NSG is one of the country’s top suppliers of scaffolding and industrial services, with a turnover of £18million and more than 320 employees.
Managing director Mike Carr said: “Empire is a well respected business and we are delighted to have incorporated it into NSG.
“Empire has a strong client base including Kraft (formerly Cadbury’s) at Chirk and British Waterways, and this will help NSG to expand further into a variety of sectors and regions across the UK.
“Empire director Barry Hart has a wealth of experience within the scaffolding industry and we are pleased that he will be working closely with NSG to continue to develop the existing contracts and oversee new business opportunities.”
NSG increased turnover by 10% over the past year to £18million.
U.K. Edition
A construction worker broke both his legs after falling 20ft from scaffolding in the Black Country yesterday.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the site in Blackacre Road, Dudley yesterday afternoon.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The man in his twenties had fallen approximately twenty feet from a scaffolding tower. He had fractured both legs, an ankle and a wrist.
“He was given pain relief at the scene and was immobilised with the use of a spinal board and neck collar and was taken to Russells Hall Hospital for further assessment and treatment.”
The centrepiece of the project was a dedicated media village in Green Park, which is located opposite Buckingham Palace. Here, a three-storey structure was built using 158t of Layher Allround scaffolding to provide up to 200 broadcast camera viewing points within 22 individual studios. The rosette coupler, which is at the heart of the Layher design, enabled a 70m long structure to follow a radius footprint with Layher stairtowers also used to provide multi-level access at key points. Alongside, Media Structures Limited also used the Layher system to create a number of additional studio facilities designed to provide viewing points at ground level.
The scaffolding system was also used in up to 30 camera and commentary positions along the route while at Westminster Abbey, the venue for the marriage ceremony, Media Structures used approximately 100t of Layher equipment to provide the multi-tiered media stand opposite the main entrance. This design also benefited from the use of transparent Keder sheeting to provide protection in the case of inclement weather. Additional camera positions were constructed on adjacent rooftops as well as within the Abbey itself – from cleverly disguised locations either side of the entrance door to the triforium viewing position high in the roof area.
Andy Needham, managing director at Media Structures Limited said, “The Royal Wedding project was an overall team effort including, not least, the back-up and support from Layher’s UK office which helped to deliver a successful conclusion. Less than a month was available from start of build to hand over so it was vital that we selected a scaffold system which was versatile, robust, enabled the optimum use of manpower and allowed the wide range of installations to be completed quickly.”
Sean Pike managing director of Layher UK said, “We believe this is an excellent example of the benefits associated with our scaffolding system designs, particularly when compared with conventional tube and fitting alternatives. The latter, we believe, would have needed vastly more equipment, greater manpower and would have put extreme pressure on the time scale involved. Moreover, factors such as the neat appearance of Layher scaffolding also clearly made a major contribution, given the prestige of the event.”
Altrad has acquired 100% of the shares of NSG UK, where managing director Mike Carr will remain in charge of the UK operation which has 320 employees and a turnover of £20m.
NSG UK provides scaffolding, thermal insulation, industrial cleaning and industrial painting. Altrad specialises in the manufacture and sale of scaffolding, cement mixers and wheelbarrows.
The deal brings the total number of Altrad companies worldwide to 54, the majority in Europe. Montpellier-based Altrad has made three acquisitions in the UK before: of Beaver 84, Belle and BarOmix.
Carr said: “There is a tremendous opportunity for NSG UK to continue its growth with the support of the Altrad Group. We will be in a position to release further details of our future business plans in due course.”
The campaign will run in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The ads will feature a pint of Strongbow and the additional slogan Build Up a Thirst.
Brand manager Lucy Henderson said: “The sites will help to build on the success of our TV campaign, providing us with the reach to create maximum standout and raise awareness of the Strongbow Hard Earned and refreshment message over the summer months.”
The man, Shaun McBride, 28, was employed by Celtic Scaffolding to carrying out maintenance work on the East Intercourse Island jetty near Dampier. No one saw the accident, colleagues heard the scaffold give way and fall in to the sea, leaving just a hard hat floating on the water. His body was recovered later that day.
All operations at the Rio Tinto Iron owned facility was stopped while an investigation was carried out by the police and Mines department along with a Rio Tinto investigation team.
Sam Walsh, Rio Tinto’s chief executive Iron Ore and Australia, said: “I offer my sincere condolences to family, friends and team mates. We are ensuring that appropriate counselling services are available.
“We seek to achieve a zero harm workplace across our operations, and this tragedy is a terrible reminder that we can never be too careful, that we can never place too high a priority on ensuring a safe workplace.”
“Rio Tinto has not experienced a fatality at its Pilbara operations since August 2003, but this incident highlights the fact that there is never any room for complacency in the effort to ensure a completely safe workplace.”
McBride had only arrived back in the country from Ireland six weeks ago, after gaining his four year work permit, he comes from Burtonport, Co Donegal.