A Birmingham scaffolder has been prevented from running a business for 11 years after he was abusing the government’s Covid-19 Bounce Back Loan scheme.MC-Dalt Scaffolding Services boss, David McGuinness, 41, has been found to have claimed a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan by inflating his company’s turnover and transferring the funds for personal use.According to the Insolvency Service, McGuinness received a Bounce Back Loan of £50,000 on behalf of the company in May 2020.The scaffolder then applied to dissolve the business two months later, which led to the Insolvency Service opening an investigation.Investigators found that McGuinness had stated the company’s turnover as nearly £300,000 when its accounts for 2019 showed a turnover of less than £20,000. The company would have only qualified for a Bounce Back Loan of around £4,000.Also, instead of using the Bounce Back Loan money for proper company use, the day after receiving the funds, he transferred nearly £15,000 out of the company’s account, with the bank reference ‘Dave’. In addition, £35,000 was transferred to a variety of third parties.When applying to dissolve the company, McGuinness was legally required to notify interested parties and creditors, such as a bank with an outstanding loan, within seven days and that a failure to do so could result in criminal prosecution. He did not follow this advice however.On 13 December 2022, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a disqualification undertaking from David McGuinness after he did not dispute he had abused the Bounce Back Loan scheme by claiming money to which his business was not entitled.His ban will last for 11 years and began on 3 January 2023. The disqualification prevents him from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without the court’s permission.Peter Smith, Deputy Head of Insolvent Investigations at the Insolvency Service, said: “The Bounce Back Loan scheme was set up to support businesses in genuine need during the pandemic, and David McGuinness clearly abused it by making false declarations to his company’s bank.This lengthy disqualification is a sign that we take such abuse extremely seriously and will act to tackle wrongdoing by these directors.”
National construction charity Band of Builders’ collection of branded workwear and fashion clothing has just got bigger.It unveiled a range of new workwear developed by Regatta Professional to help tradespeople wear their charity support on their sleeves. Regatta Professional launched the first phase of Band of Builders workwear last summer and has quickly followed this up with the second phase of clothing to introduce more fashion workwear lines.The clothing has been specially designed to be worn both on-site and as casual wear.The new workwear will also help boost the charity’s funds, as Regatta Professional will donate based on all items sold.The new collection can be ordered directly at www.regatta.com/collections/band-of-builders/ and Regatta Professional is working with its network of stockists to promote the range. It is also in talks with some leading builders’ merchant chains about adding the new range to their branches, stores and online.The theme of the impressive new collection heroes the distinctive Band of Builders branding, and the clothing features t-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, shorts, builders’ trousers, holster trousers, body warmers, softshell jackets, waterproof jackets and insulated jackets. The colour scheme focuses on black, dark khaki or ash clothing.Regatta Professional’s Managing Director, Anthony Haber, said that the new clothing line is an excellent opportunity for people to show their support for the charity.“The whole team continue to be deeply impressed and moved by the incredible work undertaken by Band of Builders. The collection is a great way for everyone connected with them to get high-quality, durable clothing that plays its own role in raising awareness of the charity,” he said.“A sense of corporate responsibility and giving back to the community also pervades our DNA at Regatta Professional; therefore, we felt a natural synergy with Band of Builders and are proud to be their official workwear supplier.”Band of Builders CEO Gavin Crane is full of praise for the new collection and thanked Regatta Professional for being the driving force in developing a clothing range that appeals not just to tradespeople but also to the wider public to help them show their support for the charity.“Workwear has always been incredibly popular with our supporters, and having a dedicated workwear range that is from a quality brand and allows them to show their support literally on their sleeves is a wonderful addition to our own ranges of project-focused merchandise,” said Gavin.He added: “Band of Builders is a great place to be right now, as we are gaining momentum across several fronts – such as delivering practical projects, providing wellbeing services to support mental health and even offering financial assistance to tradespeople who are battling illness or injury, making a life-changing difference to them and their families. Our tie-up with Regatta Professional allows us to continue developing the buy-in and loyalty for our Band of Builders community – and beyond!”
