate Consolis Group, which is the largest precast producer in Europe. The parent company employs over 10,000 people, operating over 100 factories, and as a group records a turnover that exceeds a billion pounds a year. Stanton Bonna itself is based in Ilkeston, situated

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between Derby and Nottingham, and employs over 150 people but this number can fluctuate depending on what projects are being worked on. The combined experience of Stanton Bonna and its parent company ensures a professional and competent project completion.

Stanton Bonna is currently in the process of commissioning some new facilities, which is something managing director Colin Richardson expanded on: “It has cost over three million pounds, which is probably the largest single investment we have had in this company during the last 20 or 30 years, this was done largely to tackle previous under investment and as part of an ongoing commitment to

meet market needs. This together with further planned investment will allow us to upgrade plant equipment, which will in turn improve our ability to capitalise on some of the opportunities that are appearing in the UK over the next three or four years.”

There is little doubt that taking such a positive and proactive approach will better position Stanton to take advantage of the many infrastructure projects currently being discussed for the UK, all of which could call on products made by Stanton.

Colin elaborated on these: “HS2 throws up good opportunities for example in terms of tunnel segments, bridge beams, box culverts, and other forms of precast for use on a high speed

something. And I don’t believe solar or wind will be able to fill the gap that is going to be created, so that gives me reason to think that we must follow through on the building of nuclear power stations – in fact we have been in discussion with the designers of these for a number of years now. Some of the products that will be needed are those that our business and our parent company have almost a century of experience making. An example of this is our pressure pipe solution, for which there are only two companies in Europe that currently manufacture them. One of which is in mainland Europe and the other is us in the UK.” The fact that Stanton is able to produce these products in Ilkeston is seen as providing the company with a distinct advantage in the supply to any future power station

network, something that we have lots of experience of through our involvement in similar projects both here in the UK and within Europe. Our involvement for example in the current Crossrail project is a point in case, where we have been able to tap into the group’s R&D expertise to help us deliver a world class sleeper that was designed to attenuate noise and vibration, a critical aspect in their procurement brief.”

Another variety of project that Colin predicted would call on Stanton Bonna’s services in the near future would be those of power plants: “Since the government has stated already that they will shut down the coal power stations, they are going to have to replace them with

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profile: Stanton Bonna Concrete

this bigger and better in the long term, certainly in the next three to five year period our business has the prospect to double in size, if not more. We will diversify and harness the upcoming opportunities that are going to be there for a company like ours, and we will leverage our European experience and knowledge in the precast sector to succeed.” No doubt Stanton will be a company that helps build the future of energy and transport in the UK.

project. Colin also went into more detail about the product and highlighted several other projects that could benefit the company: “It is effectively a high strength steel tube of up to 4m in diameter with concrete cast on both the inner and outer surfaces, and is predominantly used in the transmission of large quantities of cooling water, often under pressure, required by the power stations to cool their turbines. Other projects that are interested in this type of solution are those at Hinkley Point, as well as Moorside which is the new extension to Sellafield.” All of these are promising factors in the company’s further success.

The overriding attitude of Stanton Bonna is that of resilience, both in terms of its products and the company’s ability to continue succeeding in a tough market climate. With plans to further diversify, and expand the capacity

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of production, it certainly looks in a promising position, and Colin gave an insight into its plans for the future: “We will come out of

Stanton Bonna Concrete Ltd www.stanton-bonna.co.uk Services: Precast concrete pipes and manholes, drainage systems, pressure systems, railway products, specialist precast solutions

profile: Howarth Windows and Doors

Unlocking

success

Howarth Windows & Doors is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of high performance, sustainably focused softwood windows. Its extensive and innovative range is the preferred choice of architects, housing developers, contractors, specifiers and merchants nationwide

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owarth is based in North Lincolnshire, and while the group was founded in 1840, the windows and doors division has a more recent start date of 1985. Despite its relative youth, Howarth Windows and Doors still has a depth of experience in the industry. The company and its group have both recently met milestones, which general manager Alan Shearer discussed: “It was the 175th anniversary of the group, and this also coincided with Howarth Windows and Doors 30th year in operation. In order to mark it there were a number of events – we did our first golf day, where we invited customers around to join in, but there are many things going on. One that the company particularly got involved in was that we tried to raise as much money as possible for charity as we could in the time

frame. This is something that we often try to do, and the group has an appointed charity called Caudwell Children.”

