Category Archives: Construction

Construction, News

SO Modular moves closer to energy self-sufficiency with investment in biomass boiler

SO Modular, a Neath-based specialist in timber frame construction, has unveiled a new biomass boiler at its headquarters, the result of a significant investment which moves it closer to becoming completely self-sufficient in terms of its energy and production process.

The cutting-edge waste wood biomass boiler was installed by energy specialist Novalux Energy. It is fuelled by timber offcuts and wood shavings, a natural by-product of the production process and will re-use 90% of the fuel into usable heat.

The 2MW waste wood boiler works by burning the fuel at high temperatures to produce heat, or thermal energy. This thermal energy is transferred to a heat exchanger which provides you with heat for space or processes. Excess heat from the boiler is diverted to an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) which converts the heat into power through a twin screw expander.

One of the most important aspects of the boiler to SOM is that the technology utilises carbon filters to filter out impurities in its emissions to ensure they are not harmful to the local environment.

The installation means that the company is now recycling a very high percentage of its waste material, converting it into heat and energy. The site is now almost self-sufficient in its energy needs during production and even has surplus at some points in time, which it sells to the grid.

All of SO Modular’s timber is sourced locally. The majority comes from its doorstep in the Neath Valley, milled by Pontrilas Sawmills, just over an hour away in Hereford. Founded in 1947, Pontrilas is one of the largest independent sawmills in the UK.

SO Modular now uses enough wood every year to build more than 1,000 timber frame homes. This amount is set to increase exponentially as the business grows rapidly and demand for timber frame solutions soars.

In 2019, SO Modular invested some £6.5 million in acquiring and regenerating a large part of the iconic industrial site in Neath. Since its investment, it has capacity to make more than 3,500 homes a year. As such, it is seeking new sources of timber in Wales.

Charlotte Hale, Director of SO Modular, said:

“We are embracing sustainability in all aspects of what we do and the biomass boiler is just the first of several initiatives we have planned including solar panels. We believe this will be a fantastic case study for the benefits of the circular economy.

“Our aim is to sustainably redefine the buildings we construct and restore our new facility to its former glory but in an innovative and eco-friendly way; we want it to be a landmark of the town again, which the community can be proud of, while also benefiting the local supply chain and keeping jobs and money in the region.”

Joseph Allcott, Managing Director of Novalux Energy, said:

“Renewable energy systems can fit a variety of applications and in the case of SO Modular, the 2MW waste wood boiler and 100kW ORC works to utilise waste product as a fuel. This is a great example of a renewable system offsetting fossil fuels and benefitting from the Renewable Heat Incentive.”

Construction, News

Revealed: how long it takes to break even when starting a trade business

Revealed: how long it takes to break even when starting a trade business

● Joinery businesses are the cheapest trade to set up, costing around £6,600

● Self-employed plumbers recover their start-up costs the quickest – under six weeks

Joinery businesses are among the cheapest trade companies to set up in the UK, averaging nearly £2,500 less than other sectors, new research has revealed.

With over 40% of construction firms expected to make redundancies due to the virus[1], tradespeople may be considering going self-employed. IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, has identified the cheapest industries in which to do so.

The study added up the typical costs people pay when entering the UK’s four most popular trades[2] (joinery, building, electrical, plumbing), with everything from insurance to marketing.

Joiners pay the least, with the average set-up fee totalling £6,642. With the typical daily rate for joiners around £150[3], these initial costs could be repaid within nine, five-day weeks.

Despite being the most expensive businesses to set up, plumbers can expect to earn back their investment quickest, as they are able to charge the highest daily rates. Averaging nearly £350 a day[4], the £9,124 start-up cost could be repaid within six working weeks.

The trade businesses which are the cheapest to set up in the UK are:

1) Joinery – £6,642 (repaid in nine weeks, £150 a day)

2) Building – £6,791 (nine weeks, £160 a day[5])

3) Electrical – £6,873 (six weeks, £245 a day[6])

4) Plumbing – £9,124 (six weeks, £347.50 a day)

One of the most significant outgoings is accreditation. New plumbing companies pay the most in this department, with organisations like HETAS and OFTEC charging substantial sums for membership. Such credentials, combined with the cost of other important courses, like First Aid at Work, the Gas Safe Register and Asbestos Awareness, can set you back over £3,000, which is significantly more than other trades.

Some expenses, however, are necessary across all sectors, such as insurance, marketing, company registration and van hire.

