May 2014 - Raymond Brown Aggregates

ISSUE 03 | MAY 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Ron Isaac celebrates 50 Years of Service
15-Year Contract secured with Viridor for IBA
Processing
“One of the best days of my life”
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On the 16 April 2014, our Chairman, Ron Isaac, achieved 50
years continuous service at Raymond Brown. The surprise
celebration was simply perfect (see pages 10-13).
The static display, procession, speeches, lunch, fabulous cake
and weather all played a part in giving our Chairman “One of
the best days of his life.”
Congratulations Ron and thank you to all involved in the fine
detail that made the day such a success.
As we pass the financial year end, I reflect on some of the
achievements of the past 12 months:
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Three further RoSPA Gold Awards for Health and
Safety
Completed 591 training courses at the Raymond
Brown Training facility
A 23% increase in employee numbers from 332 to
408
Completion of our second Dragons Den on the
Management Development Course
Promotions from within for a number of senior posts
16 % growth in turnover
Investment of £1.8m in new plant and vehicles
Secured planning permissions at Longparish and
Nursling
Secured two IBA processing contracts for 10 and 15
years
Launched new websites
Increased our investment in business development
spend
Secured a number of contracts over £5m
The improvement in general economic conditions sees us enter the 2014/15 financial year with renewed confidence. The level
of work in hand is good throughout the Group and we have the right management structures in place.
I believe that we face a year of opportunity with the right people in the right seats, good current and prospective workloads and
the ability and desire to deliver.
I thank you all for your continued support and look forward to an exciting year.
Kelvin White, Group Chief Executive
The Launch of Project 6Ti
Project 6Ti (Sixty) was launched on February 13 2014; the principal aim of the project is to
enable the smarter use of technology within the group, particularly with respect to contract
management, finance and procurement.
It is envisaged that around 150 Raymond Brown Group employees will benefit from this new
project.
Software companies have been invited to demonstrate their products, and members of several teams from across the group
have participated in workshops and discussions about what is required. In the coming weeks this will continue to enable all
group companies and divisions the opportunity to contribute.
Updates on the progress of Project 6Ti will be made available in due course.
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Thank You
I would like to convey my thanks and appreciation to all those
th
members of staff who must have worked so hard to make my 50
Anniversary with the company such an enjoyable occasion. In
particular I would like to thank Kerry for her hard work in making
such an excellent job of the faultless arrangements and all the
staff who attended the event that made it such a memorable
occasion.
My thanks to you all.
Ron Isaac, Group Chairman
Safety Matters
The start of 2014 has been an interesting and busy time for the Group HSQE Department.
On the personnel front, in January Darren Law joined the department as HSQE Advisor. Darren will be assisting Kieren Hush
and Ray Hooley in continuing to provide expert health & safety advice across the group.
At the start of May, we also welcomed Sam Bennett as Group HSQE Administrator to the team; Sam will be assisting in our
Software
companies
have been invited to demonstrate their
administration
and organisation.
products, and members of several teams from across the group
have
participated
and discussions
aboutand
what
is
The first
quarter ofintheworkshops
year is traditionally
full of audits
accreditations,
and 2014 has been no different. Raymond Brown
required.
In
the
coming
weeks
this
will
continue
to
enable
all
Construction Ltd has successfully maintained its Achilles Building Confidence accreditation to meet with Lend Lease
group
companies
the opportunity
to health
contribute.
requirements
andand
BMdivisions
TRADA registration
of the
& safety, quality and environmental management systems. The BM
TRADA audit was undertaken in the South East Division, focussing in particular on the complex design and build contract of the
We
will keep
youbridge
updated
on the progress
pedestrian
swing
at Greenwich
Reach.of Project 6Ti in due
course.
In addition to this, following a two day audit at Ringwood, the Rail Division have also been successful in meeting the new
requirements for Achilles Link Up which now include approvals for design and build and the planning of rail closures for
construction work.
Add to this the various CHAS, SSIP & SMAS accreditations for Raymond Brown Construction, all RoSPA Gold Awards for
Raymond Brown Aggregates & Waste Solutions, Raymond Brown Construction and Raymond Brown Building, and we can be all
be proud of our achievement so far this year. The Raymond Brown Group companies have now picked up at total of 14 RoSPA
Gold Awards including four Gold Medals since 2007.