Quite often the hallmark of a company with a positive future is whether it uses its finance to reinvest into the business, and Howarth has engaged in a large investment into its facilities, which Alan pointed out: “We have put down a two million pound extension to our factory which opened in January. In order to maximise its uses we have brought new people in to utilise this asset. It has increased our capacity already, but as it settles in will benefit us to even greater extents, but in fact we are already seeing efficiency benefits from it. Now that it is finally up and running the main focus of our activities is to get the most out of it, which will be in the form of efficiencies, cost savings, and improved output.”

The improvements to the facilities at Howarth was something that Alan continued to shed light on: “It is a massive statement of intent, and the investment we have put down is with the aim of giving us a 35 per cent increase in turnover in the coming next two to three years, and there is continued investment

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profile: Howarth Windows and Doors

going on around the site - in all sectors of the business. We will continue to extend the facilities and grow the turnover in the coming years. We have survived the recession positively - we have come out the other end and made investments for the future.”

The group has also received attention from an awards event, which Alan talked about: “The group was recognised by the Yorkshire Business Awards, for enterprise - this was due to the fact that so far we have had six generations of the same family running the company.”

Howarth provides its customers with a number of products, from a selection of windows that includes flush casement, casement windows, sliding sash, and cavity closers. Within its doors section, the company makes single doors, French doors, plus sliding and folding doors. All of these products are made from sustainable timber, and everything the company manufactures is made to an exceptional standard.

Howarth is always striving to create new and improved products for its customers, and Alan focused on one in particular: “We have been focusing mostly on the sliding sash range of products.

There are essentially two types of sliding sash cord windows, one is called a modern spring balance, but there is also the old style box that can use a rope and a pulley.

We are trying to bring out a new product which gives you the benefits of both, and that is going to be launched late 2016.”

Another aspect to the products that Howarth is pioneering is around two initiatives, the first of which Alan elaborated about: “There is a scheme called Life Time Homes, it means that it has to be accessible – windows should be able to be opened by people in wheelchairs - and traditionally the sash window has not been suitable for that. However, we are now close to launching a Life Time Homes compliant sliding sash cord window, which we think will be the first in the UK.” The other initiative that Alan discussed is called document Q that address the security standards of windows: “We have had Secure by Design compliance for two to three years now – and we continue to welcome this scheme. Secure by Design is when you have got windows on the ground floor or first floor and are easily accessible and we make them intrinsically more secure.

We have standardised Secure by Design across our range - this initiative was set up by the police in order to try and reduce crime. It is designed to slow people getting in and make it more difficult, we also put in laminated glass so it goes off with a big bang if broken – all of this helps to deter.”

The company works with wood, and therefore sustainability is

also a key part of Howarth, as Alan discussed: “Timber is a very sustainable material to use, if you want to be environmentally friendly, what you want do is use trees – as long as it comes from a sustainable forest – because when you replant them it means there is a constant replacement with younger trees. These actually take more carbon out of the atmosphere than older trees. So if you treat trees as a crop then you would take them and use them in your building materials, but would also maintain a supply of what you are using, so therefore you will ensure that new trees are planted, and this means you help the environment. This is further demonstrated by Howarth’s partnership with the British Woodworking Federation, and the Wood Window Alliance.”

Howarth is in a strong position going forward, it already has a track record of success, and recently improved its facilities, all of which is on top of the awards it has won. It has a clear commitment to its customers and to sustainability, and with all of this in mind, it is no wonder that Alan presented an ambitious plan for the future: “Our plan for the next 12 months is to settle the new investment – allowing us to continue to grow and develop. We have historically been a business of around seven or eight million pounds, but we are intending to take our turnover to 12 or 13 million pounds over the next three years.” Howarth has everything in place to fulfill its growth, and will likely be providing high quality windows and doors to its customers for many more decades to come.

Howarth Windows and Doors www.howarth-timber.co.uk Services: Manufacturer of high performance timber framed windows and doors 29

profile: CEMEX Building Products

Solid

innovations

All around us in our built environment are products using concrete.

In fact, it is the second most consumed material in the world after water.

CEMEX UK Building Products is one of the leading suppliers, using concrete to produce blocks, bricks, paving and rail sleepers for use in our homes, hospitals, infrastructure and much more, helping to build a greater Britain

C

EMEX Building Products is part of leading materials supplier, CEMEX UK which manufactures cement, aggregates and concrete, used in construction contracts both large and small, including some of the most prestigious projects and buildings in the country. As well as offering a diverse portfolio of products, CEMEX UK Building Products strives to offer a complete solutions package to customers. “We realise that we are

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operating in a very competitive marketplace and as well as offering the products and excellent service we want to offer a complete package to customers saving them valuable time and energy, so a one stop shop solution,� elaborates Director of Concrete Products, Floors and Ash, Grant McMillan.