A new trade business can expect to pay over £600 a year to completely cover themselves with insurance. Contractors All Risk insurance is one of the most costly forms of protection, starting at £298 a year, but includes cover against both property damage and third-party injury, so is worth the investment.

Marketing is another significant outlay, but an important one nonetheless. Paying out for business cards, flyers, logo design and a new website usually costs at least £600 pounds. However, such costs will pay for themselves if they lead to a surge in new clients.

Finally, there’s the crucial cost of equipment. A tradesperson may have accumulated tools during their career, but if they are new to the industry, there are tools they will need before taking on work. Joiners pay the most here, with key equipment adding up to £600. Circular and table saws are the biggest outlays, so it could be worth looking for second-hand retailers, whilst ensuring the products are high quality, as income will depend on their performance.

The full breakdown of costs per trade is as follows:

Type of Cost Accreditation Trade Association Marketing Insurance Equipment Other (storage, van hire, business registration) Total
Joiner £1,005.00 £117.00 £610.54 £638.21 £599.38 £3,672.00 £6,642
Builder £1,041.00 £472.80 £610.54 £638.21 £355.97 £3,672.00 £6,791
Electrician £1,005.00 £585.00 £610.54 £638.21 £361.87 £3,672.00 £6,873
Plumber £3,481.00 £231.00 £610.54 £638.21 £490.98 £3,672.00 £9,124

Andy Porter, a self-employed carpenter from Southampton, has given his three top tips for people looking to set up their own trade business:

1) Look at local adverts and see what similar trades are doing (e.g. services, pricing)

2) Get quote and invoice terms and conditions in place early and make sure they are watertight

3) Make sure you have plenty of money saved up as cash flow is incredibly important

Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect, said: “Many tradespeople will aim to run their own businesses one day, so it’s useful to get an idea of how much it would cost to do so. While these sums can appear quite daunting, most of the expenses will directly improve your service or help you win more work, so are worth the investment in the long run.

“Owning your own business can be incredibly satisfying, so to help those who are considering going it alone, we’ve compiled a list of tips on how to do so effectively.”

For eight pieces of advice from tradespeople who have set up their own business, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/eight-top-tips-for-setting-up-your-own-trades-business

 

[1] Construction Leadership Council survey: https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/clc-people-survey-results-published/

[2] Employment by occupation: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/employmentbyoccupationemp04

[3] Average daily rate for joiners: https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2018/08/how-to-become-a-joiner-UK/

[4] Average daily rate for plumbers: https://www.homeadviceguide.com/plumbing-prices-and-costs/

[5] Average daily rate for builders: https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2018/04/how-to-become-a-self-employed-builder/

[6] Average daily rate for electricians: https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2018/07/how-to-become-a-self-employed-electrician-uk/

Construction, News

Demand for digital building product marketplace rises by 125%

Specification-led marketing and product data specialist, SpecifiedBy, has reported substantial quarterly growth in its online marketplace as COVID-19 accelerates the need for building product manufacturers to embrace digital transformation.

The Newcastle-headquartered company, whose clients include Dyson, VELUX, Tarmac and SIG, has seen a 125% increase in manufacturers signing up to its platform between April and June 2020, compared to the same period last year. During this time, traffic to the platform has also increased by 60% as architects and specifiers are among the professions that have moved more of their work online during the pandemic.

SpecifiedBy was launched in 2014 as an early digital platform for architect and design professionals looking to find and research products for any building, construction or refurb project. While it has enjoyed steady growth as the first-mover in industry-wide digital transformation over the last few years, the pandemic has acted to accelerate the move online not just for architects and specifiers but also for product manufacturers.

Rockwool, Franklite, Kingspan and ARDEX are just some of the manufacturers that have joined SpecifiedBy in recent months. ARDEX signed up to the service during the height of the pandemic when architects and specifiers were required to work from home. Mark Goater, product marketing manager, comments: “COVID-19 has been a testing time for manufacturers. The traditional ways of marketing and selling products, for example, became near impossible. We quickly recognised we needed to be more agile in the current climate which meant further digitising our sales approach. SpecifiedBy offered the perfect platform to ensure that our online presence would put us right in front of our customer base in a way that works for both the specifier and manufacturer. Over time we anticipate that we’ll be listing our full product portfolio on the platform as well as promoting our CPD programme, reaching more architects and specifiers than ever before.”

SpecifiedBy now has the largest registered network of architects, specifiers and product manufacturers in the UK. Its growing digital platform hosts nearly 100,000 building products and has been designed to connect its 2,500 manufacturers with over 70,000 architects and specifiers looking for products each month.

