Andrew Smith Leads Avontus Software into Strategic New Growth

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Andrew Smith Leads Avontus Software into Strategic New Growth

Andrew Smith, former Vice President of Operations at Avontus Software, has now been promoted to CEO after seven years of driving operational excellence and growth in the company. 

Avontus Software, headquartered in the US, has announced internal changes in its management team. Andrew Smith is now the CEO of one of the most advanced industry-leading scaffolding software companies, replacing Brian Webb, the outgoing CEO and founder of the company. Moving forward, it’s understood Webb will refocus his efforts on software development and design, which is where his passion lies.
Andrew Smith has served the company as Vice President of Operations since 2018. Prior to that role, he led the sales team as Sales Director of EMEA since joining the company in 2014. This promotion comes at a pivotal time in the company’s 19-year history, as the management team focuses their efforts on accelerating growth and international expansion. 
“Andrew’s impact at Avontus has been immense over the last few years,” says Webb. “He’s helped drive the company’s growth, scale the organization, and cultivate a culture that empowers our people to learn, grow and do their best work. As CEO, he’ll continue to lead the business forward, enabling me to work more closely with customers to develop new technologies that enable their businesses to reach new heights.” 
Smith said, “During the pandemic and while looking forward, we focused on solidifying our roadmaps for the future and driving future business growth. We still maintained a strong position in the industry by keeping the team together and motivated, even as we were working remotely. These efforts have paid off as we took the opportunity to look at markets objectively and found areas we can grow business-wise.” 
As a scaffolding software company that enables scaffolding manufacturers and contractors to achieve digital transformation through industry-specific technology, Avontus is well-positioned to answer the current market’s demands and challenges. 
The company – with offices in the US, United Kingdom, and Australia –  is not only expanding to new markets such as South Africa this year, but is also working on a new, cloud-based product that is set to transform the scaffolding industry with job site and project management capabilities.
Smith said, “We have been busy working away on this new addition to our software range for a while, and we are excited to share it with key industry players – whether big or small – soon. The capabilities of this software have the potential to transform site management and help our customers achieve their goals during these uncertain times. It will also drastically improve communication and interaction between all parties on the job site.”

CISRS Introduces Second Round of Subsidised CPD Courses

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CISRS Introduces Second Round of Subsidised CPD Courses

The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) will once again be funding a number of subsidised CPD courses across the UK this Summer/Autumn.

CISRS are working with a number of training centres enabling the delivery of CPD  programmes for only £50 per delegate. “As a not-for-profit organisation, CISRS is always keen to find ways of assisting the sector and feels this is a good use of resources, especially at this difficult time”, CISRS said. The commissioning of these 30+ courses attended by over 400 delegates around the UK, has seen CISRS reinvest in excess of £130K to date in 2021. Similar funded programmes have been in place since the inception of CPD in 2017. CISRS has said it will waive the usual costs of the delegate training folders and card application fees normally incurred in the delivery of these courses. Rick Statham Joint Managing Director of Safety and Access one of the providers taking part in the initiative said: “The funded CPD training from CISRS is a very welcome gesture both to individuals and businesses. Whilst the construction industry is in the main fairly buoyant at the moment, none of us can predict, what’s around the corner, so an opportunity for people to renew their qualifications and therefore remains fully employable for the next 5 years is vital.” Dave Mosley CISRS Managing Director added: “CISRS CPD has been in place for almost 4 years and has been a great success with around 25,000 operatives attending in that period.   As a trade, scaffolding does not always get the credit it deserves, we have a robust scheme in place and have recognised that CPD is an important part of it. Pressure is mounting from wider industry on those sectors yet to introduce CPD or refresher training their qualifications.  We are currently in the process of reviewing the results of the recent CPD survey which went out in November last year and remained open for 3 months. We will take the responses into consideration, prior to launching phase 2 next summer.” The subsidised CPD courses will be held at the following centres:
  • AIS (Aberdeen) 26th-27th June 2021
  • AIS (North Shields) 26th-27th June 2021
  • CITB Northern Ireland (Crumlin) 1st-2nd September 2021
  • CWIC Swansea 5th-6th July 2021
  • Construction College Midlands 18th-19th August 2021
  • LTC (Cullompton) 12th-13th August 2021
  • LTC (Plymouth) 9th-10th August 2021
  • NCC East (Bircham Newton) 12th-13th July 2021
  • NCC Scotland (Inchinnan) 6th-7th September 2021
  • NCC (Erith) 26th-27th July 2021
  • NETA (Stockton) 29th-30th July 2021
  • Safety and Access (Nottingham) 26th-27th August 2021
  • Safety and Access (Immingham) 31st August – 1st September 2021 • Simian (Warrington) 28th-29th July 2021
  • Simian (Waltham Forest) 5th-6th August 2021
  • Simian (Weston Super Mare) 23rd-24th August 2021
  • Simian Aspects (Coventry) 26th-27th August 2021
  • Simian CIST (Anglesey) 8th-9th September 2021
Delegates will need to contact the training centres directly to check availability. CISRS centre contact details can be found on the CISRS Website

