Contract Journal articles from July 2005

Contract Journal archives from July 2005

Navara picks up new engine.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Nissan's latest Navara pick-up will go on sale in the autumn with a new 130kW common rail diesel. Available only in selectable four-wheel drive, the Spanish Navara is based on the Pathfinder SUV and options include King and Double cabs, along...

Contractors must learn to assess risk.
July 6, 2005... Wates boss: firms need to benchmark against more profitable sectors. Contractors must have the guts to say "no" to risky projects, benchmark their returns against other industries, and concentrate on customer service to optimise future...

CIOB seeks solutions for SMEs.(Chartered Institute of Building )(small- and medium-sized contractors )(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) plans to help small- and medium-sized contractors (SMEs) tackle growing concerns that they are being squeezed out of the market through frameworks. Following comments from some of its 42,000 membership...

Ingersoll to restart milling production.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Ingersoll Rand is to launch a range of milling machines later this year. The company produced milling units until 10 years ago and said the decision to restart manufacturing was to bolster its market share and offer a full line of...

Pioneer slashes pumping costs.(Pioneer Pumps)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Pioneer Pumps is boasting the first third party use of JCB's 444T engine with the launch of its latest 6 inch and 8 inch vacuum assisted units, which are said to reduce pumping costs by up to 35%. The larger of the skid-mounted pumps is able to...

Bridgestone rolls out ; new tyre and guide.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone has introduced a new tyre for rigid dump trucks and published a 10-point guide to help companies deal with the global tyre shortage. The new tyre, VRQP, is designed for 40t and 65t rigid trucks operating in...

Manhole covers market is going down the drain.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... The UK market for manhole covers is likely to go down the drain as the European Commission (EC) favours French firms, claimed Denzil Marston, director of importer Eccles. He said an EC decision will see highways contractors and local...

Editor's comment.(Contract of Highway agency)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Ensuring fair payment Getting paid at all, let alone on time, remains one of the biggest issues facing the construction industry supply chain. A few delayed payments can seriously compromise a firm's cashflow, at times threatening its very...

Booming market will boost Tolent turnover.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Tolent's turnover in 2005 is expected to jump to [pounds sterling]150m, an increase of 25% on last year's figure of [pounds sterling]120m. Chairman John Wood explained that the construction market is booming in all sectors. Pre-tax profit (12...

BAA boss slams quarries' policies on central buying.(British Aggregates Association)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Large companies' purchasing policies probably cost more than is saved, according to trade association. Centralised buying is threatening many smaller suppliers to the quarrying industry and is probably costing more money in lost production...

60-second interview.(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 6, 2005... Peter Owen, managing director, Willmott Dixon Construction. Where did you go to school and what qualifications did you come away with? I went to John Lea School in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and came away with six O-levels. ...

How to.(Organization management)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... ... identify and nurture leaders By Scott Beagrie Even if your organisation has strong leadership today, you cannot assume it will still be there tomorrow. The departure of key individuals can leave an organisation floundering and...

Atlas to roll out roller range.(Atlas Wheeled Loaders)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Atlas Wheeled Loaders (AWL) has launched a range of single-drum compaction rollers with capacities from 7.5t up to 19.5t. Initially previewed in the UK at the recent SED exhibition, the company has now announced that the range of eight machines...

Chinese XCG excavators set to dig in to UK market.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Tiger Construction's XCG range contains standard industry parts and will undercut the competition on price. The UK's first Chinese crawler excavators are due to be launched in the UK in August by recently established Tiger Construction...

A safe pair of hands.(Major Contractors Group )
July 6, 2005... With falling membership and fading credibility, the Major Contractors Group is in desperate need of a shot in the arm. And in Bovis Lend Lease chief executive John Spanswick, who took over as chairman last week, it's about to get one. Will Mann...

Investment boosts Gap profit.(Gap Group)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Gap Group, the Glasgow-based small plant and tool hirer, has reported a 14% increase in turn-over to [pounds sterling]56m and a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]7.7m ([pounds sterling]6.3m) for the year ending 30 April 2005. The company said...

Police recover stolen Kubotas in trailer park.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... The Thames Valley and Hertford-shire police forces have recovered seven Kubota mini excavators worth [pounds sterling]100,000 following a raid on a trailer park near Bletchley. By utilising the database operated by The National Plant and...

Training board must double income to meet skills needs.(Engineering Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... ECITB needs to find an extra [pounds sterling]10m to [pounds sterling]15m a year to fund regional training programme and five-year strategy. The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) needs to double its income with an...