Darren Lester, founder and CEO at SpecifiedBy, says: “I started out as a specifier looking for building products and felt that the industry really lacked a central, digital source that could connect architects and specifiers with the product manufacturers. It was slow to change and lacked the digital leaders that we were seeing elsewhere, so SpecifiedBy decided to take that lead early on. While we’ve seen steady growth on the platform to become the largest registered network in the UK, this has been dramatically accelerated due to the impact of the pandemic.”

He continued: “COVID-19 has turned the building product industry on its head for good, accelerating the need for manufacturers to rethink the way they sell to architects and specifiers. This appetite for technology to transform the buying and selling process has had a significant impact on our business, providing a tipping point to our growth.

“I’ve no doubt that COVID-19 will change our industry for the better in the long-term. We will see manufacturers take a digital-first approach because, quite frankly, they can’t afford not to.”

The sales manager of FunderMax, which has been a customer of SpecifiedBy since July, agrees. James Dawson says: “We’re seeing the influence of the Google generation, where architects and specifiers expect to be able to easily find products and instantly access all the information they need, including clear technical details. SpecifiedBy provides the platform for our products to readily plug into specification projects, in a way that works for specifiers.”

Construction, News, Property, Property Buyer News

Construction work finished at Highnam housing development

A new development in Highnam has now been completed, with all of the new homes there now built and sold.

Bellway has provided 88 two, three, four and five-bedroom homes at Lassington Reach, off Lassington Lane.

The housebuilder is now planning to give home-hunters another chance to buy a new home in the area, having recently submitted detailed plans to build 50 properties on a site five miles from Highnam, on land east of Hempsted Lane in Gloucester.

The reserved matters application to Gloucester City Council includes proposals for 30 four and five-bedroom houses for private sale, and 20 affordable homes comprising one and two-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom houses. Some of the affordable housing will be suitable for wheelchair users.

The proposed development will also include cycleways, footpaths, and the restoration of an orchard at the south of the site.

Sales Director for Bellway Wales, Billie Oaten, said: “As the last homes have now been built and sold at Lassington Reach, it has been great to see a new community gradually forming, with a real mix of buyers finding themselves their ideal home at the development.

“Customers here have been drawn by the high-quality, great-value homes in a peaceful Gloucestershire location, within easy reach of the cathedral city of Gloucester.

“Our new planned development off Hempsted Lane in Gloucester will also deliver a wide range of homes and we look forward to working with the local authority to move forward with the plans in due course.

“The site offers views of Gloucester Cathedral and the steeple of St Nicholas Church, as well as the warehouse buildings of the city’s docks.

“The development will bring a new lease of life to the area as we welcome new residents, while also restoring the historic orchard at the south of the site.”

For more information, visit bellway.co.uk.

Commercial Property, Construction, Contract Wins, News

G F Tomlinson restores historical town halls and market hall in City of Stoke on Trent

Regional contractor G F Tomlinson has been entrusted with sensitively restoring two historic halls which date back to the 1800’s and a market hall in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Valued at a total of £6.5m, the restorations are being delivered on behalf of the City of Stoke-on-Trent Council to Longton Town Hall, Hanley Market Hall and Tunstall Town Hall.

The Hanley and Longton schemes were successfully completed in the second half of last year, with work to Tunstall Town Hall still ongoing. All three schemes were procured through the Scape Regional Construction framework.

The Longton Town Hall works involved the remodelling and refurbishment of the ground floor and public toilets in the adjoining market hall, as well as the installation of a new office area and staff room together with the refurbishment of the existing meeting room, creating a new local centre for Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Externally the building now features a wall of locally manufactured ceramic tiles, to symbolise the ‘potteries’ heritage in the region, as well as bold new signage outside the entrance of the market hall.

The building dates back to 1863 and retains many of its Victorian features including a large central porch which was originally designed to admit horse-drawn carriages, and a central staircase along the spine of the building.

The Hanley Market Hall, based in Stoke-on-Trent city centre, is home to 130 stalls and its restoration was delivered in a challenging live working environment, requiring a robust logistics plan and ongoing cooperation to ensure the area remained safe to the public.

Features such as being one of the first public areas within the region to benefit from a new state-of-the-art disabled-friendly toilet, which is part of the council’s ‘Changing Places’ initiative, has made the building more inclusive and welcoming, and the completed refurbishments have helped to revitalise the space and attract more people back to the market.