In addition, the Raymond Brown Aggregates & Waste Solutions Environmental and Quality Department were also successful in
maintaining their environmental management system with BM TRADA and are in the process of achieving registration of their
recently introduced quality management system to BS EN ISO 9001.
On the performance front, all of our accident and incident rates are also moving in the right direction which is the evidence
that the various systems and procedures required by all of the above, actually do work. However, we can never be complacent
and I would ask that we all continue to be vigilant and on our guard as we aim to continually improve our performance which
in turn will make our working environment a safety place.
Nick Muir, Group HSQE Manager
Boots & Suits
Thank you to everyone for their contributions to this edition of the Raymond Brown Group Newsletter. Please keep your news
articles coming, not just for Boots & Suits, but for the website and social media also. The next issue will be due out in a few
months, and any news for inclusion can be emailed or given to Kerry Smith ([email protected]).
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AGGREGATES
Viridor choose Raymond Brown for new IBA Processing Contract
Viridor, one of the UK’s leading recycling, waste management and renewable energy companies, has chosen Raymond Brown
Aggregates to build and operate a new incinerator bottom ash (IBA) processing facility.
The contract will last for 15 years and will see Raymond Brown, now one of the country’s leading IBA processing companies,
invest over £2 million in new processing plant in Oxfordshire.
Mark Isaac, managing director, commented: “We are delighted to have secured this long term contract with such a prestigious
company. It’s a big step towards our plan to significantly grow this side of our business.
We look forward to developing a strong relationship with Viridor and sharing our knowledge and expertise. We’re very proud
to be chosen by them.”
Stuart Sim, Energy from Waste director with Viridor, said: “We are delighted to have Raymond Brown on board as a partner.
The company’s valuable knowledge and expertise of IBA processing and
marketing of the product will ensure that at least 95% of waste received into
our new Energy from Waste Facility in Oxfordshire will be safely diverted from
landfill.”
The 15-year contract secured with Viridor will include incinerator bottom ash
processing at their new Ardley Energy from Waste facility near Oxford.
Raymond Brown will be installing this new custom built plant to process
around 75,000 tonnes of IBA aggregate each year. The facility will be
operational by August 2014.
Pictured, (left to right) Richard Hoare, RBA Project Manager, Rod Lerwell,
Viridor General Manager, Paul Rowland, Viridor Regional Contracts Manager
and Steve Cole, RBA Environmental & Development Director.
Ben Jacobs achieves Lead Auditor Status
A massive well done to environmental & quality technician, Ben Jacobs, on achieving his Quality
Management System Lead Auditor Certification on 21 February. Ben had to undergo an extensive
one week training course to achieve Lead Auditor Status which enables him to carry out quality
management system audits on external companies, as well as operating our own system and
completing internal site audits.
In addition to this, Ben has also recently joined the Careers Panel, at Southampton Solent
University, actively assisting university students who are seeking environmental careers.
New Grab Lorry at Chilton Recycling Facility
As part of geographic expansion plans for the grab hire service,
Raymond Brown Aggregates have launched a new service in the
Oxfordshire area based out of the Chilton Recycling Facility. The
6-wheeler DAF grab lorry with a 12T payload has an 8 metre
reach which will assist customers with the removal of inert and
recyclable waste from sites across the region.
Roni Campbell, grab hire business manager, said: “Our driver,
Paul Claridge is a capable, experienced and friendly member of
the team and everyone is excited by the prospect of business
growth in this area. There will be a big sales and marketing push
over the next few months to ensure the service is a profitable
success.”
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AGGREGATES
New Project Manager for £10m Investment Plans
Richard Hoare has joined Raymond Brown as project manager to assist with the delivery of
our business development and growth strategy. The group has ambitious plans in the
waste recycling and aggregates sectors with investment approaching £10m over the next
two years.
Richard, a professional mineral processing engineer, comes with 31 years experience gained
in the industrial minerals, metallic mining and processing industries. He has held positions
in technical development, project management and senior operations management.
