8th February 2010
GSH confirms new senior team
Following a year of considerable change, hard services provider GSH Group has completed the re-structure of its board with the appointment of Paul Cottam as Managing Director UK & Ireland.
Cottam, a Chartered Engineer, joins from G4S where he had responsibility for a wide range of projects in both the public and private sector. In his new role, he will focus on achieving long-term sustainable growth and driving business development. His appointment completes the company’s new leadership structure following its delisting from AIM last year, GSH says.
Cottam has previously worked for GSH, having joined in 1992 as a management trainee and later becoming Regional Managing Director and Commercial Director. He also now sits on the board of the British Safety Council.
Commenting on his appointment, he said: “I am looking forward to re-joining GSH Group at this exciting time for the business. With the delisting from AIM and a return to the core values of a family-owned private company, we are embarking on a new period in the company’s history that will build on its current position as one of the leading hard FM organisations within Europe.”
With Cottam’s appointment John Davy, who had been acting Managing Director, will assume the role of Group Chief Operating Officer with operational and developmental responsibilities across all of the company’s businesses.
Also joining the board is Richard Roberts, who becomes Group HR Director.
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25th January 2010
Deloitte scoops up Drivers Jonas
Published: 25th January 2010
Deloitte, the business advisory firm, has acquired Drivers Jonas, the UK’s oldest property firm.
The deal will create a business group of around 700 partners and professionals, significantly extending Deloitte’s capability in this market.
The combined group, with annual revenues in excess of £110m, will deliver real estate advisory and transaction expertise to the firm’s clients in all markets and industries. It will also form a critical part of Deloitte’s wider £200m Real Estate industry team, which specialises in providing professional services to real estate clients.
The move sees over 650 Drivers Jonas partners and employees join Deloitte. Nick Shepherd, managing partner of Drivers Jonas, will become managing partner of the Real Estate Group which will trade as Drivers Jonas Deloitte.
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19th January 2010
The Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association has unveiled a new Strategic Plan, updated in part to take into account the changed economic circumstances facing member companies.
The document, entitled Responding to Change, will provide an overall structure for HVCA initiatives and activities over the next three years.
Amongst other things, it underlines the Association’s commitment to equipping its members to operate profitably, to improving the commercial building services engineering environment, and to promoting competence and professionalism across the sector.
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15th January 2010
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has formally announced the launch of its new membership grade for facilities managers, a potentially significant initiative first reported on i-FM in November.
AssocRICS offers individuals with relevant experience or qualifications within FM the opportunity to obtain what the Institution describes as 'a highly respected and internationally recognised professional qualification'.
Seen as an entry level qualification, it offers an alternative to the traditional RICS graduate route for those without an accredited degree.
It is also a route to chartered facilities manager status via competency-based assessment.
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13th January 2010
Incentive lands 11 centre consultancy deal
Capital Shopping Centres has awarded Incentive FM a 12-month consultancy contract covering its full portfolio of key regional sites.
CSC owns and manages 11 shopping centres, including Thurrock's Lakeside (left) and the Metro Centre in Gateshead.
The contract will see Incentive's consulting team reviewing and tendering the facilities management work for all - a total of 12.9m sq. ft. Key responsibilities will include strategic input, creating and agreeing a best-fit model, selecting appropriate bidders, creating the bid documentation and managing the tender process.
CSC's targets for the exercise are to ensure that each shopping centre maintains the quality of it facilities whilst maximising opportunities for increased efficiency. Protecting stakeholder value is also vital, Incentive says, and it will ensure that the requirements from over 2,000 retailers are taken into consideration.
The firm's consultancy fee is expected to be recouped within the first six months as a result of savings made.
Trevor Pereira, Commercial Director at CSC, said: “Our centres are focused on offering the best services and providing a safe, stress-free, and rewarding shopping experience. Having the right facilities management partners on board is crucial to our ability to deliver this."
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13th January 2010
Two more GSH recruits for MSS
Managed Support Services has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Chris Riley as Managing Director and Glenn Preston as Operations Director.
Riley will be responsible for the day-to-day service delivery and ongoing development of the MSS technical offering. He joins from GSH Group where he spent 16 years and held a number of senior positions including Deputy Managing Director and Director of Operations.
Preston will handle all operational aspects at MSS and is initially tasked with setting up a 24-hour nationwide helpdesk and supporting the integration of new acquisitions into the business. He also joins from GSH where he was Key Account General Manager.
Commenting on the appointments, Jamie Reynolds, Chief Operating Officer of Managed Support Services – and ex co-CEO at GSH - said: “Both Chris and Glenn bring considerable knowledge and expertise to their roles, and their appointments represent a key part of our ongoing strategy to create a leading integrated FM business within the UK.
"Their experience will ensure we are well-placed to not only grow the business, but also enhance the service we provide our customers.”
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Hays: Race discrimination claims dropped
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6th January 2010
New senior appointments at Atkins Asset Management
The managing agent division of the professional services group has filled two senior roles to solidify its position and provide a platform for growth.
James Wood has been appointed Development Director and takes responsibility for the development of the business including growth of existing accounts and new business.
The second appointment sees Lee Hattersley take up the role of Head of Service Delivery, overseeing the day-to-day delivery of services to Atkins customers.
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Tue, 12 Jan 2010
Three workers who alleged that they were subjected to racial discrimination while working for Hays have dropped their claims “without any money being paid to them”, according to a company statement.