To help customers CEMEX Building Products has a Housing Solutions business, which can offer the construction industry a package of relevant products when building new homes. So

for example the customer may require internal and external blocks, decorative paving (Readypave), a flooring system (Readyfloor), mortar and screed.

The company can discuss their requirements for all of these products and have one central point of contact for all of them.

Over the last three years, within Housing Solutions, CEMEX has developed ReadyBrick, initially in response to the shortage of clay bricks within the industry. This year a new form of Readybrick, a concrete facing brick has been

involved a new manufacturing technique for us and initially there were some issues with bricks cracking as they came off the production line but with some fine-tuning in the operation of the press to limit vibration, this has been solved.

“The other challenge with this product was optimising the colour of the bricks, which involves careful selection of the raw materials and the use of specific pigments. This is particularly so for the lighter coloured products like our Lothian Gold buff coloured brick, where the usual local raw materials don’t

lend themselves to achieving the colour that is required by customers. ” Another business area is Flood Solutions and within this area, CEMEX has recently successfully introduced its unique Ready Aquawall rapid assembly flood defence and retaining wall solution. It can be used in a wide range of applications including flood defence walls, riverbank reinforcement, sea defence walls and land reclamation.

Ready Aquawall solution is formed using interlocking ‘W’ shaped blocks and is manufactured on the standard

trialled. McMillan continues: “These new bricks are currently being used in several housing developments in Scotland. They are being produced at our at our West Calder factory in Scotland so they have a minimal distance to travel from production to construction.

“There have been some initial challenges in developing this new line. Feedback received during initial trials indicated that the bricks had to be voided to make them easier to place on site.

Manufacturing bricks with voids

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profile: CEMEX Building Products

concrete block production line. It has been developed in partnership with Aquacast International Ltd and provides local authorities and construction companies an alternative to gabion baskets or sheet piling on riverbanks and in flood defence applications.

Like ReadyBrick, Aquawall has been trialled in the field allowing CEMEX to prove the product and develop a base to further market the product. “We’ve been working closely with a company called Miles Water Engineering, which is

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based in Norfolk and involved in flood defence and water related projects,” McMillan says.

“We have given Miles Water Engineering some of the Aquawall blocks to trial on live projects and the feedback is that there is a real opportunity in the market, as the product saves time during installation as well as ease of construction. The fact that walls can be constructed rapidly and easily means that they can be used in temporary as well as permanent situations resulting in a great deal of flexibility.

“This is an interesting area for us bearing in mind the changes in climate which have resulted in significant amounts of flooding in certain areas of the country plus the amount of investment the Government is making in flood defence infrastructure in the UK,” McMillan concludes.

CEMEX Building Products currently operates eight manufacturing plants throughout the country giving

comprehensive coverage to supply products when and wherever they are required. The business extended its capacity in 2015 with a new plant at Rochester in Kent producing concrete T-beams for floors.

“We wanted to increase our capacity in the South East so this plant was commissioned at the beginning of 2015. Since then we have been steadily building up production and sales volumes from the plant,” McMillan comments.

“We have a programme of investment in all our plants to help us optimise our capabilities and grow the business in the future.

Both the Housing and Flood Solutions business should help our customers going forward saving them both time and money.”

CEMEX Building Products www.cemex.co.uk Services: Leading supplier of concrete products

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profile: GECO Mechanical & Electrical

Leading the

way

At the forefront of the construction sector for more than 45 years, GECO Mechanical & Electrical (GECO M&E) delivers a comprehensive offering to customers thanks to its superior expertise, products and range of services

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stablished in 1969, GECO Mechanical & Electrical Ltd (GECO M&E) is one of the oldest electromechanical companies in the UAE, with offices in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Owned

by Al Batha, GECO M&E is part of a group which comprises of 28 autonomous companies operating in sectors as diverse as automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, electronics, FMCG, food, real estate and education.

Organised into seven industry sectors to ensure a focused development of each business as well as growing expertise in each industry, the group has placed GECO M&E in the Engineering Group to aid in the development of the UAE’s infrastructure.