Stuart Harris commented: “Richard has fantastic technical knowledge and the skills he is
bringing to the Raymond Brown Group will assist greatly in our future growth.”
Charity Royalties paid for the ‘Raymond Brown Point’ Photo
Royalties from the ‘Raymond Brown Point’ photo, above, have been donated to the Cirencester Opportunity Group.
The photo features Steve Cole, environmental and development director, showing school children the Raymond Brown
Rookery Farm Aggregate Recycling Facility near Fareham during Recycling Awareness Week. Over the past five years, Raymond
Brown has directly educated in excess of 600 children between the ages of 7 – 16 years in the Recycling Week initiative. The
behind-the-scenes tour and on-site lessons are planned to give the seven and eight year olds an insight into the process of
waste collected from local household waste recycling centres and construction sites.
As a thank you to Steve for the regular use of his photo, the company wanted to donate £100.00 to his wife Lyn’s charity, the
Cirencester Opportunity Group, where she works as Team Leader. The Cirencester Opportunity Group is an independent
playgroup enabling children with special needs to play and learn with other children.
Steve Cole said: “I am so pleased my photo has raised money for such a deserving charity who are extremely grateful for the
donation made by Raymond Brown.”
Record Aggregate Sales
Aggregate sales have rounded off 2013-14 with a year of solid growth and record sales volumes, seeing massive percentage
increases from last year.
Blue Haze IBAA sales increased by 58%
Brickworth sand sales increased by 57%
Binnegar sand sales increased by 34%
Colin Bolam, sales director said: “I would like to thank Stuart Pearson and Andy Penney for their hard work in achieving these
figures. The key now will be for these improved sales levels to expand further in the year ahead.”
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AGGREGATES
Sand Donations for the Wettest Winter on Record
It has been the wettest winter on record for the UK and the storms and heavy
rain brought extensive flooding to many areas.
Raymond Brown Aggregates supplied around 200 tonnes of sand, and made
charitable donations of the material to flood-hit areas, which were used for
defences against the persistent flooding.
Colin Bolam, sales director commented: “We have supplied Test Valley
Borough Council in Hampshire and authorities in Somerset and we are due to
negotiate quantities and needs with the former, not just for this year but for
the future.”
Skips Auctioned off at an Amazing £4,000 for Jemima’s Journey
Raymond Brown Aggregates were thrilled to have raised £4,000 from the skip which they donated at a recent auction taking
place for Jemima’s Journey. Jemima is a six year old girl with cerebral palsy who has the opportunity of life changing surgery in
the U.S.
Initially, Raymond Brown donated one skip to the auction, which took place in Southampton. That first skip went for a grand
total of £2,000. Due to the amount of money raised, Raymond Brown then donated another skip which unbelievably went for
another £2,000 to the same bidder!
Mark Isaac, managing director, said: “I was taken back by the success at the auction. Raymond Brown are thrilled to have been
able to help raise so much money for Jemima and help her on her journey.”
Jo Syvret, Jemima’s mother thanked Raymond Brown, saying: “The skip donation was always going to be a unique item to
auction, but we never anticipated it would raise so much. We would like to say a big thank you to Raymond Brown for their
donation of such an entertaining and lucrative item.”
Afterwards, the very generous bidder said he wanted to order a third skip, which Raymond Brown donated to him as a gesture
of goodwill.
To make a donation or find out more about Jemima’s campaign, please contact [email protected] or visit
http://www.jemimasjourney.co.uk/
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WASTE SOLUTIONS
Raymond Brown Waste Solutions Shortlisted for the National Recycling Awards 2014
The National Recycling Awards, organised by MRW, recognise and celebrate the very best practice
within the waste and recycling industry.
It has recently been announced that Raymond Brown Waste Solutions have been shortlisted for
Resource Management Business of the Year.
Their submission focused on various recycling initiatives, new technologies and the company’s
unique sustainable approach to dealing with waste management.
Steve Clasby, managing director, commented: "We are all delighted to be a National Recycling Awards finalist for the second
year running. The National Recycling Awards is the most celebrated event of the industry, and it is with the support and hard
work of our employees that we have achieved this. Please keep your fingers crossed for us on the awards night!"