Kevin Snagg of Twickenham, Middlesex, Chiuta Dube of Stratford, East London, and Ray Burkoh of Morden, Surrey, all alleged they had been victims of racism while working for the firm at its New Malden office. The allegations included a colleague mimicking a Klu Klux Klan member by putting a napkin on his head and chanting during a company meal, while Snagg claimed a banana was thrown at him during a meeting when he said he was hungry. The group also objected to a racist email that was circulated about Barack Obama in November 2008. However, the trio has now dropped the claims. A statement from the company said: “Hays can confirm that the claimants have dropped their claims at the employment tribunal, without any money being paid to them by Hays. They have accepted that there is no evidence to suggest that Hays is an institutionally racist company. “Specifically, they have accepted that there is no evidence to suggest that either the words spoken or the physical actions displayed by Hays staff members at a company meal in June 2008 were motivated by racial discrimination.” The company did accept that the Obama email, which entered the company’s email system from outside sources, had been racially offensive, but added: “The matter was fully investigated and properly dealt with by Hays.” Snagg, Dube and Burkoh dropped their claim in mid-December, four weeks into a scheduled six-week hearing.
The Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association has unveiled a new Strategic Plan, updated in part to take into account the changed economic circumstances facing member companies.
The document, entitled Responding to Change, will provide an overall structure for HVCA initiatives and activities over the next three years.
Amongst other things, it underlines the Association’s commitment to equipping its members to operate profitably, to improving the commercial building services engineering environment, and to promoting competence and professionalism across the sector.
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15th January 2010
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has formally announced the launch of its new membership grade for facilities managers, a potentially significant initiative first reported on i-FM in November.
AssocRICS offers individuals with relevant experience or qualifications within FM the opportunity to obtain what the Institution describes as 'a highly respected and internationally recognised professional qualification'.
Seen as an entry level qualification, it offers an alternative to the traditional RICS graduate route for those without an accredited degree.
It is also a route to chartered facilities manager status via competency-based assessment.
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13th January 2010
Incentive lands 11 centre consultancy deal
Capital Shopping Centres has awarded Incentive FM a 12-month consultancy contract covering its full portfolio of key regional sites.
CSC owns and manages 11 shopping centres, including Thurrock's Lakeside (left) and the Metro Centre in Gateshead.
The contract will see Incentive's consulting team reviewing and tendering the facilities management work for all - a total of 12.9m sq. ft. Key responsibilities will include strategic input, creating and agreeing a best-fit model, selecting appropriate bidders, creating the bid documentation and managing the tender process.
CSC's targets for the exercise are to ensure that each shopping centre maintains the quality of it facilities whilst maximising opportunities for increased efficiency. Protecting stakeholder value is also vital, Incentive says, and it will ensure that the requirements from over 2,000 retailers are taken into consideration.
The firm's consultancy fee is expected to be recouped within the first six months as a result of savings made.
Trevor Pereira, Commercial Director at CSC, said: “Our centres are focused on offering the best services and providing a safe, stress-free, and rewarding shopping experience. Having the right facilities management partners on board is crucial to our ability to deliver this."
______________________________________________
The Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association has unveiled a new Strategic Plan, updated in part to take into account the changed economic circumstances facing member companies.
The document, entitled Responding to Change, will provide an overall structure for HVCA initiatives and activities over the next three years.
Amongst other things, it underlines the Association’s commitment to equipping its members to operate profitably, to improving the commercial building services engineering environment, and to promoting competence and professionalism across the sector.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
The document, entitled Responding to Change, will provide an overall structure for HVCA initiatives and activities over the next three years.
Amongst other things, it underlines the Association’s commitment to equipping its members to operate profitably, to improving the commercial building services engineering environment, and to promoting competence and professionalism across the sector.
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15th January 2010
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has formally announced the launch of its new membership grade for facilities managers, a potentially significant initiative first reported on i-FM in November.
Seen as an entry level qualification, it offers an alternative to the traditional RICS graduate route for those without an accredited degree.
It is also a route to chartered facilities manager status via competency-based assessment.
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13th January 2010
Incentive lands 11 centre consultancy deal
The contract will see Incentive's consulting team reviewing and tendering the facilities management work for all - a total of 12.9m sq. ft. Key responsibilities will include strategic input, creating and agreeing a best-fit model, selecting appropriate bidders, creating the bid documentation and managing the tender process.
CSC's targets for the exercise are to ensure that each shopping centre maintains the quality of it facilities whilst maximising opportunities for increased efficiency. Protecting stakeholder value is also vital, Incentive says, and it will ensure that the requirements from over 2,000 retailers are taken into consideration.
The firm's consultancy fee is expected to be recouped within the first six months as a result of savings made.
Trevor Pereira, Commercial Director at CSC, said: “Our centres are focused on offering the best services and providing a safe, stress-free, and rewarding shopping experience. Having the right facilities management partners on board is crucial to our ability to deliver this."
13th January 2010
Two more GSH recruits for MSS
Managed Support Services has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Chris Riley as Managing Director and Glenn Preston as Operations Director.
Riley will be responsible for the day-to-day service delivery and ongoing development of the MSS technical offering. He joins from GSH Group where he spent 16 years and held a number of senior positions including Deputy Managing Director and Director of Operations.
Preston will handle all operational aspects at MSS and is initially tasked with setting up a 24-hour nationwide helpdesk and supporting the integration of new acquisitions into the business. He also joins from GSH where he was Key Account General Manager.
Commenting on the appointments, Jamie Reynolds, Chief Operating Officer of Managed Support Services – and ex co-CEO at GSH - said: “Both Chris and Glenn bring considerable knowledge and expertise to their roles, and their appointments represent a key part of our ongoing strategy to create a leading integrated FM business within the UK.