UK construction job vacancies rise to highest figure in 20 years

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Official data on construction from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the highest number of UK construction job vacancies for 20 years.

The data shows between March and May, the number of UK construction job vacancies has risen to 35,000, the highest figure since records began twenty years ago in 2001. The figure has risen by 6,000 from the previous period. “One of the clearest signs of an industry recovering from hardship is its companies beginning to hire new staff once again,” says Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect. “It’s fantastic news as it shows that construction businesses are optimistic for the future and confident enough financially to take on new employees. “Such confidence may be inspired by increases in the number of hours worked by construction staff, with the average now standing at 34.7, having risen continuously since the start of the year.” “Earnings have therefore risen accordingly and between February and March, average weekly takings jumped by £33 to £675. “Furthermore, it’s not just large companies that are seeing signs of progress – the number of self-employed construction workers is also on the rise. Having fallen consistently since June 2020, the latest data shows that the number of self-employed individuals increased by 6,000 between December and March this year, from 237,000 up to 243,000. “All of this points to a positive outlook for the construction industry and we can look forward to a bright summer.”

Bilfinger UK opens new regional office in Scotland

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Bilfinger UK opens new regional office in Scotland

Engineering and industrial services provider Bilfinger UK has opened a new regional office in Falkirk following a succession of recent contract wins in Scotland.

The new site will provide a base for 20 employees and create the platform and infrastructure to support further growth for the business in Scotland.

Several of Bilfinger UK’s regional client’s contracts will be managed centrally from the new office, located in Grangemouth.

Martin Beale, Regional Director, Bilfinger UK, said, “The new base will bring us closer to our clients in the region and will provide our business with the platform to build on the string of new maintenance and operations contracts we’re delivering across the energy sector. This investment in Grangemouth underpins our commitment to growing our footprint in Scotland across all of our core disciplines.”

Bilfinger UK delivers unified, multidisciplinary support to its partners, driving efficiencies and reducing cost across the whole life cycle of their assets. Its services include design and build, automated control and electrical systems, installation, commissioning, and operations and maintenance. 

Bilfinger UK is one of UK’s leading providers of integrated engineering and technical services to the process industry and employs more than 2,500 people operating across eight UK offices. It is part of international industrial services provider Bilfinger.

Scam warning issued for UK scaffolding suppliers

Daniel Norton
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Scam warning issued for UK scaffolding suppliers

A warning has been issued after a scaffolding supplier was targeted by suspected fraudulent customers.

