Altrad combines Cape plc, NSG and Hertel to create UK’s largest industrial service provider

Altrad has combined Cape PLC, NSG and Hertel to create UK’s largest industrial services provider to the petrochemical, energy and infrastructure industries.

The consolidation of the three Altrad-owned business creates a single business named Altrad Services that has been designed to provide an efficient, streamlined offering to customers. Altrad Services has developed three distinct business lines, with each having its own separate strategy, aligned to its customers and markets. These include Maintenance, Modifications and Overhauls (MMOs), Projects and Nuclear. Simon Hicks, managing director for Cape UK said: “The newly launched Altrad Services enables us to offer something truly unique to our customers – with our dedication to customer service and operational excellence continuing to drive our approach. “MMO is the traditional part of the business and will continue delivering industry-leading excellence developing deeper relationships with our customers. Projects will be made up of Altrad’s specialist services and offshore businesses – targeting growth through major projects. The Nuclear Stream brings together the excellence of Hertel and Cape, continuing their work with current customers in this area, while developing greater capabilities around nuclear decommissioning.” “Our vision is clear and ambitious. By bringing together these three leading brands, we’re future-proofing our business and aligning our operations to the current market trends. Altrad’s new expanded offer delivers an enhanced, innovative service – catering for every business in the oil, gas and chemicals industries, no matter what the size or requirement.” Future developments will see the new integration build on its years of experience in the oil and gas, energy and infrastructure industries, with a vision to become a sustainable business for the future.

Lyndon erect 18.5 tonne Mobile Birdcage on prestigious London project

Lyndon Scaffolding has been supporting their client Lendlease with innovative access solutions on a prestigious project in London at 150 Bishopsgate. They erected a mobile birdcage scaffold that is 16m wide, 10m long, 7m high and weighs 18.5 tonnes, for the creation of one of the first ballrooms to be built in the city for decades, in an area that is 4,800m3. Lendlease needed access 9m up to install the services inside and over the top of the acoustic ceiling for the ballroom. Jon Smith, Project Manager said: “They couldn’t install a full birdcage to the area, so we needed a solution, I had an idea to erect a birdcage and put it on tracks. Thankfully, this idea was very well received by Lendlease, as it solved their problems immediately and safely: They loved the innovation. After all, it’s not everyday you see a 18.5-tonne mobile tower.” As the scaffold structure – all designed in-house by Lyndon engineers – is 10m long, it will need to be moved twice to cover the vast 30m long ballroom. The top lift is 7m high to allow operatives to work from podiums to access in between the concrete and steel beams which have a 1.5m recess. And the scaffold also has boarded lifts around the perimeter to access the columns to do the cladding at the same time. Jon Smith said: “This solution has potentially taken months off the fit out programme, as the other solution was to do it all from MEWP’s. And as the birdcage will move both ways at various times to allow the install of services, it may be moved a dozen times depending on the clients’ needs.” CEO Rob Lynch added: “We are delighted with the solution, it’s a classic case of Lyndon finding the right, innovative, safe, cost-saving solution for clients with our temporary works and scaffolding.” 

Layher Catalogues brought to life with Mixed Reality App

Global system scaffolding manufacturers Layher have released ‘The Layher App’ with the added benefit of Mixed Reality.

Mixed Reality combines real camera shots with digitally generated scaffolding models. In this process, reality – that means all things that you just see – are supplemented with additional information in the form of 3D scaffolding objects. Available free to download on iOS and Android the app essentially works in conjunction with the Layher Allround Catalogue. The app user has the ability to scan over specific images within the catalogue with their smartphone camera thus bringing that element to life in the form of an impressive 3D scaffolding object. Like magic, Layher products and structures can now be seen in the users actual surroundings. The structures or products can be manipulated, enlarged and rotated giving the user a more detailed view of the structures. The news of the app seems to of been well received after Sean Pike, Managing Director at Layher UK announced the launch on Linkedin last week. Commenting on his post, Helen Gawor, Business Director at GKR Scaffolding Ltd said: “I’d like to see this Sean. AR, MR and VR will play a huge part in our industry over the next 5 years in various applications. Congratulations on this development”. More information can be found on the Layher website.

Mercer Scaffolding lands Leicester Square project

Mercer Scaffolding has been awarded the scaffolding and access package on a new £300m hotel development site in the heart of the West End of London. Luxury hotel chain Edwardian Hotels London is developing a new 350 bedroom hotel and cinema complex in the heart of Leicester Square, London with a variety of leisure facilities and a mixture of bars and restaurants. Once completed in 2020 The Leicester Square Hotel will have eight storeys above ground and six below ground. The building is designed to complement existing properties and will work as a series of independent but connected venues, as well as operating as a single entity for hosting major film premieres in the future. Mercer Scaffolding Operations Manager, Adam Millgate said on Linkedin: “We are grateful to be handpicked by the client on this exciting project due to complete in 2020, the extensive design and consultation over the past 12 months has been exciting. Ben Beaumont and his team at 48.3 Scaffold Design Ltd have been busy in the background making this project possible”. “Great work by our senior estimator Mitchell Rowland and the rest of the Mercer team to get this secured. We look forward to working with Julian Daniel and his team at Blue Sky Building”.

Scaffolding manufacturer Presco under new ownership

Two previous directors of Beaver 84 have purchased Presco for an undisclosed sum.

