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.”
The completion of the first course comes as a welcome boost for Welsh construction, which is set to bounce back strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic with a 4.1% annual growth in work.
To meet this boon, Welsh construction will need an additional 9,250 workers by 2025, on top of the forecast staff growth of 0.7% – an extra 1,850 workers per year.
CITB Wales’ Engagement Director Mark Bodger said: “The early success of this centre provides a real boost for Welsh construction, and shows how we’re working with our partners to help the industry in Wales meet its recruitment needs to hit its ambitious targets and help lead the way in Britain’s post-Covid economic recovery.
We look forward to seeing further successes from Busnes@LlandrilloMenai’s CIST Centre, Llangefni, complemented by the investment CITB is making into training hubs across Wales to help convince more people that construction is the right sector for them to enjoy a rewarding career in.” 
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 
“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 