UK Scaffolding suppliers are today being urged to be vigilant following a report that Actavo Hire & Sales (UK) has been subjected to a spoofing scam. It’s not known at this time if the scammers were successful (see update below) but the company has reported that an individual or individuals have been calling the Hire & Sales firm claiming to be a customer from ‘bona-fide’ scaffolding companies. The individual or individuals are spoofing the landline phone numbers of the compaines to look like legitimate customers. They place large value orders on scaffolding materials for sale and quote a KT16 postcode address for delivery. The caller then always asks for any return calls or queries to be directed to a mobile number. The scammers to date have claimed to be calling from companies including B J Champion Scaffolding, Essential Scaffolding and Amber Scaffolding Ltd. Scaffolding trade body the NASC has sent out emails urging its UK supplier members to be vigilant of the scam. We have reached out to Actavo for further details and comment, we await their reply.

UPDATE:

A spokesperson for Actavo Hire & Sales (UK) Ltd has said: “The scam was not successful and that their vigilant staff, who are well versed in anti-fraud/scam measures, spotted this from the outset, thus giving them the opportunity to issue a company-wide alert, as well as reporting the matter for the attention of the NASC membership.  It should also be noted that the same person(s) is/are now attempting to acquire large quantities of Scaffold Boards via the same method, and is/are quoting the same mobile telephone number for contact.”

Scaffolding firm launches Asia-Pacific brand and bags major offshore windfarm deals

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Scaffolding firm launches Asia-Pacific brand and bags major offshore windfarm deals

A Welsh scaffolding firm has continued to expand after securing major international offshore deals and opening new headquarters during the Coronavirus pandemic.

BGB Scaffolding – now based at the Port of Mostyn in Flintshire – signed high-profile contracts and framework agreements in the offshore and onshore sectors over the past 12 months. Alongside these exciting opportunities, Managing Director Ben Badham revealed they have been awarded access work in Taiwan – on the Greater Changhua 1 and 2a Offshore Wind Farms – and for the world’s largest offshore wind farm Hornsea 2 off the Yorkshire coast. Ben says the North Wales firm will play its part in the global Green Industrial Revolution, committing to initiatives in the UK and Europe. And to meet demand in the booming Asia-Pacific region, they have launched BGB APAC (Asia-Pacific), reinforcing Ben’s long-term vision to forge new partnerships and support local supply chains, economies, and employment overseas. “We are really excited to be playing a major role in helping to construct offshore wind farms, especially in light of plans by so many countries to increase and speed up the development of offshore wind energy by 2030,” said Ben. “Taiwan is our first port of call, where we are looking to build new relationships and support their green energy development by finally meeting face to face with the suppliers, we’ve been in contact with over the past year.  “Long-term there will be a lot of growth within the area, and we aim to play a big part in that, but we also want to give back as much as we can. “Eventually we would be looking to enter into joint ventures with companies and to help train their scaffolders using our experience and expertise – that’s the ultimate aim.” Ben added: “It’s a statement of intent that we have a clear vision; to be able to go out there and deliver during such a challenging period globally is a benchmark for us and the industry.” Other highlights in recent times included the completion of jobs for LS Cable and System, one of the biggest cable manufacturers globally, a project for the National Grid, and beginning works on the 50MW Kincardine offshore wind farm. Currently under construction in Scotland, that will be the world’s biggest floating offshore wind farm. Ben was also delighted to see BGB Scaffolding gain ISO 9001/14001/45001 accreditations with the support of Fulcrum Scaffolding Safety and Training and The Scaffolding Association. From painting, rope access and blasting to training and even a drone and underwater inspection division, they are very much a multi-disciplined operation and going forward will also focus on larger infrastructure schemes in alternative sectors including rail and construction. However, safety continues to be their number one priority, and ensuring every one of their 40 direct employees has a career development pathway. “We are growing and working to internationally recognised standards, and that is pivotal to our future success at home and overseas,” said Ben. “This is a challenging time, but we are in a strong position and a lot of that is down to us looking further and wider at what opportunities are out there, strengthening and expanding our offering and making sure staff are well-trained and supported. “Last year we unveiled plans to double in size and that’s the way we are heading; creating lasting relationships with the sector in the Asia-Pacific region will play a big part in that.” He added: “I would like to thank each and every member of our team for their efforts in helping achieve what we have so far and look forward to creating a long-lasting future with them all at BGB.”