Safety decking company, G-DECK has reached a significant milestone of ten successful years in business.G-DECK, a Leicester-based firm that manufactures and supplies safety deck systems for the UK construction industry, is celebrating after an entire decade in business.With a large factory in both the UK and Poland that helped increase capacity, the company has become one of the UK’s leading firms in safety decking due to its continued development of new safety systems for the industry. The company has grown year after year with its three core safety decking systems, G-DECK Standard, Lite, and Dual. G-DECK also offers a range of solid hatches and gates for various construction applications.“The last ten years have been nothing short of incredible for G-DECK,” its Director, Ty Wilson, told Scaffmag.“We’ve always known that our products push boundaries through innovation, but customer response has been humbling and thrilling all at once. Having experienced good growth year after year spurred us to push ourselves further than we ever expected when launching our first platform in 2013.”We’ve since released countless updates, tweaks, and brand-new features on all our systems and access products, all with one ultimate goal: to ensure users feel safe while using our platforms,” Wilson said. “G-DECKs journey over the last decade hasn’t just been about developing cutting-edge technology – it’s also been about providing a sense of security that comes with it.”Now, the company is focusing on the next phase in its history, as Wilson explained: “We continually are researching, exploring, and developing new upgrades and innovations as well as new products, which we will continue to release on our future roadmap.”
A new manufacturing facility has been opened by StepUp Scaffold in Columbia.
According to reports, the factory boasts a state-of-the-art welding system with multi-bay robotic machinery as well as the potential for expansion, which some sources claim.
StepUp’s new manufacturing plant is scheduled to open its doors on Friday.
In comments made to the media, the company’s Managing Director Knud Hljland has revealed that the company’s first shipments have already left the plant, heading for the east coast and gulf coast regions in the United States.
With a subsidiary in the UK, StepUp Scaffold is a division of Sunshine Enterprises established in Memphis in 1998. In addition to frame and brace scaffolds and ringlock scaffolds, it also manufactures cuplock scaffolds, shoring products, and other access equipment for the North American market.
As part of a campaign to turn former inmates into scaffolders, the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) is set to make presentations at four prisons over the next two weeks.
The NASC’s Returning Citizens campaign which aims to bring more workers into the scaffolding industry has gained more interest and attention from HMP institutions across the country.
NASC’s Training Officer, Henry Annafi along with special guests are set to visit and deliver presentations at HMP North Sea Camp, HMP Stocken, HMP Wormwood Scrubs and again visit the Category-A and high-profile HMP Belmarsh.
As part of the series of presentations, inmates will be given the opportunity to use VR headsets to allow them to experience what scaffolding is like in an immersive environment.
PHD’s Site Manager Lukasz Rozpiorski who is a former Returning Citizen himself and mentors prisoners in his spare time will also attend the prison visits with Henry. He will be sharing his experiences of being a former prisoner and how scaffolding had been the vehicle for him to change his life.
“I’m so blessed to be able to share my experience with these lads,” Rozpiorski said at a previous visit at HMP Blemarsh.“I can’t wait to do more of this work and I’m incredibly grateful to PHD for allowing me this opportunity to change people’s lives,”
NASC’s acting Managing Director, Dave Mosley said: “NASC and Henry in particular, have put a huge amount of effort into getting this initiative off the ground. “He has formed excellent working partnerships with Prisons, the Ministry of Justice, Training Providers and very importantly the NASC membership, who have proven very willing to offer people a chance for a new and rewarding career in Scaffolding.”
Munich-based start-up Kewazo has eyes on a North American expansion after raising a further $10 million in funding for its scaffolding robot LIFTBOT.
US Venture capital firm Fifth Wall has become KEWAZO’s newest partner following the company’s first significant round of venture capital financing. The Series A funding round raised $10 million, bringing the total funds raised to-date to approximately $20 million. The new investment comes hot on the heels of Kewazo’s $5 million Pre-Series A round that closed in September 2021.
“We have an excellent group of partners coming together that will enable us to keep building a leading company in construction robotics,” stated Artem Kuchukov, CEO and Co-Founder of KEWAZO.