The market hall now also boasts upgraded lighting, new ceilings, wall finishings, flooring, and redecorated stall fronts to create a more vibrant place to shop. The scheme was successfully delivered working alongside Birmingham-based, multi-national construction consultancy, AECOM.

Works continue on the historic Tunstall Town Hall, a Grade II Listed building which dates back to 1854 and is in urgent need of repair, with much of the existing timber beams and front façade decaying.

The careful restoration process includes installing new windows and flitch beams along with stone and masonry replacement and external re-pointing. Internally it will undergo an extensive upgrade including new walls, floors and ceilings decorated in heritage paints to the exact colours they would have been when first built in 1854.

Due to be completed in Spring 2021, the hall will also include two shop units, a children’s centre and a library, as well as rentable office space, to create a fully inclusive community facility.

Both the Tunstall and Longton Town Halls schemes involved working alongside Birmingham-based global consultancy, Gleeds.

G F Tomlinson, which has offices in Derbyshire and Birmingham, specialises in heritage restoration.

Chris Flint, director at G F Tomlinson, said: “With extensive experience working on restoration, heritage and community projects across the region, it has been a real pleasure for us to work on the regeneration of these historic halls in the West Midlands city of Stoke-on-Trent.

“All three projects were procured through the Scape Regional Construction framework, bringing huge benefits to the delivery of the project, removing the need for a costly and lengthy tender process, and adding overall value for the client.

“We’re really pleased with the results of Longton Town Hall and Hanley Market Hall – our team and supply team have done an amazing job and we look forward to seeing Tunstall follow suit.”

Councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, infrastructure and heritage at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We understand how important our historic buildings are. The town halls in Tunstall and Longton are fantastic assets and provide a constant reminder of how rich in heritage our city is.

“The aim of the work is to not only invest in their heritage, but also to make them modern, fit-for-purpose buildings that breathe new life into the high street, and ensure the community can access face-to-face services. Along with the improvements to Hanley Indoor Market, the work at Longton and Tunstall directly benefit the markets which are connected to both buildings, so we are really seeing a range of benefits from this investment into our heritage.”

Construction, Law, News

Lawyer Warns Construction Companies Of The Challenges Of ‘Virtual Mediation’ As A Result Of Covid-19

Ian Timlin, Conexus Law, explains why virtual mediation is not always the best bet for construction businesses.

Organisations that are looking to use mediation as a way to resolve a dispute without the need for costly litigation need to be aware of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic will have on the process in the coming months, and the potential pitfalls and challenges. This is according to Ian Timlin, a specialist dispute resolution and commercial litigation lawyer at Conexus Law, who cautions that the new process may not be as effective and is also less secure unless certain measures are put in place.

Ian explains: “From a practical point of view it has been relatively straightforward to bring mediation online with Zoom for example being used as the facility for secure separate breakout rooms for separate parties and for bringing the parties together in a plenary session. The mediator can then speak to each party separately or with the parties together, virtually switching online from room to room.

“However, this does mean that things are not necessarily as secure as in a physical situation. As a result, we are advising that there is an online mediation protocol in the mediation agreement to be signed by the parties which governs the terms of how the virtual mediation progresses and the rules that are to be adhered to. It should cover areas such as not recording the sessions or sharing of the mediation meeting ID other than to participants involved to ensure no one ‘sits in’ unannounced.

Also each party should agree that if for any technical reason, including error on the mediator’s part in moving parties correctly to the breakout rooms, they can see and/or hear a private conversation between the mediator and/or any other party, they must terminate the session at once and call or text the mediator.”

However, Ian goes on to say that the biggest challenge remains the fact that it is much more difficult to establish a genuine rapport across a screen with the mediator and other parties and this key is in mediation to gain a parties’ trust and confidence.

“Before people are willing to settle, they must feel that their interests are truly understood, and only then can a mediator reframe problems and float creative solutions. Eye contact with the other side can be difficult if they are sitting well back from their screens and not in the same room and therefore it is vital that participants show their faces and do not hide behind their name on a black screen or stock photo of themselves. That way each party and the mediator can see how they are reacting to the points being made,” he explains.

Ian also points out that whilst online mediation is new to many organisations, Ebay is a big user and it is estimated that an incredible 50+ million disagreements amongst traders on eBay are resolved every year using online dispute resolution.