Below Altaf Hussain, General Manager of GECO Mechanical & Electrical

“Construction is one of the most important sectors forming part of the overall economy of the UAE as it involves the development of offices, residential properties, hotels, schools, universities, mosques, hospitals, warehouses and other facilities for the country’s growing population,” comments Altaf Hussain, General Manager of GECO Mechanical & Electrical.

“Because GECO M&E has been at the forefront of this sector for more than 45 years, we are able to deliver a comprehensive offering and outstanding expertise to customers and, over the years, we have successfully executed challenging projects that ensured we meet our clients’ requirements.”

An integral part of the company’s success is its strong supply chain, which allows it to

provide customers with the best products at the lowest possible prices in the least amount of time. “We have a huge centralised storage facility with satellite stores located all over the UAE as well as mobile storage vans that are stocked with the most frequently used items; this means we can cater to any project’s requirements at a short notice,” explains Altaf. “Alongside these storage areas, we have an inhouse transport facility, with a fleet of more than 250 vehicles, a duct manufacturing facility with state-of-the-art machinery, an extinguisher refilling workshop, motor rewinding and compressor repair workshop. With more than 2000 employees, we have the capabilities to execute projects of any size or nature.”

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profile: GECO Mechanical & Electrical

The company’s clientele includs Dubai Municipality, Al Wasl Properties, Al Futtaim Carillion, Majid Al Futtaim, Al Tayer Group, Darwish Engineering Emirates, the Directorate of Public Works (DPW), Government of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi General Services Company (Musanada), Command

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of Military Works, Al Rostamani Pagel (ARP), Belhasa Engineering & Contracting Co. (FNC), Fujairah National Construction & Transport (FNCT), Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA), Sharjah Assets Management (SAM) and many others. The company remains in demand due to its ability to offer a one-stop-shop solution to customers when it comes to MEP, Power and Fire Protection works. Moreover, once a project is executed, the company offers a complete maintenance of the project.

Altaf notes that GECO M&E maintains a strong commitment to the ongoing improvement of employee skills when it comes to

new technological developments: “We have a culture of learning amongst our employees, which has resulted in our team continuously being updated with the latest technologies. Our employees are provided regular in-house training delivered by our various learning partners to keep them abreast of new developments.” ‘Learning-onwheels’ is a unique to GECO M&E, as it provides its site staff appropriate training at their respective project sites. A bus has been converted into a training room for such purpose. “This allows us to have a workforce which is highly skilled and trained to handle projects of any magnitude to deliver the best possible service.”

The company complements

profile: GECO Mechanical & Electrical

its investment in employees with the upgrading of its manufacturing facilities. “We have recently invested a significant amount in new machinery for our duct manufacturing facility.

Information technology is also a high priority,” says Altaf. “Our employees are equipped with the latest tools and notebooks; we also continually upgrade the software used by our engineering team and have implemented an ERP system to cater for our backhouse applications.”

Backed by one of the most financially strong groups in the UAE, GECO M&E is proud to deliver high quality solutions.

“We believe in doing business with value,” Altaf added. The ISO 9001:2008 certified company is staunchly committed to health, safety and environmental compliance. “GECO M&E continues to be amongst the leading performers in the MEP industry by committing ourselves to international standards such as ISO 14001:2004 Environment Management System and OHSAS 18001:2007 Safety Management System. The management of each business with its comprehensive policies on quality, environment, health and safety, is accountable for its environmental impact.

At GECO M&E project sites and offices, the respective managers are responsible for ensuring strict control over safety and optimal consumption of materials and energy,” states Altaf.

“We also conduct periodic EHS training for our workforce so they foster environmental awareness and responsibility and therefore embed environmental commitment within our business culture. We reinforce this behavior by regularly reviewing our environmental objectives and targets,” he adds.

With a surge of new projects set to take place in the UAE, GECO M&E is in an enviable position as a company that is fully prepared

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to take on the most challenging and unique contracts in the country, as Altaf notes: “There has been a surge in new project announcements, which has resulted in us receiving a massive amount of enquiries. Furthermore, as investor confidence slowly returns, we expect more new projects to be announced. The Expo 2020 has also given a quick boost to otherwise grim sentiments and an increasing amount of investors are keen to capitalise on the buoyancy that has been created. Indeed, there has already been a plethora of new leisure and tourism projects announced in anticipation of the Expo 2020 and, as it draws near, we expect further developments to be announced.