“This influx of capital will propel us to expand our sophisticated robotic fleet across Europe and North America, in tandem with enabling us to build out our additional digital services.”
KEWAZO both automates and digitizes the on-site material flow via state-of-the-art robotics and data analytics. The company’s initial product LIFTBOT, an intelligent scaffolding robot hoist for construction and industrial sites, is empowered by the data analytics platform ONSITE.
Since 2021, a dozen LIFTBOTs have been active in Europe’s iconic construction sites and leading industrial plants in the oil, gas, energy and chemical industries, including with key industry names Bilfinger & Altrad.“Labor shortage continues to be the most acute challenge facing the construction industry today,” shared Miguel Nigorra Esteban, Partner at Fifth Wall. “Artem and his entire team at Kewazo are laser-focused on solving this head-on, bringing much-needed automation and robotics to the trillion-dollar construction industry. We’re thrilled to be a part of their category-defining growth.”
Upon inception, KEWAZO initially honed in on scaffolding assembly with its robot, a $50 billion industry in which more than 80% of projects are still manually undertaken. With the implementation of LIFTBOT, 70% of man-hours are now saved, addressing the critical labour shortage and simultaneously reducing the risk of accidents and improving overall working conditions on-site.
By being involved in critical on-site activities, LIFTBOT collects key operational data. This data is then processed and provided to customers as actionable insights via the data analytics platform. This enhances the transparency of what happens on-site at construction sites and industrial plants, leading to a multitude of advantages, including data-driven and proactive project management.
With minor adjustments, the technology may be applied to allied activities such as insulation, painting and other on-site material transport. KEWAZO’s vision is to automate and digitize the entire on-site logistics — from the arrival of materials at the construction site to their utilization.
The KEWAZO team.“I think it is very useful that companies like KEWAZO are disrupting our business. We will have problems in finding and keeping good personnel – this will be our main focus in the coming years and decades. These innovations are very helpful in attracting and motivating our coworkers and help us to provide our customers with cost-effective and safe services, “ said Bart Gyssels, Chief Innovation Officer at Altrad Services Benelux.
More than 60,000 CSCS industry skills cards issued under Industry Accreditation (IA) aka ‘Grandfather Rights’ are set to be banned on 31st December 2024 and cannot be renewed.
CSCS stopped issuing new cards on the strength of an employer recommendation / Grandfather Rights in 2015. However, over 60,000 existing cards have continued to be renewed.
The Construction Leadership Council’s drive for a fully trained and competent workforce includes the end of all CSCS Industry Accreditation cards issued from 1st January 2020.
IA allowed experienced workers to obtain CSCS cards on the strength of an employer recommendation rather than the achievement of a recognised qualification.
Now, as of the end of next year, those industry accreditation (IA) cards will become invalid. It means that all CSCS cards will only be issued if the holder has or is in the process of gaining a recognised qualification.
What each individual cardholder needs to do to get a CSCS card depends on their occupation and what qualifications they may already hold.
New guidance is available on the CSCS website that outlines what CSCS IA cardholders must do before the deadline.
Sean Kearns, Chief Executive at CSCS said: “IA cardholders will not need to attend college as much of the assessment can be delivered remotely. Many IA cardholders will find it a straightforward process to replace their cards, such as moving across to the Academically or Professionally Qualified Persons cards. In addition, those who no longer attend site or are in non-construction related occupations will not require a card.”The new guidance and support will help cardholders to either retain their card via the S/NVQ or to easily transition to another CSCS card. We would urge employers, trade associations, awarding organisations and training providers to put plans in place to support these workers ahead of the December 2024 withdrawal.”
West Midlands-based Scaffolding and building equipment supplier Generation (UK) recently achieved a turnover exceeding £130m according to new documents.
Owned by the Altrad Group, Generation (UK), which trades as Altrad Generation Hire & Sales, is the UK’s largest scaffolding and no-mechanical building equipment supplier. The business provides scaffolding for sale and hire and other construction supplies through its network of branches across both the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
According to its latest financial statements, the company generated £134.4m in turnover for the year ending 31 August 2022, a significant increase over £97.4m the previous year.