The winners will be announced at the 2014 ceremony, taking place on Thursday 3 July at London's prestigious Hilton on Park
Lane London.
Planning Permission for new MRF at Nursling is given the Green Light
Raymond Brown Waste Solutions have been granted planning approval to build a new Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at the
Lee Lane Quarry site in Nursling, Southampton. The new facility has been approved by Hampshire County Council and also
includes the demolition of existing workshop and storage buildings, construction of internal screen bund, installation of a
sewage treatment facility for the office, reorganisation of the site layout including, replacement of weighbridge / office and
ancillary buildings, relocation of concrete plant, parking areas, aggregate storage bays, fuel tanks and drainage improvements.
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The new 250m MRF building will have the capacity to receive and process up to 75,000 tonnes of construction waste per
annum and enable Raymond Brown Waste Solutions to improve coverage for the Southampton market with significantly
shorter distances to travel in and out of the city.
Works on this £500k development are due to start in the summer and will be undertaken by Raymond Brown Construction,
with a team led by Jon Phillips.
Steve Clasby, managing director said: “This new facility will give us a major commercial advantage to compete in the
Southampton market. Not only will it enable us to reduce our carbon footprint and transport costs associated with delivery
mileage, we are also anticipating a higher recycling rate than those currently achieved at our Casbrook Park facility in Romsey.
Once the site is operational, we anticipate adding another two skip lorries to the fleet to help deal with the forecasted
increase in workload.”
Lauren Finch, environmental & quality officer commented: “It is brilliant that we have secured this planning consent at
Nursling. As with all of our planning applications, we spend a lot of time talking to local residents and stakeholders. Our good
relations with the local community have once again proved invaluable as there were no objections received to this
development, and the planning committee recognised the company’s achievement of developing good relationships through
the local liaison group. This is a fantastic result and will provide an opportunity to improve recycling in the local area.”
“Less is More”
The Raymond Brown Waste Solutions strategy of “less is more” is proving to be a powerful driver for success. Back in January,
the management team undertook a review of the business to identify opportunities to reduce costs to make the business more
competitive and profitable. Stage one was to reduce transport costs and some tough decisions were made to prune the areas
of operations to a 15 mile radius / 25 minute drive time of their facilities. This process was completed in April and involved
cutting out £250,000 pa of sales. The outcome of this tough new approach is that average transport collection costs have
reduced from £63 to £51 per skip and the number of pick up/collections per lorry per day has increased from 4.75 to 5.85.
Russell Fleetwood, sales director said: “It might sound brave to chop out 7% of your business, but this was a calculated
decision. We’re cutting out our least profitable sales, and will be replacing them with more local work, where we are more
efficient and offer an exceptional delivery and collection service. We strongly believe that adopting a 25 minute radius is the
correct model for a business of our kind, and the latest numbers are backing this up.”
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WASTE SOLUTIONS
Didcot A Power Station
Waste Management Contract
Raymond Brown Waste Solutions are
thrilled to have recently secured a new
waste management contract for the
Didcot A power station in Oxfordshire.
The contract is with Coleman & Company,
who were appointed by RWE npower to
undertake the demolition and deconstruction of the power station last
year.
The contract is forecast to continue for
the next three years, and will see
Raymond Brown and Coleman & Company
working closely together to maximise
segregation on site and overall recycling
rates.
The majority of the skips supplied will be Rollon-offs from 15 to 35 yards for various segregated waste types including
plasterboard, grade A wood, grade C wood, plastics, canteen waste, packaging, carpets and textiles, WEEE, glass, hardcore and
concrete. Stillage will also be supplied for fluorescent tubes.
Russell Fleetwood, sales director said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be involved in this project, working for a hugely respected
demolition contractor, and at such a high profile site in Oxfordshire.
This is great news for our staff working at our Chilton Recycling Facility and the whole of Raymond Brown Waste Solutions. I
would like to thank Harry Weston and all the staff working on this bid over the past few months for their efforts which helped
us to secure this contract.”
New Websites Prompt an Online and Cash Customer Sales Boom
Strategic efforts last year to boost credit / debit card sales for skip hire are paying dividends.