"Their experience will ensure we are well-placed to not only grow the business, but also enhance the service we provide our customers.”
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6th January 2010
New senior appointments at Atkins Asset Management
James Wood has been appointed Development Director and takes responsibility for the development of the business including growth of existing accounts and new business.
The second appointment sees Lee Hattersley take up the role of Head of Service Delivery, overseeing the day-to-day delivery of services to Atkins customers.
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Kevin Snagg of Twickenham, Middlesex, Chiuta Dube of Stratford, East London, and Ray Burkoh of Morden, Surrey, all alleged they had been victims of racism while working for the firm at its New Malden office. The allegations included a colleague mimicking a Klu Klux Klan member by putting a napkin on his head and chanting during a company meal, while Snagg claimed a banana was thrown at him during a meeting when he said he was hungry. The group also objected to a racist email that was circulated about Barack Obama in November 2008. However, the trio has now dropped the claims. A statement from the company said: “Hays can confirm that the claimants have dropped their claims at the employment tribunal, without any money being paid to them by Hays. They have accepted that there is no evidence to suggest that Hays is an institutionally racist company. “Specifically, they have accepted that there is no evidence to suggest that either the words spoken or the physical actions displayed by Hays staff members at a company meal in June 2008 were motivated by racial discrimination.” The company did accept that the Obama email, which entered the company’s email system from outside sources, had been racially offensive, but added: “The matter was fully investigated and properly dealt with by Hays.” Snagg, Dube and Burkoh dropped their claim in mid-December, four weeks into a scheduled six-week hearing.
4th January 2010 __________________________________________________________________________
BB lands seven-year QinetiQ FM deal
Defense technology company QinetiQ has appointed Balfour Beatty on a seven-year, 31-site integrated facilities management services contract.
The deal has a base-line value of £15m per annum, and there will be additional fees for non-core services.
Balfour Beatty says it will be transforming the services delivered to QinetiQ, providing greater efficiencies and cost reductions.
It will be responsible for mechanical and electrical and building fabric maintenance, waste management, mail, logistics, cleaning, front-of-house, helpdesk management and ground maintenance services.
18th December 2009
The three founding Directors of The Asset Factor, Oliver Jones, Keith Perry and Matthew Punshon, have concluded a deal to join international built asset consultancy EC Harris.
EC Harris says the move comes in response to increasing demand from property investor, corporate occupier and residential developer clients for integrated service solutions and effective asset management.
Though the firm has not bought The Asset Factor business, Perry, Punshon and Jones (left) will be bringing their distinctive approach to asset services, including management, ownership and integrated property operations.
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1st October 2009
National Minimum wage increased as of the 1st October 2009:
£5.80 for employees aged 22 years and older.
£4.83 for employees aged between 18 and 21 years.
£3.57 for employees aged between 16 and 17 years.
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EC Harris says the move comes in response to increasing demand from property investor, corporate occupier and residential developer clients for integrated service solutions and effective asset management.
Though the firm has not bought The Asset Factor business, Perry, Punshon and Jones (left) will be bringing their distinctive approach to asset services, including management, ownership and integrated property operations.
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1st October 2009
National Minimum wage increased as of the 1st October 2009:
£5.80 for employees aged 22 years and older.
£4.83 for employees aged between 18 and 21 years.
£3.57 for employees aged between 16 and 17 years.
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17th September 2009
Five big FM service providers have been included in a list of companies with the biggest pension difficulties.
Interserve, Kier Group, Carillion, Atkins and Mouchel were all in the top 15 list, compiled by Pension Capital Strategies. Researchers looked at the pension liabilities and pension deficits of the FTSE-250 companies, ranking them by looking at the ratio of pension commitments to market value.
11 September 2009
GSH Group has won a three-year contract with AstraZeneca to provide building and maintenance services at the pharmaceutical company´s Charnwood site in Loughborough
The deal includes mechanical and electrical engineering, air conditioning, building fabric maintenance and environmental services.
AstraZeneca selected GSH Group following a competitive tender for the work at the Charnwood site which focuses on research for new medicines for respiratory and inflammatory diseases.
This contract brings the number of AstraZeneca locations maintained by GSH Group to 14, including the company´s London global headquarters, UKMC sales and marketing facility and their national distribution centre.
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7th September 2009
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned that British business is not prepared for a widely predicted second wave of swine flu in the winter that could drive absence rates up to 50 per cent.
Research from the CIPD and the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) reveals that there may be a ‘cry wolf’ effect where businesses underestimate the seriousness of the threat from swine flu because of the relative mildness of the first outbreak. As a result businesses may not be adequately prepared for the consequences of a resurgence in the number of cases.
Health experts suggest that a “second wave” of swine flu may be triggered by schools going back after the summer break.
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25th August 2009
Recession over says accountants!
Confidence among business professionals has moved into positive territory for the first time in two years, providing further evidence of an improving UK economy.
The latest UK Business Confidence Monitor from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales shows a record rise in confidence from -28.2 to +4.8, the highest since Q3, 2007.
Based on this, the ICAEW predicts that GDP will rise 0.5% this quarter – the largest quarterly improvement seen since BCM began.
ICAEW Chief Executive Michael Izza said: "This quarter’s BCM suggests that the UK recession is at an end."
But, Izza cautioned: "While there is no doubt that the UK economy is on its way to recovery, we shouldn't underestimate the challenges ahead for businesses. The recovery is very fragile and I would urge policy makers not to take any actions that could derail it.”
13th August 2009
The number of people out of work in the UK is now 2.43 million - the highest level since 1995 - figures from the Office for National Statistics showed.