In the same period, pre-tax profits increased from £13.3m to £19.4m.
In a statement approved by the board said: “Trading conditions remained strong but competitive in the year ended 31 August 2022, with price increases and product availability affecting the market.“Post-year-end trading has remained strong, with the performance being in line with expectations.”
The Generation (UK) brand has grown dramatically over the past few years following numerous industry mergers and buyouts, most recently with the acquisition of Actavo Hire & Sales in August 2021 for an estimated £40 million.
Construction workers are still in high demand despite economic uncertainty, according to new data.
New figures in a report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) reveal that in order to meet UK construction demand by 2027, almost 225,000 extra workers will be needed.
If the projected growth is met by 2027, there will be 2.67 million construction workers.
The CITB’s annual Construction Skills Network (CSN) report also shows construction output is set to grow for all nations and regions, however, a recession is expected in 2023 with slow growth returning in 2024 the report says.
The report highlights that construction is expected to remain a sector where there is demand for workers despite the current economic uncertainty. As a result, recruitment, training, development and upskilling remain major priorities for the industry for 2023 and beyond.
CITB is responding by investing in apprenticeships, launching a range of targeted initiatives and working collaboratively with industry, to help the construction sector have a skilled, competent, and inclusive workforce.
“The latest CSN report clearly shows that despite current economic uncertainty, recruiting and developing the workforce remains vital to ensure the industry can contribute to economic growth,” says Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive.
“We know the next 18 months won’t be easy, however, I remain inspired by the construction industry’s resilience shown in the pandemic and throughout 2022.“In short, it makes clear that the need to recruit and retain talent in the sector has never been greater. Whether that’s for building the homes the country needs, constructing energy and transport infrastructure or retrofitting the built environment to help drive down energy bills and meet net-zero targets.“To bolster the industry’s resilience, CITB will strive to attract and train a diverse range of recruits for the industry, equipping them with modern skills for rewarding construction careers. I look forward to working with and supporting industry and stakeholders in the challenging times ahead and to emerging stronger when the recession ends.”
In a bid to expand its business, PERI has acquired German formwork specialist Implenia Schalungsbau, the formwork division of Implenia.
Located in Bobenheim-Roxheim, the company provides intelligent and complete formwork construction services for a wide range of projects.
As Peri describes it, the deal “perfectly aligns” with the company’s current product offering, which it describes as “urgently needed capacities,” and it will allow them to invest in both the infrastructure and high-rise segments as it says these are urgently needed in the business.
This acquisition will allow Implenia to “focus on the core portfolio” and advance its asset-light strategy, it says.
Upon closing of the deal, all 46 employees of Implenia Schalungsbau will remain, while the company will become Peri Schalungsbau. No changes to the running of the business is expected.
“The PERI Germany team is happy about the personnel reinforcement and we warmly welcome all new colleagues to PERI. We have already worked very well together in the past and are happy to have them in our team,” says Stefan Schurwonn, Head of Commercial Operations at PERI Germany.
“With this purchase, we are expanding our competences and capacities in special formwork construction and in the areas of “Infrastructure” and ” High Rise”. This is an important step for PERI Germany to further strengthen our market position and achieve our ambitious growth targets for the coming years.”
Regatta Professional’s Managing Director, Anthony Haber, said that the new clothing line is an excellent opportunity for people to show their support for the charity.
“The whole team continue to be deeply impressed and moved by the incredible work undertaken by Band of Builders. The collection is a great way for everyone connected with them to get high-quality, durable clothing that plays its own role in raising awareness of the charity,” he said.
“A sense of corporate responsibility and giving back to the community also pervades our DNA at Regatta Professional; therefore, we felt a natural synergy with Band of Builders and are proud to be their official workwear supplier.”
Band of Builders CEO Gavin Crane is full of praise for the new collection and thanked Regatta Professional for being the driving force in developing a clothing range that appeals not just to tradespeople but also to the wider public to help them show their support for the charity.
“Workwear has always been incredibly popular with our supporters, and having a dedicated workwear range that is from a quality brand and allows them to show their support literally on their sleeves is a wonderful addition to our own ranges of project-focused merchandise,” said Gavin.