In April 2014, online sales were more than five times higher than the same month last year
and overall sales using credit / debit cards have more than doubled.
Growing credit and debit card sales reduces the administration costs associated with
processing invoices and improves cash collection. Therefore, further initiatives are being
developed with a target to further boost card sales to over to £1m in 2014-15.
Adam Murnieks, group strategic development manager said: “We’ve done very well at
attracting card sales from the general public but the challenge now is to get small account
customers paying by card.
With 4G networks being rolled out, we’re now developing a mobile website to make it easier
for customers to book and pay for their skip hire using their phone. Whether the customer is
on site, back at home or in the pub, it will be extremely easy to book online.”
Contract News
Raymond Brown Waste Solutions have become preferred supplier for Bargate Homes and have secured five new sites in
Winchester, Barton Stacey and Eastleigh. Major contracts have also been awarded from Bowmer & Kirkland for Project
Panther at Rutherford Appleford Laborities at Harwell near Didcot and three sites for Beard Construction in Oxford, which is all
great news for our push to increase volumes received into the Chilton Recycling Facilities.
8
WILKINS
Wiltshire Air Ambulance
Wilkins Builders are pleased to have donated £1,500 to Wiltshire Air
Ambulance. Monies have been raised primarily through advertising space in
the Wilkins Builders Calendar which is produced each year for sending to
existing and potential customers.
The photographs in this year’s calendar were the result of the Wilkins
Builders Photography Competition held for students of The John Bentley
School in Calne. Over 250 entries were received and the best twelve
featured in the calendar.
David Wilkins, pictured, said: “Wilkins Builders are proud to be able to
continue to support this community service and all it does.”
Craig Hicks promoted to Site Manager
Craig is a great example of how the apprenticeship pathway can provide excellent
education and training to enter and succeed within the industry. Craig completed his
apprenticeship in Carpentry and Joinery six months early at Chippenham College whilst
working for a local builder, he then went on to achieve an NVQ3 in Bench Joinery.
Craig joined Wilkins in 2000 and has worked on the reactive maintenance side of the
business demonstrating practical problem solving skills and excellent customer service.
He has experience working on the larger building projects covering all aspects of
carpentry in new and old properties. Craig has also worked on refurbishment projects
for customers such as; Wiltshire & Swindon Fire Authority, NHS Primary Care Trusts and
the private school, Marlborough College.
Craig’s most challenging project was the internal refurbishment of a 24/7 Walk-in Health Centre in Carfax Street, Swindon
where he was juggling the needs of doctors, nurses, dentists and patients in order to carry out building works in 50 rooms.
Craig received praise from the health centre manager, Helen Smythe, who said: "The building team were courteous, cheerful
and cooperative. Staying on schedule was no mean achievement and Craig (Hicks) was throughout the process a quietly
resolute but adaptable site manager."
New Detached House near Swindon
Wilkins Builders have just completed the construction of another
beautiful new detached house with basement for a local Swindon
businessman.
Set in a small village on the edge of Swindon, the new house has already
become an impressive local landmark, and yet another showpiece
demonstrating how Wilkins can produce fine looking buildings.
Ady Wilkins, is very pleased with his team’s efforts to complete the
building within the programmed time. The customer and his family are
very happy with their new home.
M+W Group
M+W Group is a leading global engineering and construction company with a large office in Wiltshire. Wilkins Builders have
steadily been building the complexity of work that is being undertaken for them.
Recently, after a speedy completion to an emergency project, M+W works manager, Alan Kelford wrote to David Wilkins to
say: “Please accept M+W’s appreciation for all that your men did over the weekend and Friday. All three men were excellent
representatives of your company, they couldn’t do enough for us and it was really a joy to work with them.”
9
RON ISAAC 50 YEARS OF SERVICE CELEBRATION IN PICTURES
Ron Isaac – Celebrating 50 Years of Service with the Raymond Brown Group
A surprise celebration was thrown on Thursday 17 April in Ringwood to honour our chairman Ron Isaac, as he reached his 50th
year of continuous service to the company.