The official ONS data recorded another 220,000 jobs were lost in the three months to June.
Experts now predict unemployment will reach three million possibly by as early as the end of this year.
And the Centre for Economics and Business Research believes it could eventually approach four million.
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12th August 2009
Unemployment has hit 2.44m, the highest level since 1995, according to figures from Office for National Statistics.
Samantha Weston, head of resourcing at Grant Thornton says: “Today’s figures show an unrelenting rise in the number of unemployed 18-24 year olds. The government’s recent response, to further increase investment in internships through the Graduate Talent Pool and to provide funding for a gap year scheme, will provide benefit to some but the impact of the recession and the record number of students graduating this year will be a continuing concern for the government.
Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), says: “The REC’s figures showed that the decline in permanent staff appointments accelerated again in July following four months of relative stabilisation. This latest ‘relapse’ echoes the ongoing feedback from recruiters on the ground. On a more positive note, the rate of contraction for temporary and contract work eased to the slowest in 10 months which confirms that flexible working options will provide a crucial outlet for both job-seekers over the coming months,” says Green.
“This mirrors the pattern in previous recessions where the temporary market has bounced back first.”
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5th August 2009
Confidence is starting to return to the UK outsourcing industry according to research published by the National Outsourcing Association (NOA).
The NOA found that 30 per cent of outsourcing professionals were more confident about demand than they had been last year, with 10 per cent much more confident about the state of the market. Four in ten respondents said that they were as confident as they had been last year and 20 per cent were slightly less confident.
This equates to a confidence index of 115, with an index of 100 representing no change since last year and 200 showing that all respondents are highly confident.
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5th August 2009
GSH Group will de-list from the junior stock market after its majority shareholder won his battle to take the international provider of FM private again.
Ian Scarr-Hall, with nearly 84 per cent of shares, will take full control on 10 August, according to GSH's financial public relations firm.
The multi-millionaire and philanthropist has been pushing for the move since March when he set up an extraordinary general meeting to consider a resolution to delist from AIM, the Alternative Investment Market.
GSH announced the cancellation of its AIM listing on 31 July.
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31st July 2009
Interserve has been named preferred bidder by HSBC for a £200m facilities management contract across the bank’s UK property portfolio.
The portfolio comprises over 80 office and 1,600 retail sites and includes buildings in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It also covers HSBC’s global headquarters in Canary Wharf, London, where Interserve has been providing security services for some time.
Interserve expects to reach close on a three-year deal, with a two-year extension option, at some point in the autumn. Any agreement would cover mechanical and electrical maintenance, building fabric maintenance, helpdesk cover, front-of-house services, cleaning, catering, vending, grounds maintenance, waste services and utility management.
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29th July 2009
The government has fast-tracked the approval of the new facilities management apprenticeship and the first candidates will start training in September.
The FM apprenticeship was given the official seal of approval today by the Apprenticeship Framework Quality Monitoring Group. Asset Skills, the sector skills council, pushed for the approval process to be fast-tracked in response to pressure from employers for a dedicated, on-the-job FM qualification.
Richard Beamish, chief executive of Asset Skills, hailed the new qualification. "Facilities management now has its first dedicated apprenticeship programme. This is an enormous step forward for the industry and will help raise skills levels right across the board."
The new apprenticeship framework, which is set to begin in September, will provide an entry-point to the profession. It combines a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in FM, a technical certificate offered by the BIFM and the Institute of Leadership and Management, and key skills training. Staff with experience of working in FM who do not have formal qualifications will have the option of taking either the NVQ or the technical award as a stand-alone qualification.
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________________________________________________This follows a sharp decline in employee absence in the private sector.
The survey of more than 600 employers shows that while private sector absence has fallen from 7.2 days to 6.4 days per employee per year, public sector absence has remained stubbornly high, averaging 9.7 days compared to 9.8 days for the previous year.
The overall level of workplace absence across all sectors of the economy now averages 7.4 days per employee per year. While this is a welcome improvement on the 8 days recorded a year earlier the figure nonetheless represents a loss of 185 million working days at an overall cost to the UK economy of £17.3billion.
19th July 2009
In a trading update prior to the release of figures, the group says its position is good despite market conditions.
The construction division has traded well with strong operating margins and very healthy cash balances, Kier reports. This is attributable to the fact that much of the workload is in the public and regulated sectors where work 'continues to flow'.
The support services division works in the same sectors. The company notes that it is, for example, preferred bidder for a £600m, ten-year, outsourcing contract for North Tyneside Council, a deal expected to be signed in time for a September start date.
David Lloyd Leisure has over 78 clubs in the UK, and ICM – the country's largest independent specialist provider of cleaning and related services – has landed a deal covering over 50% of the estate in England and Wales.
As a part of the contract ICM is implementing training to NVQ Level 2 for all members of the team at each site with the goal of ensuring 'an exceptionally high standard of service' for each daily clean.
"Working with David Lloyd Leisure provides us with the opportunity to expand our activities with a significant player in the leisure market," commented Paul Rafferty, MD of ICM. "Our emphasis on customer service, at the heart of any leisure business, has proved significant in our ability to develop innovative solutions."
Kier told investors that its support services division has continued “its profitable and cash generative growth” in the first half of the year.
It also called attention to its ten-year outsourcing contract with North Tyneside Council as evidence of the division’s success in securing new business. The £600m local government agreement is set to commence in September 2009 and will take the number of public sector homes maintained by Kier to 240,000.
The construction and support services firm said that it expected its full year underlying profit to be in line with market expectations. Kier also said that it had strengthened its cash position in the last six months. At the end of June it had £90m in cash, compared to a net cash balance of £82m at the close of December last year.