“There is no doubt that virtual mediation is here to stay and is certainly appropriate for low value disputes. However, where considerable sums are in dispute or complex issues arise, serious consideration should be given to the traditional form of mediation even in the current circumstances,” concludes Ian.

For more information Ian has created a guidance sheet ‘Mediations in the time of COVID’ which is available for free download on the Conexus Law website alongside another factsheet “Renegotiation – An art not a science”.

Construction, News

Yanmar offers extended warranty programme across UK & Ireland

Yanmar Compact Equipment EMEA is offering construction professionals across the UK and Ireland lasting peace-of-mind through its comprehensive YCare programme. Designed to maximise uptime and productivity, the package is available across Yanmar’s portfolio of excavators, carriers and loaders.

While every new model comes with industry-leading warranty cover as standard, YCare gives customers the opportunity to extend this cover for up to six years at a highly competitive price point. This gives construction professionals the confidence to focus on the job in hand, without worrying about unexpected maintenance or repair bills.

David Cockayne, UK & Ireland Sales Manager at Yanmar Compact Equipment EMEA, commented: “Our ambition is to get construction professionals across the UK and Ireland into the safest, most capable construction equipment on the market. To achieve this, we are continuously working with operators to understand how we can improve their ownership experience and help their businesses thrive.

“While a 12-month warranty is industry standard, we wanted to give our customers the chance to expand their warranty for up to six years. This gives them greater peace-of-mind, allowing them to focus on project delivery. Without the unexpected cost and disruption of unplanned maintenance, we can lift a burden from their shoulders and ensure their Yanmar equipment continues to perform at its best.”

For more information about Yanmar’s YCare Complete Extended Warranty, or to find your nearest dealer, visit www.yanmarconstruction.co.uk.

Charity & CSR, Construction, News

Housebuilder backs campaigning aunt for the installation of a new defibrillator

Bellway has donated £620 towards a fundraising campaign to install defibrillators in pubs in Milton Keynes.

Bellway was contacted by Heather McBurnie, 48, who lives in Woburn Sands and plans to fund defibrillators for pubs in the area in memory of her niece, Sarah.

She approached the company as its divisional headquarters is located in Caldecotte and work is currently underway at Bellway’s new Wavendon Chase development in Wavendon.

Heather, who works at New City Heating in Bletchley, said: “I was astounded when I found out how much money Bellway wanted to contribute to my campaign. I had been fundraising for one defibrillator, but this donation enabled me to think about raising enough for two, therefore covering more areas.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see people helping and supporting this cause, as it really helps to reduce the impact of a similar events on the lives of other families.
“A defibrillator could have saved Sarah’s life and it is kind donations towards life-saving equipment that will make such a difference to the lives of local people here.”

Sarah was just 17 when she unexpectedly suffered a heart attack on a bus in 2015. During the 20-minute wait for an ambulance, she suffered brain damage from which she would not recover.

The family live in Havant in Hampshire and Sarah’s parents, Alan and Anna, have already raised cash to fund defibrillators at bus stations in the area. Heather promised to continue the fundraising efforts in her own home town.

Luke Southgate, Sales Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “When Heather approached us about her fundraising campaign, we were keen to help.

“Sarah’s story is heart-wrenching, especially knowing that a defibrillator could have saved her. It is hard to imagine a better cause than one which directly helps to save lives.

“We wish Heather the best of luck with her ongoing fundraising campaign.”

So far, £1,710 of the increased £2,000 target has been raised. Heather recently kayaked from Sarah’s birthplace in Coventry to Milton Keynes to help bolster the total.

Once the target is achieved, the defibrillators will be installed at The Station Tavern and The Fir Tree Inn in Woburn Sands.

To donate to Heather’s fundraiser, visit http://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/heather-mcburnie-1

Charity & CSR, Construction, News, South West

Submit photo of the South West and help fundraise for air ambulance charities

The South West community is being invited to contribute photographs of the area to be included in a 2021 calendar which will be sold to raise funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust and Devon Air Ambulance.

RGB Building Supplies is looking to find 12 photographs that celebrate the diverse scenery of the region and are asking people in the area to send in pictures of their favourite places. From Lundy Island and Exeter Cathedral, to Bodmin Moor and Porthleven Beach, any photo that showcases the area will be considered.

As well as seeing their photo in the calendar, the photographers of each of the chosen 12 images will receive a £100 voucher to spend at their local RGB branch.