Skills gap problem is easing, says Croudace.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Reduction in the number of houses being built has lessened the skills shortage problem. Croudace, the housebuilder based in Caterham, Surrey, has reported an easing of the skills shortage problem. Russell Denness, who took over as...

PFI success for Dawn.(Pharmaceutical Formulations Inc.)(Dawn Construction)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Dawn Construction has met with big success in its move into PFI work, where margins are better and there is a secondary income stream from the return on the capital investment. PFI demands additional design work, a challenge that Dawn has...

Rail bill to hit aggregate supplies.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Aggregate transport and supplies in the South East could be pushed on to the roads if Crossrail Bill gets parliamentary go-ahead. Contractors will face massive problems obtaining aggregates in the South East if the new Crossrail Bill goes...

ISG wins [pounds sterling]25m West End residential spree.(ISG InteriorExterior)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... ISG InteriorExterior has the key to a [pounds sterling]25m residential deal in London's West End. The 17,000m2 Marylebone Village Estates scheme, for CIT Developments, will feature 127 flats and a residents' underground car park. The building...

Montpellier recovers with [pounds sterling]150,000 profit.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Montpellier has stemmed its losses - but only just - as its latest interim results show a pre-tax profit of [pounds sterling]150,000 on a turnover of [pounds sterling]230m. In the same period last year, Montpellier plunged into the red to the...

B&K to build new JCB plant.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Bowmer & Kirkland has won the [pounds sterling]20m contract to build JCB's new heavy excavator production plant in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. The new factory will be situated alongside JCB's existing World Parts Centre on the A50 and planning...

Tuffers to host corporate days.
July 6, 2005... Fancy a sports trip with one of the country's most famous cricketers? If so, read on... Former England spinner Phil Tufnell, affectionately known as 'The Cat', has always been one of life's entertainers as well as being one of the...

O'Rourke set for academy award.(Laing O'Rourke)(Thomas Deacon Academy)(contracts)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Deal close on [pounds sterling]34m Thomas Deacon Academy in Peterborough. It looks like playtime for Laing O'Rourke, but detention for the other two bidders tussling for the opportunity to build the biggest secondary school in Europe....

Exposure to vibrations regs take effect today.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... New regulations controlling workers' exposure to vibrations come into effect today (6 July). The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) said up to two million workers are exposed to vibration and the new legislation sets action and limit values for...

Quarrying needs a new image.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... The quarry sector must improve its image as it is suffering from a chronic shortage of recruits, said University of Leeds surface mining lecturer William Birch. He told CJ: "We're teetering on the point where we're not going to have the people...

Cowlin clinches [pounds sterling]30m Bristol school project.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Local firm Cowlin has clinched a [pounds sterling]30m deal to build a new school in north Bristol. The four-storey building, at Redland, will comprise a community secondary school for 945 pupils and a post-16 education campus for 450 students....

Newport's M4 improvement project slashed by [pounds sterling]12m.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... A road job in south Wales is going out to tender with [pounds sterling]12m shaved off its original price, under a different procurement route and around 18 months after it first surfaced. Newport City Council's M4 Tredegar Park Improvement...

O'Rourke to get Cumbria bypass.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Laing O'Rourke looks set to build on its recent success in Northumberland by taking a [pounds sterling]22m-plus deal across the county border in Cumbria. It is understood that the Highways Agency is now completing reality checks on O'Rourke...

Trio vie for [pounds sterling]400m of shopping centre work.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Three firms are shopping for work totalling [pounds sterling]400m-plus in Bristol and Leicester. The trio - Sir Robert McAlpine, Bovis Lend Lease and Laing O'Rourke - are on the bid lists for the Bristol Broadmead ([pounds sterling]233m) and...

Tesco's contractors use reverse auctions.(Interview)
July 6, 2005... So-called best practice companies are using lowest-cost methods to procure subcontract work for Tesco. Barr, Bowmer & Kirkland (B&K), Costain, Midas and Taylor Woodrow are all using reverse auctions to procure subcontract work on...

Five line up to fight for HA's Area 1 MAC.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Five firms have registered expressions of interest for a Highways Agency road maintenance MAC deal potentially worth up to [pounds sterling]175m. The Area 1 MAC, covering Devon and Cornwall, is up for renewal. Amey Mouchel is the incumbent...