LDS posts 37% turnover increase from record G-Deck sales

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LDS posts 37% turnover increase from record G-Deck sales

LDS Hire & Sales has posted a 37% increase in its business turnover thanks to record-breaking sales of its safety decking systems.

LDS, the company behind the G-Deck range of safety decking systems for the construction sector, has announced record sales and a 37% growth in turnover over the past financial year. The company has said it’s down to the popularity of its systems amongst housebuilders, construction companies and scaffolding firms. Based in Leicester, the company designs, engineers and manufactures its safety decking systems in house and has quickly gained a reputation for offering one of the safest, strongest and most versatile decking systems on the UK market. The robust, metal-fabricated G-Deck systems offer fast and simple installation and a safety-first approach, with an unbroken 100% zero collapse record. The range includes G-Deck, a versatile three-in-one system, G-Deck Dual, a metal deck and brackets used in combination with scaffolding tubes, and G-Deck Lite, a metal deck with steel supports within a plastic casing. Gurdip Siingh Bains CEO of LDS and the designer behind all G-Deck safety systems commented: “From the outset, our mission has been to provide safer, stronger construction decking products that offer value for money and ease of installation. The results we’ve achieved over the past year demonstrate that we have succeeded in those goals and have become the go-to choice for a wide range of housebuilders, construction companies and scaffolding firms because they know they’re in safe hands with G-Deck.   “HSE figures indicate that construction remains the UK’s most dangerous industry, accounting for more fatalities than any other sector, and the highest proportion of fatal accidents are from falls from height. Our passion is making sites safer with robust products, that are correctly deployed thanks to their ease of installation and the training we provide. Every member of our team shares that goal and  we’re delighted that our growth proves the construction sector is investing in a safety-first approach  too.” Plans to build on LDS’ record year with G-Deck include developing export markets for the company’s innovative construction safety range in the US, Ireland and Europe, along with further product development. “Over the past year, we have launched G-Deck Dual, our G-Deck Lift Shaft Gate and our G-Deck Safety  Hatch,” Gurdip Siingh Bains continues, “all of which are designed to make sites safer and encourage good safety behaviours. Our success during 2020/21 will be a springboard for further growth and  innovation as we continue to reinvest in resources and product development.” 

Mental Health First Aid Instructors Programme delivers £5.5million of Social Value to Society