Stephanie Bray, Corporate Fundraising Officer at Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, commented:

“We are delighted that RGB is supporting the Cornwall Air Ambulance in this fun way. We encourage everyone to take part and submit their photos for this unique opportunity to feature in a special edition calendar. By supporting this project, people will be helping to keep the air ambulance flying and saving lives. Thank you!”

Tracy Owen, Fundraising Manager at Devon Air Ambulance, said:

“We are so grateful to our friends at RGB for choosing to support us in their latest fundraising venture! We think a calendar is a great idea – our helicopters fly across our beautiful county and its differing terrain daily and the amazing views from the air are often commented on by the aircrew. Our income has been severely affected by the cancellation of countless events so we will be excited to see the final product – we are sure it will be a big success!”

Kevin Fenlon, CEO of RGB added:

“Our calendar is designed to celebrate the beauty of our region, whilst fundraising for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust and Devon Air Ambulance at the same time. We look forward to seeing what landmarks, wildlife and scenery are featured in the photos we receive.”

Those wishing to submit a photograph simply need to email it to brandteam@rgbltd.co.uk by Friday 11th September confirming the location, along with the photographer’s name and contact details. The entry needs to be landscape orientation and a total of three entries per person will be accepted. Full terms and conditions can be found on RGB Building Supplies’ website – www.rgbltd.co.uk.

Construction, News

Flooding Then Pandemic Proves Immensely Challenging For South Wales Construction Firm Who Clinch Their ISO 27001 Recertification

A South Wales construction company which continues to play a major role in helping to redevelop properties hit by flooding at the start of the year, at the same time trying to operate safe workplaces and practices in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, has just passed its international certification for information security.

Camilleri Construction is a building firm which concentrates on insurance-related projects, so the provision of the global standard ISO 27001 is crucial when handling data in the financial and insurance sector.

The company said that they had successfully managed to juggle all of the challenges of 2020 so far, and that they were particularly delighted to have been given the ‘seal of approval’ regarding their handling of policy holder and client information.

Ceri Camilleri, Risk & Compliance Manager at Camilleri Construction, said: “This year has been a difficult one for so many people and businesses alike, and we have been no different – which is why we have been particularly indebted to the work of our ISO consultants, The Ideas Distillery, who have supported us again this year in securing our ISO 27001 certificate with no issues whatsoever.

“In February, residents of houses and commercial properties in South Wales, and other areas of the UK, were battling flooding as a series of storms battered parts of the country. As they sort through sodden possessions in the aftermath, saving what they could, many were made homeless and told it could be up to nine months before they could return to their homes.

“Camilleri Construction quickly mobilised to try to turn around as many of these houses as possible and took on 80 flood-related projects, working long hours to get people out of emergency accommodation and back into their homes and businesses as soon as possible.

“Refurbishment of these houses and commercial properties were progressing steadily, until the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Driven by the thought of many homeowners and businesses enduring the trauma of being locked down, we were determined to redouble our efforts to complete as many projects as quickly as possible.

“During this time we were audit against our full suite of standards – ISO 9001 which is our quality systems; ISO 14001 is about our environmental performance; ISO 445001 which shows our commitment to health and safety; and ISO 27001 which demonstrates our competency in handling information securely.

“I want to pay testament to the professionalism and sheer hard work given to us by our consultants, The Ideas Distillery, in making sure these went utterly smoothly, with no issues – even minor ones – given in our audits, despite the difficult conditions we were working under.

“We now want to look forward to playing our part in rebuilding our economy which has taken a battering thanks to the pandemic,” she said.

Camilleri Construction is a CIOB Chartered Building Company and NHBC Registered Builder specialising in high-net-worth insurance repairs. The Company is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 27001:2013, and achieved the 2020 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold award.

The company also supports defence personnel and has recently received the bronze award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. It aims to achieve the Silver Award in 2021 as part of its continuing recruitment strategy supporting defence personnel.

Russell Lawson. Managing Director of The Ideas Distillery, said: “This is fantastic news for Camilleri Construction and, as a company, they really deserve it.

“They are a great company to work with, and really take their compliance obligations seriously – all of the standards they operate they genuinely live throughout their whole business, which is obviously why they are the go-to construction company for insurance firms operating in South Wales and the West.

“This is exactly the type of company that we need to nurture and develop and will be crucial to any recovery post-COVID.

“If anyone wants to take a look at how a company should operate with an emphasis on using management systems, developing a competent workforce and having a focus on quality and customer satisfaction, then they shouldn’t look any further than this company.

“We wish Camilleri Construction continued success in everything they do,” he said.