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The deal covers Santander's entire UK corporate head office buildings portfolio of 33 sites in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The news came in a trading update from MITIE issued today.
The company said in that statement it had had 'a positive start' to the financial year. As of the end of June, it had secured 78% of forecast revenue for the year to 31 March 2010. That's down somewhat on the comparable figure for last year of 83%.
MITIE added that it continues to see good growth opportunities 'as economic conditions create momentum for further efficiencies in both the public and private sectors'.
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The worst of the recession could be over, according to findings from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Economic Survey.
Manufacturing fared better in Q2 than services, though in absolute terms, the manufacturing sector remains in a worse condition overall.
Turnover confidence was positive for the first time since Q3 last year and it has improved dramatically for manufacturing firms, rising 40 points from -38 in Q1 to +2 in Q2.
Hiring intentions in both sectors grew this quarter, but the BCC predicts unemployment will reach 3.2m by mid 2010.
David Frost, director at the British Chambers of Commerce Director General, says: “These results are sending Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling a strong message from the business community. It is absolutely vital that the improvement in business confidence is nurtured.
“Our economy is based on confidence, and wealth-creating businesses need to know they will be given the freedom and flexibility to drive the UK out of recession and into a sustainable recovery.
David Kern, chief economist at the BCC, adds: “The pace of decline in the UK economy is clearly moderating. The worst phase of the recession is over, but serious downward pressures persist across all sectors and regions. Most key balances are still in negative territory and remain weak by historical standards. Recovery is now possible but it is not yet secure.
Michael Page thinks UK economy improving
In its trading update for the second quarter of 2009, Michael Page says there are “increasing signs that the rate of decline is slowing” in the UK.
The company says “it is experiencing a degree of stabilisation in some disciplines” and that “some teams are making selective hiring decisions to increase the rate of gain in marketshare.”
Kean Marden, an analyst at Singer Capital Markets, calculates that the company’s year on year growth rate in gross profit improved from -42% in Q1 to -39% in Q2.
Punch, headquartered in Burton upon Trent, is the UK's leading pub company with over 8,300 leased and managed outlets.
The contract includes the provision of property and equipment maintenance for the managed estate of 862 pubs, the leased estate of 7,486 pubs and onsite facilities management at the recently opened new headquarters building.
A new web-based system has been developed to manage the reactive maintenance activity across the estate, introducing enhanced end user ownership and control, SGP says.
Sykes joined Carillion as MD for Consulting in February, after leaving Taylor Woodrow where he was Operations Director for their Facilities Management and Construction activities
Sherlock is currently the company's Southern Operations Director.
In his new role – which is a new position at Faceo – he will focus on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement to support future growth strategy.
Sherlock will also take on responsibility for procurement and helpdesk functions to ensure the effective integration of operational programmes, as well as best practice and innovation in support of Faceo's market position.
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25th June 2009
FRL release biggest FM industry Salary survey
FRL one of the FM industry’s leading recruitment and HR consultancies, have released the results of their 2009 salary survey.
Issued on line to over 14,000 candidates and contacts within companies they provide services to, there was a 9.9% response rate. The survey provides data on more than 56 job disciplines, not only looking at basic salaries, but bonus levels, other benefits and compares these between regions, in-house Facilities department employees and Facilities service provider employees.
The findings have also been benchmarked against four other industry surveys to ensure the validity of data. The key findings are that the economic downturn has had an affect on remuneration levels;
- An average 6% lower remuneration level than last year
- The average Facilities Manager salary of £40,806 is £7,000 lower than last year
- The average length of employment reduced from 4.6 years to 4.05 years
- The variation in remuneration levels of disciplines is growing
- Senior executive’s remuneration bucked the trend and increased by 15%!
Commenting on the findings, FRL CEO John Davis stated, “The decrease in the remuneration levels was to be expected with many companies either requesting salary cuts or making more expensive personnel redundant, however the disappointment is still seeing the huge variation in the salary levels for disciplines illustrating that there is still not enough recognition for the FM industry and the exact demarcation of roles. To have some ‘Facilities Managers’ on salaries of £25,000 whilst others are on £80,000 is too extreme a variation. However it is encouraging to see that on the whole the industry still exudes confidence and provides stable employment, and great career development opportunities”
The 57 page bound report is available free of charge to those companies that have granted preferred supplier status to FRL, or the report can be purchased from FRL.
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24th June 2009
Interserve has landed a national cleaning contract with retailer Argos which will see it supporting 745 stores across the UK.
The multi-million pound deal covers store cleaning, window cleaning and warehouse cleaning throughout the retailer’s network of UK stores.
Argos, which previously contracted its cleaning to a number of different companies, is unifying its procurement of cleaning services to drive down costs and standardise service levels. The move to a single outsourced cleaning provider will mean that 1,500 staff transfer to Interserve under Tupe provisions.
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22nd June 2009
Men are twenty times more likely than women to be killed in workplace accidents according to the latest figures from the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (Iosh).
The new statistics, published to coincide with National Men’s Health Week, show that men accounted for 221 of the 229 workplace fatalities in 2007-08, equivalent to 96 per cent.
Men were also far more likely to be injured in accidents. In the same period, men suffered more than 75,000 injuries that required more than three days off work. Only 33,000 women suffered injuries which kept them out of the workplace for the same length of time.
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22nd June 2009
FMs must "raise their game" to cut carbon emissions in light of new climate change predictions from the Met Office, a property group has urged.