He added: “Band of Builders is a great place to be right now, as we are gaining momentum across several fronts – such as delivering practical projects, providing wellbeing services to support mental health and even offering financial assistance to tradespeople who are battling illness or injury, making a life-changing difference to them and their families.
Our tie-up with Regatta Professional allows us to continue developing the buy-in and loyalty for our Band of Builders community – and beyond!” 
Regatta Professional’s Managing Director, Anthony Haber, said that the new clothing line is an excellent opportunity for people to show their support for the charity.
“The whole team continue to be deeply impressed and moved by the incredible work undertaken by Band of Builders. The collection is a great way for everyone connected with them to get high-quality, durable clothing that plays its own role in raising awareness of the charity,” he said.
“A sense of corporate responsibility and giving back to the community also pervades our DNA at Regatta Professional; therefore, we felt a natural synergy with Band of Builders and are proud to be their official workwear supplier.”
Band of Builders CEO Gavin Crane is full of praise for the new collection and thanked Regatta Professional for being the driving force in developing a clothing range that appeals not just to tradespeople but also to the wider public to help them show their support for the charity.
“Workwear has always been incredibly popular with our supporters, and having a dedicated workwear range that is from a quality brand and allows them to show their support literally on their sleeves is a wonderful addition to our own ranges of project-focused merchandise,” said Gavin.
He added: “Band of Builders is a great place to be right now, as we are gaining momentum across several fronts – such as delivering practical projects, providing wellbeing services to support mental health and even offering financial assistance to tradespeople who are battling illness or injury, making a life-changing difference to them and their families.
Our tie-up with Regatta Professional allows us to continue developing the buy-in and loyalty for our Band of Builders community – and beyond!” 
“Labor shortage continues to be the most acute challenge facing the construction industry today,” shared Miguel Nigorra Esteban, Partner at Fifth Wall. “Artem and his entire team at Kewazo are laser-focused on solving this head-on, bringing much-needed automation and robotics to the trillion-dollar construction industry. We’re thrilled to be a part of their category-defining growth.”
Upon inception, KEWAZO initially honed in on scaffolding assembly with its robot, a $50 billion industry in which more than 80% of projects are still manually undertaken. With the implementation of LIFTBOT, 70% of man-hours are now saved, addressing the critical labour shortage and simultaneously reducing the risk of accidents and improving overall working conditions on-site.
By being involved in critical on-site activities, LIFTBOT collects key operational data. This data is then processed and provided to customers as actionable insights via the data analytics platform. This enhances the transparency of what happens on-site at construction sites and industrial plants, leading to a multitude of advantages, including data-driven and proactive project management.
With minor adjustments, the technology may be applied to allied activities such as insulation, painting and other on-site material transport. KEWAZO’s vision is to automate and digitize the entire on-site logistics — from the arrival of materials at the construction site to their utilization.
“Labor shortage continues to be the most acute challenge facing the construction industry today,” shared Miguel Nigorra Esteban, Partner at Fifth Wall. “Artem and his entire team at Kewazo are laser-focused on solving this head-on, bringing much-needed automation and robotics to the trillion-dollar construction industry. We’re thrilled to be a part of their category-defining growth.”
Upon inception, KEWAZO initially honed in on scaffolding assembly with its robot, a $50 billion industry in which more than 80% of projects are still manually undertaken. With the implementation of LIFTBOT, 70% of man-hours are now saved, addressing the critical labour shortage and simultaneously reducing the risk of accidents and improving overall working conditions on-site.
By being involved in critical on-site activities, LIFTBOT collects key operational data. This data is then processed and provided to customers as actionable insights via the data analytics platform. This enhances the transparency of what happens on-site at construction sites and industrial plants, leading to a multitude of advantages, including data-driven and proactive project management.
With minor adjustments, the technology may be applied to allied activities such as insulation, painting and other on-site material transport. KEWAZO’s vision is to automate and digitize the entire on-site logistics — from the arrival of materials at the construction site to their utilization.