Amey quits West Berkshire deal.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Amey has walked away from its [pounds sterling]104m outsourcing contract with West Berkshire Council just three years into the 10-year deal after the scheme failed to deliver the "business growth" the firm expected. Amey has dismissed claims...

Big guns show interest in CITB apprenticeships.(Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... George Wimpey, Shepherd Construction and Clancy Docwra are among the firms interested in CITB-ConstructionSkills' new programme-led apprenticeships. The new apprenticeships are designed to bring employers and training providers together to...

HA project banks to end pay abuse.(Highways Agency )
July 6, 2005... The Highways Agency is also set to introduce project insurance in a bid to reduce payment risks and premiums. The Highways Agency (HA) will investigate its contractors' payment methods over the next six months as it toys with the idea of...

CBL Cable wins CIS certification appeal.(CBL Cable Contractors)(Inland Revenue)
July 6, 2005... Revenue's renewal refusal overruled after CBL's faults found to be 'minor and technical'. Medium-sized electrical contractor CBL Cable Contractors has successfully appealed in the Chancery Division against the refusal of its CIS...

Seven up for [pounds sterling]250m Lancs BSF.(Building Schools for the Future)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Seven runners are in the race for Lancashire County Council's [pounds sterling]250m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme. The seven longlisted bidders are: Accent Group (Bradford and Northern Housing Association); Catalyst Education...

DoH takes control of ProCure 21.(Department of Health )(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... ProCure 21's place in the Department of Health (DoH) appears secure, following an announcement last week. The ProCure 21 website said: "Following much recent speculation we can confirm that ProCure 21, as of the 1 July, is now part of the...

Partnering helps HBG win ProCure 21 work.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... [pounds sterling]220m-worth of work with eight separate trusts puts HBG in second place on NHS framework league table. HBG has picked up three new ProCure 21 contracts since April this year, bringing it to second place after Laing O'Rourke...

Wembley will be finished on time pledges Multiplex.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Multiplex, the contractor building Wembley Stadium, has confirmed this week that the [pounds sterling]757m project will be handed over on 31 January 2006 as originally planned. The assurances were given to sports minister Richard Caborn last...

Rok to change contract clauses on employment.(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... Rok is to change the employment terms and conditions in future subcontracts following union concern on a [pounds sterling]23m housing scheme in Canning Town, east London. The project was hit by rows about Phase Brickwork's attempt to define...

Plymouth hospital PFI resuscitated.(Plymouth Vanguard Hospital)(private finance initiative)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... The ailing [pounds sterling]330m Plymouth Vanguard Hospital PFI scheme is to be resuscitated as at least two separate new build PFI contracts. The original scheme collapsed earlier this year when Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust baulked at going...

Wales eyes ProCure 21 model.(Welsh Health Estates)(Brief Article)
July 6, 2005... The Welsh Health Estates (WHE) is to launch a partnering framework contract for its capital works programme based on the NHS ProCure 21 model. However, unlike ProCure 21, the framework will be mandatory, requiring all 14 NHS trusts in Wales to...

Applying the terms of letters of intent.(Stena Line Ports )
July 6, 2005... Stena Line Ports is the owner and operator of the port of Holyhead in Anglesey. Stena engaged Mowlem to construct the marine and onshore works of a new ferry terminal called Terminal Five. The works were undertaken by Mowlem on the strength of...

Stuck in the slow lane.(road construction contractors awaiting public inquiry)
July 13, 2005... Roads contractors need a steady flow of work to keep motoring along, but at the moment they're being held up by budget reviews and government bureaucracy. Ross Pearman looks at what's been slowing down major projects and asks: what chance of...

Editor's comment.(Customer relations with construction indsutry)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Construction in the spotlight Londoners experienced both triumph and tragedy last week in the shape of the 2012 Olympic win and the brutal bombings the day after. If the two events have one thing in common it is that they provide, for good or...

Tunnels really do exist in the North.
July 13, 2005... Sir, I write in reference to the picture caption on page 2 of the 15 June edition. I appreciate the media generally think there is no life outside the South East, but Standedge Tunnels are between Huddersfield and Saddleworth in Yorkshire......

New Holland's new market.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... New Holland has made its first entry into the hydraulic breaker market with a range of units said to be suitable for carriers in the 1.5t to 70t operating capacity. The 11 breakers have been designed and manufactured in collaboration with...

Big lift for Omega.(Omega Access )(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Holland-based Omega Access has launched a new three-model range of scissor lifts with working heights of 19m, 22.5m and 26.5m. According to owner Mark van Oosten, three of the largest machines had already been sold before the launch, including...