The Met Office report, UK Climate Change Projections, warns that Britain is likely to face scorching summers and increasingly wet winters. The country will also be at increasing risk of wild fires, storm surges and crop failures. Some crops that are currently grown may be unable to survive and cows and sheep may die of heat stress. By 2080 temperatures in London could regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
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19th June 2009
The third European FM Awards were presented in conjunction with the EuroFM conference in Amsterdam earlier this week.
The three categories for students, researchers and FM service providers and their client partners recognise the growth of international co-operation and interaction in the facilities management sector across Europe and, increasingly, across the globe, EuroFM says.
Awards were presented to:
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The centre, with fit-out, IT and branding handled by Interserve itself, is located in Redditch and brought 75 new jobs to the local area.
The company says it is already servicing four key FM clients here, generating over 9,000 calls a week. Overall, Interserve is handling about 23,000 calls a week, a number expected to grow. All service calls are due to be progressively moved to Redditch.
Commenting on the plans, Chief Executive Adrian Ringrose said: "We have always been committed to providing our clients with the best quality service and the National Service Centre will help us take this to the next level. By opening this new centre, our specialised teams are able to provide a faster and more dedicated service to meet our clients' support services needs."
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The new agreement, over the longer contract period of 10 years, is valued at £245m.
Serco will be responsible for a range of core services to ensure the smooth flow of aircraft in the airspace around the airport and on the ground.
It will also enhance its research and development capability with a new control tower simulator to help develop procedures in line with expected traffic growth.
Dubai International Airport has just opened a third terminal. It is the major hub for the region and already the world’s busiest airport for wide-bodied aircraft.
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5th June 2009
The local team is being led by a long-time player in UK FM, Nigel Hambly, who also has extensive experience in the Dubai area.
Modus CEO Toby Benzecry commented: "Despite the challenging economic conditions in the region, we are convinced that this is a good time to establish a business - particularly given the tremendous strength of our local partners and changing attitudes to property services.
"There is already a lot of local interest in our FM offering, and we’re pleased to be able to support our international fit-out clients in yet another part of the world."
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29th May 2009
Martin Pickard, the well-known FM guru, journalist and consultant, has pledged his support for the FM Charity Network Forum after accepting an invitation to be appointed as its first Patron.
With members from across the voluntary sector, the FM Charity Network Forum serves as the facilities management focal point for charity organisations providing opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking, support and co-operation. The Forum was created in order to fully understand how the broad discipline of FM operates within the charity sector and to offer prompt and practical solutions to members' problems, queries and issues.
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5 May 2009
Dalkia is looking to sell its UK facilities management and energy management business, according to a report in the Telegraph newspaper.
Advisers from PricewaterhouseCoopers have been appointed to carry out a strategic review of Dalkia's UK business, the newspaper writes.
Dalkia FM’s clients include AstraZeneca, Heinz, Tesco, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and North Somerset Council.
Dalkia's infrastructure unit, which designs, builds and installs combined heat and power plants. This is because Dalkia believes the infrastructure division will grow quickly but needs additional funding to expand.
If Dalkia decides to press ahead with the disposals, bankers believe the divisions could change hands for more than £150 million.
Sources said trade buyers from the construction industry, such as Carillion, could be interested in buying Dalkia. Companies already established in the facilities management sector, including the 3i-backed Enterprise, could also make an offer.
Dalkia is owned by French energy giants EDF and Veolia.
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23rd April 2009
St.Georges Day Special offer from FRL!
FRL are offering 30% discount of their standard fees for introducing permanent staff and off their standard temporary worker margins, for any assignments and vacancies registered with FRL on St. Georges Day, the 23rd April 2009.
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18th March 2009
Larch worked with the retailer on a 'root and branch' review and analysis across all FM activities during 2007 and 2008. Subsequently, ArcusFM was appointed to manage services at Sainsbury’s stores.
ArcusFm was established in response to the need for a new supplier – but won the job in competition.
A client spokesman commented: "Mike Cant and the Larch Consulting team have been instrumental in creating the vision and new FM service model for Sainsbury's."
Cant, a Director at Larch, was invited to join ArcusFM as CEO but declined, preferring to remain in the consulting market.
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1st March 2009
Imminent FM development courses available from The Asset Faculty include: -
24 March: Sourcing FM Services
The objective of this course is to support those seeking to master the practice of outsourcing in FM Services. Exploring the critical elements of the process from the decision to outsource through to the appointment of the right supplier. This is a daunting challenge with many pitfalls and complexities. Developing a structured professional approach to a project of this kind is vital for a successful outcome.
25 March: Mobilising FM Contracts
This interactive and practical course examines the key tasks and elements involved in supplier selection through to operation of outsourced services. However, selection of the right supplier is only the beginning of a process that may last for many years. A successful outcome depends greatly on what happens in the first few weeks. Mobilising the contract, establishing the measurement and communication protocols and developing the right relationship are crucial activities.
For more information or to book please call 020 7960 4120 or visit www.theassetfaculty.com
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13th February 2009
Olympic Energy Centre powers Ahead
New images which show that work is powering ahead on a state-of-the-art Energy Centre for the Olympic Park, have been released today by the Olympic Delivery Authority. The steel frame of the Energy Centre building has now been erected becoming the latest structure to make its mark on the Olympic Park landscape.The Energy Centre is being constructed in the west of the Olympic Park and will provide a power, heating and cooling system across Olympic Park site for the Games and for the new buildings and communities that will develop after 2012.