The Walsall, West Midlands based scaffolding manufacturer has been acquired by Steve Tysoe and Ian Smith both of which were previous directors of Beaver 84 a leading supplier of tempory fencing, scaffolding and edge protection solutions for hire and sales. According to TCI, the deal comprises all the intellectual property, trademarks and brands associated with Presco as well as its Presco’s 10,000 sq ft factory and distribution centre in Walsall, its 14 employees and its supply deals with half a dozen factories in China. The new owners plan to take Presco into bespoke scaffolding systems. Additionally, they also plan to sell directly to end users but without undercutting existing distributors. Key customers will also be offered bespoke marketing plans and some stock will be available to hire. Steve Tysoe said: “Presco was a company at the top of the supply chain with a name not rivalled by any other in its market. We intend to refocus and return it back to its rightful place as well as expanding it to ensure that a great British business name is not lost as many others have been over the years. “Our intention is to grow the business through partnerships, a more focused approach to the client, either distributor or end user, to add products that enhance the current range and to bring back the bases of UK manufacturing where appropriate.”

Forgeco goes live with Klawz video series

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Forgeco in partnership with Raptor Scaffold Designs has created a video series to showcase the many benefits of the patented Klawz Scaffold Fitting. Over several months the collaboration tested the use of the Klawz fitting within many different access applications. Forgeco has said their investigation has found that the use of the Klawz fitting allows the saving of both materials and time with other benefits being highlighted throughout the process. One aspect they found for further consideration was the environmental impact of materials being transported into areas such as central London where there are a number of fees like the Congestion Charge. Today companies are becoming more responsible for their environmental footprint, Klawz can reduce the number of fittings needed and the weight of a scaffold says Forgeco. The technical aspects of the Klawz fitting show how it can be used to replace several pieces of equipment saving weight and time for the user.  The Klawz beam video showcases how it can be used with system scaffold and aluminum beams to simply space out the beam from the rosette or cup thus avoiding timely beam installation. The Klawz fitting is currently tested to EN71-1:2005 Class B but after investigating its uses it will be going through further testing to showcase further advantages it can bring. Group Technical Director Samuel Crowley said: “It is great to investigate a product like Klawz further and keep developing it to bring further benefits for the customer.  I think the videos really highlight some great benefits of the product”. View the Klawz youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFZacn6lI-E05h_XJ2pjx5Q/videos

Connolly Scaffolding bags Manchester Airport contract

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Connolly Scaffolding Ltd has been awarded the Manchester Airport transformation programme contract. The Greater Manchester-based firm will be providing scaffolding access solutions for the transformation of Terminal 2 into the Airport’s new ‘Super Terminal’. Over £1 billion is being invested into the programme managed by Laing O’Rourke over the 5 year project period. The reconfiguration programme which is one of the largest construction projects in the North of England will see Terminal 2, one of Europe’s busiest terminals, become the airport’s primary terminal building when it is extended by 150%. At the peak of the project, at the beginning of 2019, it is expected that nearly 1,500 people will be working onsite, with a target of 150 apprentices. According to Manchester Evening News, 75% of workers onsite are from within a 35-mile radius of the project. The ‘Super Terminal’ will include an all-new international departure lounge, providing passengers with luxurious and functional waiting spaces. There will be 60 new food, beverage and retail outlets across 167,000 square feet of retail space. Enough to service 27 million annual passengers. Connolly Scaffolding Managing Director, Wayne Connolly, said: “The selection process to find a scaffolding partner for this major project was very thorough and we are delighted that we were able to successfully demonstrate our ethos of providing scaffolding services on time, safely and within budget. We are extremely proud to be part of such a transformation of a facility that will greatly benefit the North West and will be used by millions of travelers from across the globe.”

2 Dead in Florida scaffolding collapse

Two construction workers fell to their deaths on Wednesday morning after falling seven stories from collapsed scaffolding near Walt Disney World in Florida. A third worker managed to hang on and climb to safety. The accident happened at a JW Marriott hotel that is under construction, in Orange County just outside the Disney property, according to Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles. He says there were about 18 workers at the scene when they got the call about the accident at 4:15 a.m. They were working at the top of the hotel, above the sixth floor, where concrete is being poured. Jachles says that the support structure gave way, sending two workers plummeting to their deaths. The third worker sustained minor injuries. Jachles says the sheriff’s office and federal investigators are examining what happened.

Scaffold firm acquires historic industrial site

An industrial site in Manchester that once housed a historic engineering works has been acquired by a tenant company, Cheshire based BB Scaffolding, in a six-figure deal part-funded by a loan from Mercia Fund Managers. Dukinfield Iron Works was formerly the headquarters of J Bown & Co, a world leader in the manufacture of pressure vessel components, which was founded in 1877 and run by six generations of the Bown family before it ceased trading in September 2017. The site, which houses 16 buildings, was acquired in a private sale from the Bown family. The new owners, who have been actively promoting the site in the run-up to the sale, have already signed eight new tenants ranging from vehicle repairs and conversion firms to a recycled plastics manufacturer. BB Scaffolding provides scaffolding and steel erection services for the chemicals and telecoms sectors. Founded by Brett Downs and Bradley Wosahlo in 2009, it currently employs 11 staff on the site. The acquisition will allow it to extend its yard area and generate income from tenant companies. Brett Downs said: “We are pleased to take control of this historic site. As tenants for nine years, we saw the potential to provide cost-effective industrial premises close to the M60. The rapid take-up demonstrates the strong demand. The acquisition has not only helped secure the future of our own business but provided others with the space to grow and create new jobs in the area.” Andy Heaton, Investment Manager with Mercia, said: “Dunkinfield Iron Works has been a centre of industry and employment for 140 years. The sale has given it a new lease of lifeand the BB Scaffolding team are committed to revitalising the site and giving a new generation of businesses the opportunity to expand.” Paul Mak of Pomegranate Commercial Finance provided fundraising advice to BB Scaffolding.

Hard Hat Saves Guys Life

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The video shows guy working close to a manufacturing machine when a load drops on his head. Video credit: Asif Amir