Briggs and Forrester bullish about building services market

Building services specialist Briggs and Forrester Group is predicting significant growth this year with a predicted 24% jump in turnover to £225m.

The firm has revealed a strong set of results for 2017 and has managed to avoid a major hit from the collapse of Carillion.

Group CEO Paul Burton said: “The Group has celebrated another successful year with a pre-tax profit of £5.7m on revenues of £182m generating a strong year-end balance sheet position and a cash balance of £32.5m.

“The Group was fortunate not to suffer significantly from Carillion’s demise and moves forward positively without any material financial impact to the business.”

Briggs and Forrester has a strong secured forward order book of £296m and a healthy pipeline of projects in the final stages of negotiation totalling more than £130m.

Burton said: “This gives a record £430m potential forward order book position supporting an aspiration to deliver £250m of revenue in 2019.”

Notable wins include major residential developments in London like One Blackfriars Tower and Newfoundland Tower in Canary Wharf.

Education wins include the St. Mary Magdalene school in Greenwich and new build Cryfields Student Accommodation at the University of Warwick plus further deals secured with Dyson in Malmesbury on the D5, D7 and D8 facilities.

Burton said, “Despite the significant increase in revenues being forecast, the Group has planned for growth and invested in the necessary infrastructure and staff to service our valued client’s ongoing forward requirements.”

The firm now employs over 800 staff across 11 UK based offices and was a winner at last year’s Construction Enquirer Awards

Burton said: “During 2017 the Group won the coveted Construction Enquirer ‘Best Specialist Contractor to work for over £25m’ award.

“This is highly prized by the Group as it was voted for by our employees, supply chain and clients.

“Moving into 2018, we are very proud of our 70 year heritage and with a focused owner managed team approach we can deliver on our commitment to providing ‘Excellence at every level’, with an emphasis on the needs of our clients, staff and all-important supply chain.”

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2018/02/20/briggs-and-forrester-bullish-about-building-services-market/

Major Carillion shareholder considered suing directors

An investment giant who held a 10% stake in Carillion considered suing the collapsed contractor over losses before its demise.

Kiltearn Partners told the ongoing Parliamentary enquiry into Carillion’s collapse that they had “considered participation in civil legal action against Carillion with a view to recovering a proportion of its clients’ crystalised losses.”

Kiltearn held 10% of the company’s shares in February and May 2017 ahead of the eventually-fatal £845m profit warnings and provisions in July 2017.

Klitearn told MPs that Carillion’s published information, including historic annual reports, could “no longer be considered reliable and consequently no effective assessment of its finances could be made.”

The MPs heard that other investors were “fleeing for the hills” while Carillion and its auditors were insisting things were still going well.

Rachel Reeves MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, said: “Investors spotted that Carillion was heading for disaster and fled.

“The company had unsustainably high levels of debt, weak cash-generation and was saddled with a widening pensions deficit.

Carillion’s annual reports were worthless as a guide to the true financial health of the company.

The fact that it was impossible to get a true sense of the assets, liabilities and cash generation of the business raises serious questions about Carillion’s corporate governance.

KPMG will have to explain why they signed-off on accounts which appeared to bear so little relation to reality.”

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2018/02/19/major-carillion-shareholder-considered-suing-directors/

Contractors wanted for £650m power plant

Aarsleff Ground Engineering awarded piling contract for new Stadium Leisure Complex in York

On behalf of main client, Greenwich Leisure Ltd & Wrenbridge York Sport Ltd, Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd has awarded Aarsleff Ground Engineering the piling works for the New Stadium Leisure Complex in York.  The new Stadium Leisure Complex Project will combine sport, health and educational facilities and once completed, will include an 8,000 all seater stadium to be shared by York City Football Club and York City Knights Rugby League Club, swimming facilities, cinema, gym, dance studio and a sports hall with spectator seating. The scheme will also house a wide range of community facilities, catering and hospitality venues and family leisure activities.

The initial enquiry was specified as a CFA pile design, however Aarsleff sought early engagement with Buckingham Group to detail the benefits of a driven precast alternative. Aarsleff collaborated with Arup in front of order receipt, to propose the most efficient solution for the project.

Owing to the offsite benefits of precast piling in relation to low carbon footprint, factory quality piles and no spoil away during installation, Aarsleff’s Foundations Estimator Euan Allison comments: “Quite simply, we are putting less material in the ground, to achieve the same end”.

Aarsleff Ground Engineering are on site now installing 925 No precast concrete piles up to 250mm diameter and pile lengths varying from 9 to 14m. Piles will be driven with 3 of Aarsleff’s own Junttan Rigs, including the PMx22. Aarsleff’s work will provide the foundations for the Retail, Leisure and East Stand buildings.

For more information about Aarsleff Ground Engineering and its driven precast piling solutions, contact the company on 01636 611140 or email info@aarsleff.co.uk

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2018/02/12/aarsleff-ground-engineering-awarded-piling-contract-for-new-stadium-leisure-complex-in-york/

Carillion were chasing claims of £260m before collapse

Carillion bosses were pursuing or planning claims for over £260m on seven contracts before the firm collapsed.

The extent of claims it planned to chase were revealed in the board’s business plan put to its banks and the Government in the board’s failed attempt to buy extra time with emergency funding.

This also revealed that it had written £1.1bn off its balance sheet due to legacy contracts, delays in settlements and PFI transactions.

The claims dossier opens an avenue for the Official Receiver, overseeing Carillion’s liquidation, to pursue although in practice claims are usually written off because they are difficult to pursue following corporate collapse.

The claims were also being contested providing no real guarantee of the estimated claw-back.