A shared vision.(construction contracts outsourcing)
July 13, 2005... Earlier this year, Salford City Council outsourced its highways maintenance to a Morrison-Capita jv called Urban Vision. But unusually, it bolted on other services as diverse as planning, property management, and architectural design. Will Mann...

Driving progress.(highway agency contract management)
July 13, 2005... The Sheffield Inner Relief Road is the first local authority early contractor involvement (ECI) scheme. And it's progressing a lot quicker than most Highways Agency projects. Helen McCormick finds out why from main contractor Birse Civils. ...

Pro Grab's kerbstone Micro lift.(Pro Grab )(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Pro Grab has introduced a version of its hydraulically operated kerbstone lifting attachment to fit micro excavators up to 1.5t operating weight. The Micro grab has a safe working load of 100kg and is able to pick up kerbstones measuring up to...

Soil warning for contractors.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... The increased availability of soil stabilisation machines could lead to contractors becoming blase about soil stabilisation, Stuart Cameron, business manager at Bennett Soil, has warned. He said even some of the UK's largest contractors are...

Don't gamble with safety.(construction industry risk management)
July 13, 2005... If you want to develop a more effective risk management programme, attending Contract Journal's safety conference is the ideal place to pick up some tips from the experts. Helen McCormick explains. Risk assessment and management have become...

BANES heads for deep water again in Bath Spa.(Bath & North East Somerset Council )(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... A repeat of the leaking steam room floor fiasco at Bath Spa, which eventually led to Mowlem being pulled off the [pounds sterling]40m project, could be on the cards after it was revealed that Bath & North East Somerset Council (Banes) has...

Bridging ; holy water.(bridge construction contracts reports)
July 13, 2005... Consulting engineer Gifford is working with Laing O'Rourke on an elegant stainless steel footbridge in the Anglesey port of Holyhead. And as its name suggests, the local council hopes the bridge will be the gateway to the town's regeneration....

Centro responsible for rail discount.(Centro Trains )(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Sir, The 8 June edition of CJ reported that 70 Highways Agency (HA) staff in Birmingham have opted to switch from their cars to trains under an arrangement negotiated by the HA with Centro Trains in the Birmingham area. Your headline gave the...

Basic risk assessment is essential.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Sir, I read with interest the news that the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is to target injuries caused through manual handling with a view to "promoting the use of mechanical handling equipment". I work with a large number of construction...

Fatalities must be reported.(Letter to the Editor)
July 13, 2005... Sir, I was astonished to read the letter from George Mackey attacking the way the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) categorises accidents/fatalities and accusing me of slating the industry (CJ 29 June). He said that roadwork fatalities and those...

Rok buys Topcon and Lemmeleg for [pounds sterling]4.9m.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Latest acquisitions help Rok build up presence in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire markets. Rok Property Solutions has paid a total of [pounds sterling]4.9m for two construction and building firms in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Topcon (Builders...

Brown Macs back on the road.(Brown Macs hole digging projects picking well)
July 13, 2005... McNicholas has had a tough couple of years, registering a [pounds sterling]1.5m loss in 2003 after three contracts went wrong in its building arm. It's since closed that part of the business, and is now getting back to what it does best -...

Brandon Hire adds trio with [pounds sterling]900,000 swoop.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Brandon Hire has acquired the business and assets of three companies comprising four branches for a total of [pounds sterling]900,000. Hire and Sales of Sheffield has been acquired for [pounds sterling]500,000; A1 Total Hire in Norwich for...

Firms given EA waste registration deadline.(Environment Agency)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... CPA says there has been a lack of information to help firms meet the 16 July deadline. Plant hire companies, machinery dealers and all companies producing hazardous waste have until 16 July to register with the Environ-ment Agency. On...

Mowlem blames [pounds sterling]20m profit dive on change of definition.
July 13, 2005... Mowlem has issued yet another profit warning - the fourth in little over a year - with the result that profit forecast for 2005 has dived from [pounds sterling]28m to just [pounds sterling]8m. The reputation of the troubled construction group...

Indeco signs up with Fiori.(Fiori Inc)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Breaker specialist Indeco (UK) is to act as importer and distributor for Fiori following the end of the Italian machinery manufacturer's contract with Equipment Supply Services in Neath, south Wales. Indeco UK director John Jackson said he...