It will include biomass-fired boilers using sustainable biomass fuels to generate heat, and a Combined Cooling Heat & Power (CCHP) plant to capture the heat generated by electricity production.The site-wide heat network will generate domestic hot water and heat the Aquatics Centre swimming pools and other venues and buildings. The Energy Centre design is flexible to allow future technologies to be incorporated as they are developed in years to come. Over 500 tonnes of steel will be used in the structure which will be 45m tall at its highest point. Once the steel frame has been completed, 3,500 square metres of concrete 'planks' will be lifted into place to form the floors and roof of the Energy Centre. The Energy Centre is expected to be completed by the end of 2009 and be operational from early 2010.
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13th February 2009
Thursday's Workplace Futures conference, organised by the FMA and i-FM, tackled a critical challenge for FM companies – how to get marketing strategy and tactics right in order to cope with recession and also be well placed for upturn when it comes.
Delegates filled the exclusive Diamond Club overlooking the pitch at Emirates Stadium in London for a full-day programme skillfully chaired by Oliver Jones, CEO of The Asset Factor.
Jones set the tone by declaring: "Despite the general climate of bad news, this is a truly exciting time to be operating in UK FM.
"If you are properly and fully prepared," he said, "you can be amongst the small group of winners who will do well in these conditions. Your understanding of and approach to marketing will be the deciding factor."
Later in the morning, Robin Cartwright, a Partner and Head of the M&A Team at KPMG, offered further support for this view. His firm's research indicates that market demand will level off through the year before returning to growth in 2010.
That will mean more intense competition and more pressure on pricing but, Cartwright pointed out: "Your market is much more stable than most others, which means there are still opportunities for growth and development."
That positive view of the sector is also shared by the investment community, Cartwright noted. Investors, especially private equity firms, regard the multi services business as a sound growth area, and KPMG expects to see a number of deals being done towards the end of the year.
Against this background of relative optimism, delegates heard from a series of speakers who explored the concept of 'brand' as the frontline expression of marketing strategy. The delegates were challenged to consider whether their own company brand is: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
- Clear, strong and consistent
- Understood in the marketplace as it is intended to be
- Sufficiently differentiating from competitors, and
- Fully understood and appreciated by the company's own employees.
All of the presentations during the day struck a balance between theory and principles of best practice on the one hand and useable tips and advice on the other.
The programme was rounded off with a review of the transformation of Haden Building Management to Balfour Beatty WorkPlace. That real-world example, presented by Marketing Director Julie Thomson, encapsulated many of the day's themes.
Summing up the event, Oliver Jones issued a call to action: "We are at the good end of a bad market," he said. "Get your strategy right, ensure your people are on board, and communicate effectively – now and going forward. There are always opportunities to be found."
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11th February 2009
Carillion has appointed Richard Sykes as Managing Director of its consulting business.
Sykes joins from Taylor Woodrow where he was most recently Executive Board Director responsible for Taylor Woodrow Construction operations in the UK and Europe. He is also Chairman of the Facilities Management Association.
A relatively new addition to Carillion's service offering, its consulting operations include Enviros, TPS and Schal which, between them, provide services through the lifecycle of the natural and built environment.
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Tuesday 23rd December 2008
John Davis CEO of FRL to speak with Martin Pickard at Workplace Futures conference being held at Arsenal's Emirates stadium in February 2009.
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Wednesday 17th December 2008
Jones's session, entitled 'The Year Ahead - Managing the Recession', will ask the important question of how FMs will manage their property and facilities services effectively in the recession, with clear advice on strategies delegates can implement in their organisations.
Oliver Jones joins a growing list of expert speakers for next year's flagship conference, which includes the President of IOSH, Chief Executive of the BIFM, Group Legal Director of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and Chair of the RICS Asbestos Group, as well as leading lawyers and workplace practitioners.
The 10th Anniversary Facilities Management Legal Update Conference and Dinner takes place 3-4 February 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel, London Stansted Airport.
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FM Career Development - 5th December 2008
Based on a more detailed consultative methodology developed by Managing Director Martin Pickard, the tool allows an individual to assess his or her own competency in a range of FM skill and behaviour areas. This personal reflection helps FMs to identify their training and development needs.
Today (1 December) sees the launch of The Asset Faculty's 2009 programme, together with a new corporate style and a new website.
In addition to the downloadable assessment tool, the site contains the current schedules and outlines for all of The Asset Faculty open courses including the popular FM Masterclasses developed and run under Pickard's FM Guru brand for the last eight years.
Pickard points out that all Masterclass material has received its annual update and new topics have been added to ensure a focus on current needs. Other open courses include the highly acclaimed one-day Introduction to FM course, along with a range of IOSH and NEBOSH health and safety programmes. More courses are due to be announced shortly.
Commenting on the website launch, Martin Pickard said: "The Asset Faculty has brought together some of the most renowned innovators in the facilities and property management world. We are passionate about supporting everyone in FM with tools, advice and training developed from our experiences over the last thirty years as pioneers of facilities management.
"This self assessment tool will be a great help to those who are trying to develop their own careers," he added.
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The Times 5th December 2008
Michael Page profits warning
Michael Page International, one of Britain’s biggest recruitment consultants, gave warning that annual profits will fall for the first time in five years.
The company said that the erosion of confidence triggered by turmoil in the financial sector was “now more marked and has spread rapidly in November to virtually every industry sector and geographic market in which the group operates”.
It added: “Consequently, the cautionary behaviour of clients and candidates has increased further, significantly reducing activity levels and shortening the group’s earnings visibility.” Michael Page now expects pretax profits for 2008 to be at the bottom end of the range of analysts’ forecasts – £136 million, or 8 per cent lower than last year. Consensus forecasts had been for a modest rise to £150 million.
