However, workers who lost their jobs when Rok went into administration in November last year have had their statutory redundancy money paid by the Government.
There was not enough cash in the failed builder’s coffers after it went bust without warning, owing creditors, including construction companies and the banks, almost £200 million.
Staff at most of the company’s offices were laid off en masse and around 220 people at the Westhoughton depot lost their jobs.
Bolton firm P and R Pointing took a £277,000 hit when Rok failed to pay for work carried out on several projects.
The company, which carried out scaffolding and pointing work around the North West, had to lay off 17 scaffolders, but was strong enough to carry on despite the massive debt and is now busy again.
Brothers Peter and Russell Gastall, who are joint managing directors of the St Helens Roadbased firm, said they have gritted their teeth and carried on winning new business.
Peter Gastall said: “We have been told that we won’t even get a penny in the pound of the £277,000 Rok owed us.
“We’ve been told that there’s no money left to pay anything to anyone.
It’s disgraceful but that’s the way it is unfortunately.
“But we are winning quite a bit of work in different places and we are still going ahead with our planned office move.”
At JDK Roofing, off Manchester Road, where the company was owed £100,000 by Rok, it is also business as usual.
Contracts manager Martin Richards said: “Things have been a bit tight but we have had to take the hit and get on with it. We got through and we are very busy right now.”
Administrators Price Waterhouse Cooper (PCW) had agreed that redundancy payments, dependent on the employees’ length of service, would be paid out by the Redundancy Payments Office (RPO), part of the government Insolvency Service.
The RPO has been working to ensure that all straightforward claims were paid within six weeks.
The Bolton News understands that the majority of such payments have been made.add for p13 A spokesman for PWC said: “It is extremely unlikely that any distribution will be made to the unsecured creditors of Rok within 12 months, principally because a significant number of assets, such as contract receipts, will not be recovered within the year.
Via: www.theboltonnews.co.uk U.K. Edition
DEESIDE scaffolding and specialist contracts group, NSG UK, is reporting a 10% rise in sales in 2010, to £18m.
In May last year, the firm was subject to a management buyout led by managing director Michael Carr.
Liverpool-born Mr Carr describes NSG as a “multi-disciplined contractor”.
As well as providing scaffolding for the industrial and construction sectors, it also offers a range of other services that includes thermal insulation, industrial painting, blasting, specialist cleaning and more recently rail.
It has won a number of new clients over the past 12 months, and has grown staff numbers to 450.
Contracts secured include a three- year deal in Speke with global pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, construction works for Vinci at Whiston Hospital, and a £65m bio-energy facility being built by drinks giant Diageo, in Fife, Scotland.
Mr Carr said that, despite the recession hitting the construction and property sector, NSG had maintained a strong position.
He added: “This has been a dynamic year for us and, despite the rough waters, we have continued to increase turnover, win clients and grow the NSG UK brand.
“We have maintained growth in the construction and engineering sectors while expanding into the rail, social housing, marine and off-shore, and oil and gas sectors.
“We also see the resurgent nuclear industry as a key market for NSG UK, and we are always looking at ways to expand our portfolio.”
NSG had been acquired by MWB in February, 2008, but was purchased back in the buyout last year.
Mr Carr said: “NSG UK has been in existence, under various guises, for the past 40 years, and it is testimony to our credibility and performance that over that time we have built solid relationships with illustrious clients such as Ineos Chlor Vinyls, Ineos Enterprises, Centrica, Corus, Cammell Laird and Lilly.”
AMB-Hertel is a JV between the Al Masaood Group, a giant industrial and commercial organization in the region, and Hertel BV, a specialist in the field of oil and gas, offshore, process and power industry construction internationally.
Speaking about the recent award, Hertel’s regional MD John Potts said, “We value the opportunity to work for GASCO as one of Hyundai Engineering’s partners on this prestigious project. Hertel has more than 115 years’ experience, which gives us a strong foundation to deliver work safely and efficiently.”
Regional business development manager for Hertel Middle East, Raghu Veer Singh added, “The opportunity to work on this important contract with Hyundai Engineering is a testament to our commitment to safety and quality, which are paramount to our operating culture.”
Aimed at adding new onshore and offshore gas processing facilities at Habshan and Ruwais in Abu Dhabi, the IGD is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2013.
The new complex, Habshan 5, will be located 15km northeast of GASCO’s existing complex in Habshan and include construction of a gas processing facility, a natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery unit, four sulphur recovery units and utilities and offsite facilities.
The project also involves the building of new facilities at GASCO’s existing plant in Ruwais.
To date, a large number of contractors have already been awarded contracts in the tens of millions, including Fluor, awarded the front End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract and KBR, providing project management services.
Meanwhile, a JV formed between Japan’s JGC Corporation and Italy’s Maire Tecnimont, was previously awarded a US$4.7 billion EPCC contract for the Habshan 5 processing facility, sulphur recovery units and NGL recovery unit.
Suppliers to the project include Abu Dhabi-based Ducab, for the supply of power cables, the Elliott Group, providing 16 compressor trains for the processing facility and GE Oil & Gas, supplying eight gas turbines.