Industry must be held accountable.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Sir, When will we stop dismissing the deaths of roadworkers as the inevitable consequence of irresponsible drivers (CJ 29 June)? There are few circumstances where the worker cannot be adequately protected or the traffic adequately controlled....

Crossrail Bill poses threat to Olympics.
July 13, 2005... Bill may hamper the suppliers who are set to benefit from the 2012 London games. Work on Olympic projects will suffer supply problems if the government's Crossrail Bill gets the go-ahead, warned Quarry Products Association director of...

Ashtead back in the black with less debt.(Ashtead Group PLC)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Increase in rental rates and fleet utilisation helps Ashtead to make a profit of [pounds sterling]16.4m. Ashtead Group has bounced back from a pre-tax loss of [pounds sterling]33.1m in 2003/04 to make a pre-tax profit of [pounds...

Galliford outperforms sector to produce profit of [pounds sterling]26m.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Galliford Try, the construction and housebuilding group, is on course for a [pounds sterling]26m profit in its current financial year, a period that ended on 30 June 2005. Last year, Galliford made [pounds sterling]23m. Earlier forecasts for...

Heywood Williams out of the windows.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Heywood Williams is turning its back on manufacturing windows and is trying to sell its UK extrusion business. Chief executive Robert Barr told CJ the company plans to continue as a distributor. The group's PVC extrusion business generated...

Cutting it at the top.(technology application in bridge cables inspection )
July 13, 2005... C Spencer is carrying out a series of invasive inspections to assess the condition of the main cables of the Forth Road Bridge - the first since it opened more than 40 years ago and the first on a major suspension bridge in the UK. Helen...

Alimak Hek platforms provide river solution.(Alimak Hek )(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Mastclimbing specialist Alimak Hek has provided eight specially modified work platforms to Edmund Nuttall to overcome access problems on the new River Swale crossing. The new 1.25km bridge is 30m above the river and is built on 36 reinforced...

back bites.(Pairs and London construction contracts)(Severn Valley Railway healthy services)
July 13, 2005... A tale of two cities Back bites was as surprised as everyone else when old London town pipped its Parisian rival to win the 2012 Olympics and has been pondering the merits of the two cities. Stadium. Paris: an Olympic standard stadium. London:...

Blackwell takes Interserve chair.(Appointment of Lord Blackwell )(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Mike Bottjer, who is to stand down as chairman of Interserve, the infrastructure and facilities management group, on 1 September, will be succeeded by Lord Blackwell. Lord Blackwell was head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit from 1995 to...

New plasterboard regs to apply from next week.(regulations)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Environment Agency will take tough action against illegal disposal of plasterboard in normal landfill cells. New waste disposal regulations, which come into effect next weekend, are set to present demolition firms with a major headache...

ECITB to tackle skills shortage.(Engineering Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board has signed a formal memorandum of understanding with the Skills for Business network, which represents the government-backed sector skills councils. The pact involves the two bodies working...

Norway's cost challenge.(International relations between Norway and united kingdom)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Norwegian superquarries' threat to the UK aggregates industry is being increased by the Road Transport Directive (RTD), the British Aggregates Association (BAA) has claimed. The association said extra road transport costs are leaving UK firms...

No domestic bliss for Marshalls.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Building materials firm Marshalls blamed a disappointing domestic market for a flat performance in the six months to 30 June. The company said domestic installers' average order books ended the period at 8.9 weeks of work in hand compared to...

North East highway deals move forward.
July 13, 2005... Five firms shortlisted for HA's NE Package A ECI deal, while Package B is stripped back. Contractors have finally picked up the paperwork for a repackaged ECI roads deal in the North East, more than a year after the original scheme first...

Contractors join [pounds sterling]37m leisure bid.(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... The two specialist companies in the swim for a [pounds sterling]37m PFI sport and leisure deal in South Yorkshire have now got contractors on board. Earlier this year, Rotherham Borough Council chose DC Leisure and Leisure Connection to work...

Clients worry about NAECI.(National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry)(Brief Article)
July 13, 2005... Process industry clients have added their voices to those of contractors in warning the unions of their concern about the future of the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Ind-ustry (NAECI). Jeff House, Capital Projects Clients...

Irish contractors to face tougher safety penalties.
July 13, 2005... Employers and workers face on-the-spot fines and workers will face drink and drugs tests under new legislation. Construction company bosses in the Irish Republic who are convicted of serious safety breaches will face fines of up to [pounds...