“Alongside these developments,

we have noticed a lot of infrastructure and power related developments by various Emirates, notably Dubai and Sharjah. Since GECO M&E is very active in power generation and distribution work, we also see a lot of growth opportunities in this area. All in all, the near and mid-term future looks to bring a new wave of positive changes in our industry, which will provide us with an opportunity for steady growth,” he concludes.

GECO Mechanical & Electrical www.gecome.com Services: Mechanical and electrical contracting, power generation and distribution, fire protection and facilities management

profile: GSD Lambert & Son Limited (Lambert CE)

Deliberatelydifferent

Through continued investment, efficiency and pride in doing a job well, family-run business Lambert CE has maintained a solid reputation in the market

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ounded in 1978

by Gary Lambert, Lambert CE has steadily grown over the last 38 years by gaining each new contract on the quality of its previous successes.

Operating as Managing Director,

Gary originally established the business in Lowestoft where it became known as a hardworking, conscientious firm that provides a high quality service to its valuable customers.

Following ongoing growth, the base in Lowestoft became

less attractive to Gary due to the locations of the company’s contracts, which were based all around East Anglia. To be logistically closer to clients, Lambert CE relocated to Morley Hall, Wymondham; after converting one of the existing

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profile: GSD Lambert & Son Limited (Lambert CE)

wings into new offices, the new location proved a beneficial strategic decision as the company wasn’t only closer to customers but also boasted a grand architecture that reflected the way the company liked to conduct business.

Today the company, is under the helm of Gary & Jamie Lambert, continuing to be a strong family-run firm that places great importance in its appearance and maintains a hard-working reputation; the pair also ensure ongoing success through continuously reinvesting money back into the plant, equipment and labour. For example, in the final quarter of 2015, the company reinvested in excess of £1.5 million in new plant vehicles and equipment. With a view of ‘if it’s needed, buy it’ this

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level of investment ensures that the company rarely has to hire equipment or machinery and is prepared for the demands of its customers.

Able to offer customers demolition, new housing groundworks, adoptable sewer construction, commercial, domestic, crushing and screening services, the business has

recently seen an increase in demand for roads and sewers and groundworks packages to new housing developments, as Jamie comments: “We are currently working on eight housing developments for five of our most valued customers in Norfolk and Suffolk. These range from 30 houses up to what can only be described as the jewel in the crown for Norfolk, a phased 500 plot site with a single developer.

On top of this we also carry out demolition/site clearance which is an added bonus to our clients as we ensure all underground obstructions are removed as we are going to be digging the new foundations and so on.

“With our mobile crushing permit we are also able to process any recyclable material on site for use in the measured

works. During quieter times we have also completed various domestic driveways, self-builds and commercial developments.

As with our employees and suppliers we like to view the relationships we have with our clients as long-term and beneficial to both parties. It’s strange to think with some of these clients that although the original name remains the same, there are very few original staff remaining there in our up to 20 year relationships.

Although new faces come and go we remain the same and continue to work with these companies or rebuild relationships as we go.”

Indeed, as a company that is proud to be deliberately different, Lambert CE places a great deal of importance on maintaining strong relationships with its employees, which has resulted in solid, long-term loyalty from staff. “We employ in excess of 50 staff and don’t rely on sub-contractors to use and abuse during busy times,” says Jamie. “To us, if someone joins us, assuming they are able & keen, they have a job for life.

Furthermore, thanks to our strong ability to diversify, we have never had to make a single redundancy during the three recessions

since starting the business; we pride ourselves on this and it’s rewarding when you hear staff remembering those times when a competitor tries to attract them for more money.

“There seems to be a lot of poaching going on at the moment and, with the high demand, people are attracted to our employees; this could be because of the image and reputation that we have in the market. One

thing is for sure though, we never approach our competitors’ staff and instead let them come to us; after a few weeks of working here it’s frequently said they are the happiest they have been at work for many years.”

With a turnover of £10 million and plans to expand in line with current market demand over the next five years, the future looks positive for Lambert CE as it remains true to its ‘deliberately different’ approach to business.