Via: 
A COMPANY director admitted four offenses in relation to his scaffolding company that has been wound up.
Alan Emery, 51, pleaded guilty to two allegations of fraudulently withdrawing vehicles in anticipation of the winding up of A&A Scaffolding and one each of using a prohibited company name and one of making material omissions in a statement.
Emery, of Vermont Road, Southampton, will be sentenced at the city crown court on February 11.
Keely Harvey, defending, said Emery had essentially buried his head in the sand and ignored phone calls and messages from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
Via: 
THE sector skills council and industry training board for the construction industry, CITB-ConstructionSkills, is urging SMEs in the NorthEast to consider the business benefits of taking on an apprentice.
And it is sending out a clear message – recruiting talent now is essential if we are to avoid the skills shortages the industry has seen in the past.
Ezee Scaffolding Ltd, based in North Tyneside, has not only continued to invest in its existing staff, it has also expanded its workforce, strengthening its market position in advance of the upturn.
Managing director Neil Allan oversees 40 employees and five CITB-ConstructionSkills apprentices and believes that young trainees not only help with the business at the moment, but help shape its future.
He said: “We want to be able to mould them to be our future. We are an innovative company wanting to work with innovative people who can help bring this ethos forward.
“We feel that apprentices bring something fresh to the industry and enhance our company; they’re our future. In five years’ time they will be our managers and our supervisors.”
Neil ensures that his workforce get good quality training, as normal, in key areas that will benefit the business.
He said: “We invest in training quite heavily. I believe that investing in training your workforce will give you a return.
“It is seen as a key part of our business. You need to consider what your business will get out of it but you also need to make some sort of investment; not everything is for free. It teaches everyone new skills, which in turn could go on to help us win more work.”
Although Neil has seen the downturn’s effects on Ezee Scaffolding Ltd, he acknowledges that the key is to keep looking forward.
He added: “There have been some ups and downs, including quieter periods but it’s all about planning ahead. We’re fortunate not to have had to lay anyone off.”
Neil is positive about the future of Ezee Scaffolding Ltd because his workforce is training in areas that will benefit his business.
“We see trainees as our next generation,” he said. “We’re happy to invest in training, because the way we see it is if we enhance their skills, they will enhance our company, simple as that.”
With 40 years of experience in the industry, CITB-ConstructionSkills is the UK’s largest supplier of construction apprentices. Some 81% of CITB-ConstructionSkills apprentices finish their apprenticeship, and employers and apprentices will be supported by a dedicated apprenticeship officer.
With advisors based around the UK, CITB-ConstructionSkills provides training advice, products and services, including grants, to help construction firms of all sizes.
CITB-ConstructionSkills is working to deliver a safe, professional and fully-qualified construction workforce. Take advantage to support you and your business, particularly during the downturn, and don’t miss out on opportunities to help your company grow.
For more information on how CITB-ConstructionSkills can help your business grow, go to 
Scaffolders Confederation for Consultation Rights the S.C.C.R are a industry body formed by scaffolders for scaffolders in order to give a voice. The SCCR is a non profit making organisation run by scaffolders for scaffolders it has a democratically elected committee with yearly elections. The SCCR are constantly evolving, listening to the issues that concern scaffolders. The committee members are all currently working within the Scaffolding Industry with first hand experience, ranging from scaffolders on the tools to management. There aim for 2011 is to unite the Industry & get the skills back. Scaffolding is a skilled trade and the SCCR feels it needs to recognised for that.
Why Was The S.C.C.R Formed ?
The SCCR was formed by a group of regular contributors to a online forum for scaffolders as the forum evolved and the membership grew, a common theme began to appear. The major stake holder in the access industry the “scaffolder” had no cohesive voice within the various industry bodies. Members of this online forum decided to form a confederation to voice the working man as well as the small to medium companies. They felt important industry initiatives in training and health and safety were being implemented without any input from the scaffolders having to work in complacence with the initiatives.
What’s The Aim Of The S.C.C.R ?
The aim of the SCCR is to work with Industry bodies offering input and feedback on the latest ACOPs. One major issue which helped spark the formation of the SCCR was the planned withdraw of the ECITB scaffolders registration scheme at the end of 2010, without any contingencies in place to fast track ECITB scaffolders into the CISRS scheme at a level appropriate to the individuals skill and industry experience.
To date after representations to the UNITE union and the ECITB by the SCCR a meeting was held on the 7th 0f October 2010 , in attendance were representatives of the CISRS, ECITB, UNITE and the National Committee for Construction. Without the pressure from the SCCR this meeting would never have taken place. It was agreed by all parties that the ECITB scaffolders registration scheme will now be extended until December 2011.
The SCCR have also arranged a meeting with the CISRS, at which the withdrawal of the ECITB scaffolders register will top the agenda for early 2011.
The SCCR also feels that the CISRS scheme needs an overhaul. The skills are being lost from the Industry, tickets being given out with little or no experience in the industry sectors. The SCCR feel scaffolding should be viewed as four sectors with training reflecting this.