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Mental Health First Aid Instructors Programme delivers £5.5million of Social Value to Society
Building Mental Health, the CITB and the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity have published a report detailing the social value of their Mental Health First Aid Instructors Programme; an initiative to train 288 construction industry dedicated Mental Health First Aid Instructors. The Social Value Report shows that for every £1 invested there has been £5.50 of Social Value to society. This amazing result is despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant that the programme had to be extended by a year. The programme achieved 99% of its target for training instructors and 166% of its target for training Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) to operate in the industry on a daily basis. ‘Building Mental Health’ was launched by a working group of construction industry leaders and experts in 2018 in response to findings published the previous year in the ‘Thriving at Work’, Stevenson/Farmer review of mental health and employers. Commissioned by the Government, the report looked into how employers could provide better support to employees, including those with poor mental health or wellbeing, to remain in and thrive at work. The Thriving at Work review identified not only the immediate human cost of poor mental health at work, but also the knock on impacts for society and the economy. It cited that employers are losing billions of pounds because employees are less productive, less effective, or off sick. In construction alone, stress, anxiety and depression accounts for a fifth of all work related illness. One of the key objectives of the Building Mental Health Programme was to address the findings of the Thriving at Work report and provide companies of all sizes a portal of free and easily accessible information so that they could develop a positive mental health culture in their organisations. Contributions from across the industry ensured that an array of comprehensive support and expert guidance was easily accessible by all. The programme also includes a 5-step framework to better mental health, which focussed on the importance of pro-active training to support the industry. To help support the aims of the Building Mental Health framework, a specific training project was created and managed by the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity and funded with £1m from the CITB in May 2018 to deliver a programme of bespoke construction-based instructor courses to achieve the following key objectives:
  • Train 288 Mental Health First Aid Instructors
  • Trained instructors to subsequently train 3,000 Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) in the industry
  • To encourage the industry to engage and embrace the mental health agenda and raise awareness of mental health issues in the industry in general
  • To make best practice and information readily and wherever possible freely available
  • To ensure that the industry takes a huge leap forward to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by getting the conversation started while educating as many as possible about where and when to seek help.
The MHFA Instructors course lasts seven days but is delivered over a six week period to allow for reflection on the complex issues raised. Attendees said that hearing first hand from guest speakers who were prepared to share their personal mental wellbeing experiences provided invaluable insight into real life journeys and helped to get behind the raw figures. Many reported that being on the course was both emotionally challenging and life changing. Key Achievements of the MHFA Instructors Programme
  • 284 Mental Health First Aid Instructors trained resulted in £1,215,141 of social value
  • Instructors delivered training to 5,318 Mental Health First Aiders, outperforming target by 66% and resulting in £3,638,842 of social value
  • 3349 Mental Health Awareness courses delivered £654,730 of social value
  • Total social value of the Mental Health First Aid Instructors Programme £5,508,713
The report clearly shows that expectations have been surpassed, but there is no room for complacency. Deborah Madden, CITB Engagement Director, said: “This project has outstripped expectations by helping to train over 5,000 mental health first aiders. Their impact will be enormous, providing vital support to people when they need it most. Mental health and wellbeing in construction is a large and complex issue that won’t be tackled overnight, but this project is an important step in the right direction.” Bill Hill CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity added, “As one of the founder members of Building Mental Health we are delighted by the social value this training programme has delivered and we now have another 5000 front line mental health first aiders. The report cites that the instructors trained are under no illusion that the industry still remains much closer to the start of the journey towards de-stigmatizing poor mental health than the end, but there are extremely positive outcomes so far. Together, we have been able to offer a fresh, industry-wide approach to ensure mental health support is available for all and to drive a more inclusive and caring cultural change in our industry for this generation and the next.”  Simon Blake, CEO of MHFA England commented “As well as demonstrating incredible social value, the ‘Mental Health First Aiders Programme’ is helping to tackle the stigma of mental health in the construction industry. We want everyone to be able to talk freely about mental health and seek support when needed. The construction industry now has the highest number of Mental Health First Aid Instructors of any other vertical industry channel which is a huge achievement. We look forward to continuing this ground breaking partnership in the years ahead.”

UK construction needs to create 217,000 new jobs

Daniel Norton
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UK construction needs to create 217,000 new jobs

New research suggests that the UK construction industry needs to recruit an additional 217,000 new workers by 2025 just to meet demand.

Construction has bounced back quicker than expected from the Covid-19 pandemic and the industry will reach 2019 levels of output in 2022. The Construction Skills Network (CSN) research published by the CITB shows 216,800 new jobs will be needed to be created to meet the forecasted demand. According to the CSN, most English regions will experience an increase in construction workers by 2025, with East Midlands (1.7%) and West Midlands (1.4%) forecast to lead demand. Scotland (1.4%) and Wales (0.7%) are also predicted to fare well. The only region forecast to see a slight decline in the workforce is the North East (-0.1%). Major projects such as HS2 are driving growth in some regions and infrastructure (5.2% per annum) and private housing (6.7%) should see the healthiest pace of expansion by 2025. The report predicts a growing contribution to come from repair, maintenance and improvement work, as retrofitting existing buildings to meet net-zero emissions targets becomes more important. In terms of annual average recruitment requirement (ARR), the most in-demand trades are forecast to be in wood trades & interior fit-out (5,500 per year), other construction professionals and technical staff (5,150), construction managers (3,600) and electrical installation trades and (3,400). There will also be a demand for non-construction, office-based professional, technical and IT support staff (7,850). However, it’s not all good news – the commercial sector faces significant near-term risks while the public sectors could be impacted by tighter government finances.? Despite this, the CSN forecasts UK output to grow annually at an average rate of 4.4% across 2021-2025.? Commenting on the research CITB Policy Director Steve Radley said: “It’s great to see construction coming back so strongly and creating lots of job opportunities. We need to adopt new approaches to meet these growing skills needs and deliver these quickly. “We are working closely with the government and FE to build better bridges between FE and work and make apprenticeships more flexible. We are also making significant investments in supporting work experience that make it easier for employers to bring in new blood. “We must also make sure that we invest in the skills that will drive change and meet new and growing needs such as Net Zero emissions and Building Safety. We will be announcing plans soon to tackle specific skills and occupations such as leadership and management, digital skills and skills related to energy efficiency.” 