GSD Lambert & Son Limited (Lambert CE) www.lambertcivilengineering.co.uk Twitter @lambertcivil Services: Civil engineering, road & sewer construction & groundworks

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profile: Alumno Developments

Community

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ince the company was founded in 2006, Alumno Developments has worked with universities, colleges and other key stakeholders to construct student accommodation and has provided homes for around 2000 students within cities such as London, Birmingham and Bristol. Despite challenging market conditions and a complex legislative environment, the company continues to complete projects by working in partnership with several large funding institutions, including Lothbury,

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Incorporating several years of industry experience and over a decade in operation, Alumno Developments is a leading developer/owner in the student accommodation market La Salle, RBS and Aviva. “From the earliest beginning of the company we have been focused on creating buildings for student accommodation and associated uses. This was an area in which I had worked previously and developed an understanding of the market. I continued to have an interest in the sector and felt that there were several opportunities in it,” explains Managing Director, David Campbell. “Ten years ago the industry was a very different landscape to what it is today. Previously it was not really recognised as an asset class and there were only two

or three companies operating in the sector in a meaningful way and it was still very embryonic.

We have moved heaven and earth since then so that it is now a much more sophisticated and acknowledged sector, however it is still very important to have a good understanding of the key stake holder relationships. There are a lot of subtleties in student accommodation that can be different to those of mainstream residential markets.”

Alumno Developments will celebrate its tenth anniversary during 2016, marking a decade of successfully completed and

highly acclaimed projects.

Recent projects include the renovation of the Southwark Town Hall in Camberwell to college accommodation, which will be completed by summer of 2016.

The building was in serious need of renovation and Southwark Council was looking for a proposal that would benefit the local community, while boosting the area economically. Having recently worked in partnership with the Camberwell College of Arts to redevelop the Town Hall’s neighbouring Georgian buildings into student accommodation, Southwark Council saw Alumno Developments as the perfect partner for the project. “Our proposal for the Town Hall takes a fresh approach which respects the history and character of existing buildings, but aims to mark a new phase of history for this important site within the local community,” David says. “It also takes on board key local and national planning policies. This wonderful building will provide light and spacious bedroom accommodation, as well as generous communal areas and what’s more, the main entrance and courtyard will allow students to circulate between the Town Hall and the recently refurbished neighbouring student block without disrupting traffic and pedestrians. There will also be a large shared common room, which will use the dramatic skyline view from the roof.”

Further to its development of Southwark Town Hall, Alumno Developments has also recently enjoyed great success in the City of Norwich through the development of All Saint’s Green on behalf of NUA. The Norfolk Association of Architects ultimately awarded a Full Craftsmanship Award for achieving an outstanding level

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profile: Alumno Developments

of craftsmanship for this project in 2016. This recognition helped Alumno Developments to go on to put forward a further project to develop modern new-build student accommodation within the city centre named ‘The Quad.’ The project will deliver regeneration to the site of the former Mecca Bingo and Gaumont club, which has sat vacant for some time. The development will feature student housing and facilities that will make the area more vibrant during the day and night. “This is an interesting project because prior to All Saints Green there has been no student housing in Norwich other than the campus buildings at the University of East Anglia,” David reveals.

“This is relatively surprising when you consider that there are in excess of 20,000 students living in the city. It is a very vibrant city with several music venues, stand-ups and a strong cultural base and artists community, but I think there has been some nervousness regarding the developing of student housing.

Having completed several projects resulting in good experiences in other cities, including the sensitive development of the grade two listed 50 All Saint’s Green building, we have gone a long way in breaking down preconceptions of ideas relating to what student accommodation can look like and how it can contribute.”

The Quad project is currently in the pre-planning stage and is scheduled for completion during summer 2018, while further projects in Aberdeen and Birmingham will be finished by the end of summer 2016.

These projects together with the company’s proven industry experience demonstrate the place of Alumno Developments as a leader in the development of innovative and community minded student accommodations. “We are a developer and a specialist designer of student housing. Our

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while also promoting a strong community aspect that blurs the lines of how a building can be used as a place to congregate and meet,” David concludes.

“Hopefully during the coming years we will have a little more freedom and we can choose more of the opportunities that we want to pursue. We would like to continue to work with a variation on a theme in terms of room types, models and looking at wider access opportunities for students from different backgrounds.” focus is very much on looking at projects from an embryonic stage and looking at how we can evolve the design to ensure that it is sustainable. We can introduce rents that students can afford,

Alumno Developments www.alumnodevelopments.com Services: Student accommodation developer/owner

profile: Monodraught

Engineering delivered naturally For more than four decades Monodraught has been an industry leader in efficient environmental solutions

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perating from its modern facility located in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, Monodraught has always been at the forefront of designing and manufacturing low energy, low carbon environmental solutions.