According to the business plan the board believed it could claim £43m on the delayed Royal Liverpool Hospital PFI contract, including recovery of claims from third parties of £34m following problems with concrete beams on the project.

Its other legacy hospital, the Midlands Metropolitan Hospital, was targeted for completion in June 2019 because of problems with building services on the project.

The report reveals that the board was predicting it could recover an Aecom claim of £10m by June this year.

On its Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route three-way joint venture project Carillion said it hoped to recover £25m from Transport for Scotland by this summer and further cash of £15m from designers and insurance by the end of £2018.

Carillion also believed it could recover £16m from its phase one residential project for the Battersea PowerStation development, which was delivered nearly a year late.

On its downtown Doha project in Qatar, the board reported that it had agreement from Msheireb Properties for extension of time claims amounting to £97m.

Meanwhile the Government has revealed that it has already spent £150m on financing the wind down of Carillion.

The cash has been used by the Official Receiver to keep some services running, and for legal fees.

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2018/02/08/carillion-were-chasing-claims-of-260m-before-collapse/

SCS AND CA ROOFING SERVICES SECURE PHASE TWO OF RUSHDEN LAKES

Having successfully completed work on phase one of the £140m Rushden Lakes development in the Nene Valley, Northamptonshire, CA Roofing Services, along with CA Group’s specialist cladding division SCS, has confirmed that it has been awarded phase two of the development.

 

The second phase of work consists of an additional single storey terrace, bringing the total number of terraces, featuring some of UK’s biggest high street shopping brands, to four. In addition, phase two will include a large leisure block, which will be split into a Cineworld 14-screen iMax cinema complex and a selection of restaurants serving a range of premium food and beverages.

 

Danny Nelson, Business Delivery Director for Winvic, explained: “Phase one of activity at Rushden Lakes saw the site really begin to take shape but this second phase will transform it into a recognisable retail, leisure and tourism destination. Our success in securing this additional phase, is due in no small part to the dedication and level of expertise on which we were able to draw, from within our own business and that of our carefully chosen partners.”

 

The development will feature a combination of CA Group’s Twin-Therm® built-up roof and wall system on the terrace and the company’s River-Therm® secret fix roof system, on the cinema complex, the latter being specified due to the roof pitch being as low as two degrees, necessitating the need for a standing seam system.

 

Shop fronts will be clad in a combination of stone rainscreen from Shackerley (Holdings) Group Limited, sourced in Italy and fabricated in Chorley, Lancashire, and CA Group’s Prime SFX Rainscreen System, which will be modified to various depths and widths in order to create a visually stunning 3D effect.

 

Michael Cinnamond, Divisional Manager for Specialist Cladding Systems, explained: “The combination of buildings on the project and their various functions enables us as a team to demonstrate our wide ranging skills and ability to adapt and integrate various products into the development for maximum effect. As a single source supplier, with manufacturing capability and extensive know-how in this area, we welcome the opportunity to take on and resolve the challenges presented by such a groundbreaking development.”

 

At a height of 28 meters, the cinema complex towers above the other buildings on the development. In order to maximise its aesthetic appeal, the upper section of the building will be clad in mirror-polished, stainless steel panels, designed to reflect the sky.

 

Steven Forster, Sales and Estimating Director, CA Roofing Services, added:  “We are delighted to have secured phase two of this showcase development, working closely with main contractor Winvic, a relationship which has been built on many years of successful collaboration.”

 

Work on the project is expected to complete in August 2018.

 

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2018/02/05/scs-and-ca-roofing-services-secure-phase-two-of-rushden-lakes/

Aarsleff Ground Engineering wins soil nailing contract for major road widening scheme

On behalf of client Torbay Council, main contractor Dyer and Butler has awarded Aarsleff Ground Engineering the soil nailing contract to stabilise the embankment as part of a major Highways widening scheme on the A3022 Brixham Road between Clayland Cross and Wilkins Drive.

The widening of Brixham Road is part of the Western Corridor scheme – one of the Local Enterprise Partnership’s portfolio of strategic infrastructure projects that will help to generate growth throughout the whole of Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.

Specifically, Aarsleff will install 378 No. self-drilled fully galvanised soil nails, of 6m length. Aarsleff will install the soil nails with their excavator mounted hütte drill mast.

Owing to the success of the contract win, Aarsleff’s Assistant Manager for Geotechnical Jonathan Greener said “Combined with our in-house knowledge and expertise on how to stabilise a steep bank or cutting, we ensure our geotechnical solutions will cause minimal disruption to highway schemes like this”.

Aarsleff will be on site from the 29th February for an estimated 6-week programme.

Executive Lead for Community Services, Councillor Robert Excell, said: “These works show Torbay Council’s commitment to improving one of our major routes, to reduce congestion and allow for future growth within this area.

“We have been successful in obtaining significant funding from the Local Enterprise Partnership and this scheme is the final phase of the current programme of works to improve sections of Brixham Road and Kings Ash Road. This will improve transport links for both residents and businesses and promote future economic growth.”

Steve Hindley CBE DL, Chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership said: “At the start of 2018 it’s great to see yet another one of our Growth Deal projects being delivered in Torbay. The widening of Brixham Road is part of the Western Corridor scheme – one of the LEP’s portfolio of strategic infrastructure projects that will help to generate growth throughout the whole of Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.

Hindley added, “I look forward to seeing the project take shape and start to open up the route to make it more efficient for businesses to thrive in the area.”

For more information about Aarsleff Ground Engineering and its soil nailing solutions, contact the company on 01636 611140

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2018/02/02/aarsleff-ground-engineering-wins-soil-nailing-contract-for-major-road-widening-scheme/