Infiniti Group completes £1.5m Esplanade Hotel refurb contract

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Infiniti Group completes £1.5m Esplanade Hotel refurb contract

Scarborough-based Infiniti Group has completed an extensive £1.5m interior, exterior and roof refurbishment of the coastal resort’s Grade II listed Esplanade Hotel for the Daish Hotel Group.

Infiniti Group’s work on the Victorian hotel, which has just re-opened, started in 2020 creating jobs for Infiniti Group employees and employment for local sub-contractors throughout the project, between 15 and 40 at any one time. A complete wraparound scaffold – now taken down – was erected during October and November, followed by re-roofing of the five-storey hotel with 15,000 traditional slates over a 620sqm area; the full refurbishment of 12 of the Esplanade’s 73 bedrooms and bathrooms; installation of a new women’s WC; external painting of all walls and window wood works, including more than 200 sash windows; and redoing the external walkways. Alex Willgrass, Infiniti Group Director, said: “It is an incredibly satisfying feeling to now see the hotel fully finished and open as a result of all the work and effort that the Infiniti team have put in.”   Infiniti Group’s contracts manager, Sharon Lester, who oversaw the project, said: “We’ve had so many people come up to us and say how professional, considerate and hard working the Infiniti staff have been. And with the freezing cold and wet weather that we’ve had this winter and spring the job has certainly had its challenges, especially on the edge of the North Sea.” One impressed neighbour is Lord Rodney Walker, who said: “Over the past 12 months we have observed the work carried out by Infiniti on the Esplansde Hotel from our nearby apartment. This was a major project involving scaffolding the entire building, installing a complete new roof, exterior repair and repainting. The result is a new look to this prominent hotel thanks to the professionalism of Infiniti.” Marcus Rowe, Infiniti Group Director, helped to ensure that all logistical and construction obstacles posed by lockdown were overcome, such as pre-empting Covid-19 lockdown restrictions by buying in advance the majority of the materials they needed to finish the work, while also sourcing additional fully experienced, available, skilled contractors. Covid social distancing safety was achieved using signage, floor and wall markings, hi vis and intelligent clothing and exact, pre-planned operational movements of workers around the site, such as keeping contractors separate and adopting work patterns sequentially across the hotel’s floors. The company also had to overcome Brexit-related delays related to specialist supplies being brought in from mainland Europe including a new 4,000-litre water tank. The Esplanade Hotel is the second high-profile hotel refurbishment Infiniti Group have won in Scarborough and follows the conversion of The Mount Hotel into the Bike & Boot Hotel in 2020. Established in 2015, Infiniti Group has a 10,000sqft HQ in Scarborough, roofing & construction businesses. The roofing & construction business employs a team of 10 staff including expert builders, roofing, general labourers, as well as an experienced administration and office team. The group’s ethos of innovation and continual improvement can be seen with Infiniti Roofing & Construction’s approval as an accredited contractor for Sika Liquid Plastics. Its roofing and construction services include full new commercial and industrial construction and roofing installations, repairs, and refurbishments. Infiniti Scaffolding was recently accredited by the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC).
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