Founded during March 1974, the company is a medium sized business that is today owned by the Danish VKR group, who are highly active within the fields of roof windows and skylights; vertical windows; solar thermal energy; and ventilation and indoor climate control. VKR owns several companies within these sectors

including VELUX, Altaterra and VELFAC amongst others.

Monodraught provides marketleading solutions across three product groups: natural lighting; natural cooling; and natural and hybrid ventilation solutions.

Innovation remains at the core of the business and Monodraught is committed to delivering highly engineered products that allow end-users to live and work in a more natural environment. “We are proud of our history of developing products from research and development (R&D) right through to manufacture, installation and maintenance in the UK and beyond. A key sector for Monodraught is education where our products can deliver real dividends in terms of drastically lowering energy use, reduced maintenance requirements and improved environments for students and

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profile: Monodraught

teachers,” explains Managing Director, Andrew McCubbin.

“Our products can be found anywhere from owners of residential buildings looking to increase natural light, through to high impact architectural buildings such as the Olympics Copperbox Arena and Ormiston Road College in New Zealand.”

The key objective for Monodraught is to provide clients with high quality, low maintenance solutions that can drive down building energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. The company has several varied routes to market due to the wide scope of its product set, including an online shop and sales through Amazon.

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co.uk. The main route to market is via direct sales to architects, consultants, contractors and building owners.

“Monodraught are unique in the market as we manage the whole development process from design through to installation

and maintenance. This means that we are in control of the entire solution and can ensure that our customers receive both high-quality customer service and a great product,” Andrew reveals. “We believe that our team also gives us a competitive edge because we have a high percentage of engineers in our workforce, which makes innovation an integral part of the company’s DNA. Our interest is not just focused on developing and launching new products, it’s more about looking at how we work in every area of our business including marketing, installation, production and finance and ensuring we are always challenging the boundaries of what is possible. We employ highly skilled staff that we endeavour to further develop to enable them to have the knowledge and confidence to be specialists in their respective areas and make the correct decisions for the business.”

As a highly innovative company Monodraught makes use of technology in all areas of the business. The company’s R&D team employs high-tech software to model future product developments, as well as a 3D printer that is put into use to build proto-types and test concepts.

Monodraught recently launched a smart-screen controller, which simplifies the control model for ventilation and cooling. The screen can also provide education to end-users regarding how to use the product efficiently.

The company’s team of sales design engineers also use thermal dynamic modelling with integrated environmental solutions (IES) software, as well as preparing modelling reports and AutoCAD drawings to bring a widely acclaimed portfolio of products to market.

Post-installation, many of its products include data-logging functions, which can provide

valuable information to facility managers in terms of managing ventilation and cooling strategies within the building and monitoring CO2 and temperature levels.

The company’s continued dedication to innovation, quality and new product development has enabled Monodraught to grow consistently since the company was founded. During 2016 the business was also recognised as ‘Company of the Year’ at the Buckinghamshire Business Awards, where it was commended for the fact that over 50 per cent of the company’s suppliers come from the Buckinghamshire area and its support of local causes including the charity Buckinghamshire Mind. Over the coming years Monodraught will seek to continue to build on this success and develop further

innovations in a number of applications.

“We were delighted to have won the ‘Company of the Year’ award, particularly as the feedback from the judges was so positive and there was a high volume of entries from other prestigious businesses.

The judges commented on the passion of our staff when they

came to visit and were impressed by our innovative use of technology,” Andrew concludes.

“We are pleased with our current business model and each year we introduce new and innovative products that continue to drive the growth of the company.

Although we supply into many market sectors, we see education as a key sector for the future.

Our hybrid product solutions in lighting, cooling and ventilation will also continue to be important growth engines for our business and our investment in these sectors will continue to increase.”

Monodraught www.monodraught.com Services: Natural lighting, natural cooling and natural and hybrid ventilation systems

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profile: Ardent Hire Solutions

Passion for

plant hire

Formed from the amalgamation of two industry renowned operators, Fork Rent and One Call Hire in August 2015, Ardent Hire Solutions has been established with the goal of creating the largest and youngest fleet of machines for hire in the UK. The business trades from 12 depots nationwide and provides over 5000 units for rent with a financial value of approximately £150m. The initial acquisitions of Fork Rent and One Call Hire were led by Searchlight Capital Partners and Duke Street together with key management

S

ince August 2015, Ardent has gone through a period of consolidation and today is the UK’s largest telehandler provider and has one of the largest excavator fleets in the country.

The company is also backed by more than £100 million of new investment to further strengthen the fleet, which boasts an average age of two years.