The company, which draws about two thirds of its profits from outside the UK, also disclosed that it is reducing its staff more quickly than before. In October, it disclosed a reduction in staff, a reflection of trends in fee income, to 5,452. Yesterday, it said that its year-end headcount would be 5,100. Previously, the staff cuts have fallen most heavily in the UK and North America.
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Daily Telegraph: 22nd October 2008
Recruiting Agencies fixed prices for builders, says OFT.
Eight recruitment agencies have been accused by the office of fair trading of price fixing and unfair boycotting practices in dealings with construction companies. The OFT claims the UK's biggest recruitment group, Hays, and seven other British agencies engaged in the practices from late 2004 until at least the end of 2005. Hays said yeterday that it was taking the matter "very seriously" and was "co-operating fully with the OFT". The company added: "following an internal investigation, we are confident that the matter being investigated by the OFT was an isolated matter and that appropriate steps have been taken. The board continues to beleive that any financial impact of the matters under investigation will not have a material impact on the group". After launching the investigation in 2006, the OFT has accused the companies of "collective boycott" by "an agreement to withdraw from and/or refrain from entering into contracts with a particular intermediary for the supply of candidates to construction companies in the UK". It also accuses them of price-fixing by "an agreement and/or concerted practice to fix target fee rates for the supply of candidates to intermediaries and certain construction companies in the UK". If found guilty, the firms could be fined up to 10% of their turnover under the competition act. The eight accused now have two months to make representations to the watchdog. Randstad the world's third largest staffing company, acquired two of the companies allegedly involved in the investigation this year, Hill McGlynn Associates and Beresford Blake Thomas, as part of a $3bn (£1.7bn) deal with rival recruiter Vedior. The other companies named by the OFT are, A Warwick associates, CDI Anders Elite, Eden Brown, Fusion People and Henry Recruitment.
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FRL joins forces with AFIS: 18.10.08
“This deal means that I can concentrate on preparing well for the Olympics to give me the best chance of doing well,” Daley says.
The young star will also be heading a Sodexo-led campaign in secondary schools to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
Monteray has appointed Peter George-Jones as managing director. Monteray was formed in 2000 as a joint venture between Carillion Services, Haden Building Management and Reliance Facilities Management as part of a plan to revolutionise the FM provision at BT.
George-Jones will manage the transition from the existing contract with BT to mobilising and implementing service delivery for the new six-year contract beginning April 2009. He was a director at Trillium for five years and has also spent four years at Johnson Controls. He is also chair of the BIFM Training Advisory Group and a non-executive director of BIFM Training. Monteray’s previous managing director Peter Portlock will continue to advise the firm’s senior team, and will remain as a non-executive director.
Amec has bought project services company Rider Hunt International for £25 million. Rider Hunt International (RHI) provides project services to the oil, gas, chemical, energy and process industries. The firm employs 240 staff in 15 countries. RHI will continue to be operated as an independent, stand-alone business.
Source: FM World 26-02-08
Balfour Beatty has announced that its chairman Sir David John is to retire following the company’s AGM in May.
Steve Marshall, who joined the Balfour Beatty board as a non-executive director in 2005, will succeed him as chairman. Marshall is currently non-executive chairman of Delta and also a non-executive director of Southern Water.
He is a former group chief executive of Thorn and Railtrack group, having served as finance director at each company.
LS confirms Trillium sale rumour
Source: FM World 27-02-08
The board of Land Securities Group has announced that, following recent expressions of interest, it is considering the benefits of a selling its Trillium business against the merits of a demerger.
This will run in parallel with the demerger process, which remains the primary focus of the board, it said.
Source: FM World 03-03-08
Evans joins from DTZ where he headed the inward investment team having previously been in charge of the West End business team. His appointment comes as Robert Heskett, currently head of London asset management, announces his intention to step back from a day-to-day operational role at the company.
Cofathec lands Berr deal
Source: FM World 06-03-08
The contract, which will last for an initial five-year period will cover nine Berr sites ranging from London to Scotland. In support of the department’s sustainability targets, Cofathec has appointed a full-time energy manager to the Berr contract, together with 21 other staff members
In 2007, all GSH directors exchanged their existing company cars for environmentally friendly hybrid models and last year, the firm reduced its CO2 consumption by 14,305 tonnes for its UK clients.
Neil Murray, GSH managing director, said that the review highlighted the proactive approach that the firm took “as well as the importance we place on both environmental, and health and safety issues.”
- Hanna Koskisto of Finland, European FM Student of the Year (sponsored by New Directions)
- Nils Gersberg of Germany, European FM Researcher of the Year (sponsored by Facilitec). Gersberg is investigating the relationship between physical and social workplaces, and will soon move on to virtual workplaces.
- Eurest Services with Shell International, Partners Across Borders (sponsored by EuroFM). Eurest delivers integrated FM services to 70 of Shell offices, refineries, remote gas plants and offshore platforms in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland and the North Sea on a five-year contract.
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Who Are FRL?
Operating in both the UK and overseas markets, our ‘customer focused’ service has been achieved through sustained investment in the recruitment and training of our specialist teams of highly professional consultants. With over 25 years of experience, our continued success owes much to our ability to harness the prevailing dynamics of the marketplace in order to exceed the expectations and demands of our clients.  MoreFeature 1: FM employment market briefing report - December 2008
A briefing report by John Davis on the current employment market for FM in the UK.
Feature 2: Critical Staffing
A transcript of a presentation given by John Davis at the BIFM annual conference, held at Keble College Oxford in March 2008.  |
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