“Since the initial acquisitions, subsequent merger and consequently the birth of Ardent, we have kept the existing brands very much alive due to

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the recognition they had within the industry,” comments Anuj Patel, Group Marketing Manager at Ardent Hire Solutions. “Our

presence in the market is growing rapidly, which is partially thanks to the growing number of depots nationwide. We have now opened a new depot in Middlesbrough, with Leeds scheduled to open in September and by November we should have secured representation in Scotland, which would mark a key milestone in our expansion plans.

Our strategic network of depots manages over 5000 assets; the largest contributor of this being telehandlers and excavators, which makes up just over two thirds of our fleet.

“Indeed, thanks to continued

CAT, Hitachi, Komatsu, Kubota, & Volvo. These partnerships will ensure we continue to offer our customers the latest and most technologically advanced machines on the market.”

Operating in sectors such as housing, construction, events, government, industrial,

infrastructure, energy and renewable energy, Ardent is investing to continuously meet demand. “We are highly responsive to market demand and continue to invest in the latest machines equipped with the latest Health & Safety standards and innovative technological solutions to help save our customers money on running costs,” says Anuj.

As a result, part of the company’s £100 million investment in the extension and improvement of its fleet went towards acquiring 60 Kubota Mini Excavators, 25 CAT Excavators, 50 Hitachi Excavators, 20 Volvo Excavators, and 35 Manitou Telehandlers since January this year. These were some of the first units to join Ardent since the merger that carried the new corporate branding.

Now, taking over from Fork Rents 10-year reputation as JCB’s largest telehandler customer in western Europe, Ardent is further strengthening its relationship through a £40m order of new Telehandlers and seeks to continue investing in the most advanced machines on the market. Anuj comments: “We’ve

investment and the existing fleets of Fork Rent and One Call Hire, Ardent has been able to maintain one of the largest fleets of excavators in the plant hire market, from 0.9t Micro Diggers to 35t Heavy Excavators. We run the UK’s largest and most extensive range of telehandlers & Heavy Lift Telehandlers (4m-20m), Roto Telehandlers (18m-32m) which is further complemented with Rollers (Rammax-20t, Smooth & Padfoot), and Dumpers (1t10t, Straight & Swivel). We have built partnerships with industry leading manufacturers supplying the fleet including JCB, Manitou,

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profile: Ardent Hire Solutions

made investments with all of the UK’s leading manufacturers of modern and compliant machines.

We are on an innovative drive to supply our customers with the safest and most economically

compliant machines in the market.

We want to offer value with each hire, and investing in that means we can help our customers meet their targets.”

Alongside these investments which have strengthened customer relationships between key suppliers, the company is also investing in its own operations to ensure it is running a modern and sustainable service fleet: “We have invested in a service fleet of vans and have increased our operational teams to support

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this growth. Moreover, we are investing in products and software to enhance our service offering to customers. In fact, our sales team is also growing rapidly to ensure we meet demand.

Our investment is not only committed to machines, service and depot expansion, we also have an acquisition strategy in hand which we are working through. We recently entered into an agreement to purchase Speedy Hire’s mechanical plant assets. This acquisition will see Ardent Hire buying 750 assets made up of excavators (3tn and above), dumpers and rollers.

This agreement will also give us exclusivity in the supply of self-drive equipment to Speedy customers, nationwide. We are very excited to strengthen our relationship and this marks a milestone in Ardent’s progression.

“We chose our brand name to reflect all that is best about our new company, and what makes us different from our competitors,” explains Anuj. “Ardent is strong and eager, shown by our hunger to grow. It is enthusiastic and passionate. It can even be zealous in its pursuit of the very best.

These are all characteristics that sum up our fresh and positive approach. We are a company that seeks to go above and beyond to provide better service and smarter solutions that will make us stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Our goal is simple; to work closely with our customers to give them a superior plant solution while saving costs and increasing efficiency. As relationships continue to strengthen and opportunities increase, Ardent is in a great position to secure a strong future within the plant hire industry,” he concludes.

It is clear that the once family owned companies are on a journey for big things. Ardent is seeking to lead the way the hire market works with innovative new ideas and strategic solutions so as to become the recognised supplier of choice by providing industry leading equipment and reliable services.

Ardent Hire Solutions Ltd www.ardenthire.com Services: Specialist in self-drive plant hire machinery

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Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Team

+44 (0) 1603 274130 Schofield Publishing 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

www.ccemagazine.com