This celebration, a complete surprise, was to acknowledge the fundamental contribution which Ron Isaac has made to crafting
the Raymond Brown Group. As Ron Isaac arrived for work, he was greeted with a forecourt display consisting of a Bell B40D 40
tonne articulated hauler, Bell L2106E wheeled loading shovel and the restored classic International BTD-6, the machine he first
operated for the company during his early days of service.
Ron was employed by Raymond Brown as a trainee plant operator in 1964 after spotting an advert in the local newspaper.
Soon after the commencement of his employment, Ron was introduced to the International BTD-6 tracked shovel and, after a
short period of intensive training, went out on site clearing vegetation and trees.
During the next 11 years, Ron went on to operate a number of machines and in 1975 he was appointed to the role of contracts
director. In 1982 Ron succeeded Raymond Brown as managing director, and took over as chairman, when Raymond stepped
down in 1995 and became the company’s President. Ron has continued as chairman to this day, 50 years after starting with
Raymond Brown.
The commemorative day included a procession of 20 vehicles from the Raymond Brown fleet which drove slowly past the head
office, whilst Ron, his family and head office employees looked on. Afterwards, Ron admitted this brought a tear to his eye, as
it brought back fond memories of the late Raymond Brown and the previous 50 years.
After the procession, employees and guests gathered for speeches made by Kelvin White and Sue Brown and a special toast to
Ron. This was followed by the cutting of Ron’s impressive Bell dumptruck themed cake.
In his speech, Kelvin White, group chief executive said, “It is a testament to the respect and affection for you that brings so
many colleagues both past and present to join us today. On behalf of all at Raymond Brown I would like to thank you for your
huge contribution in moulding the business over the past 50 years and for instilling the values that sets us apart. It has been an
honour working for you.”
At the party, Ron Isaac commented, “I am speechless. Never in my life could I feel that I would get as emotional as when those
vehicles came along the road. I just wish Raymond could have been here to see them, I really do.
I’d like to thank you all and show my appreciation for this memorable day. 50 years is a long time and I have always enjoyed
my work. Would I do the same again? Yes I would. I would not change my life. I am so happy and pleased to do what I have
done and I am so proud to be part of the growth and development of the Raymond Brown Group.”
RON ISAAC 50 YEARS OF SERVICE CELEBRATION IN PICTURES
RON ISAAC 50 YEARS OF SERVICE CELEBRATION IN PICTURES
RON ISAAC 50 YEARS OF SERVICE CELEBRATION IN PICTURES
BUILDING
Works commence on the Stroud School in Romsey
Raymond Brown Building has recently started work on the Stroud School in Romsey,
Hampshire, a co-educational, independent day school for pupils aged 3 – 13. The works
involve a new dining hall / kitchen building and classroom facilities.
Works started on site mid February 2014 and the contract will last approximately six months.
The site is being overseen by project manager, Tim Godden (pictured), who has just finished a
very successful school building project at the Archbishop Wake CE School.
Both proposed buildings at the Stroud School will be cedar clad to reflect the rural nature of
the site and feature terne coated stainless steel, standing seam roofs with a feature area of
sedum roof for the Dining Hall Building, see artist’s impression below.
The project also includes a biomass heating system located in one part of the Victorian stable block, which has been sized to
enable the whole school to switch from a mixture of calor gas and electric heating.
Simon Jones, managing director, said, “We are working very closely with Stride Treglown and all the stakeholders at Stroud
School, providing value engineering savings to ensure best value. We look forward to a long and happy relationship with the
school on what looks set to be another successful project completed by Raymond Brown Building.”
RBB welcomes three new Employees to their Team
Raymond Brown Building are pleased to have recently welcomed three new employees to their team
based in Ringwood:
To replace Angela Brown’s role as office administrator, Jayne Gilbert was employed at the beginning of
March. Jayne is already familiar with the industry, with over six years experience working for Sheerin
Bettle & Associates and her father, Joe Lockyer, used to drive a tipper lorry for the Raymond Brown
Group up until 2007.
Barry Gilmour, Buyer, joined at the beginning of April. Barry is a skilled purchasing professional with
over 14 years of experience in the industry. He has worked on a large number of complex construction
contracts, successfully managing the purchasing spends of up to £1.3m per contract.
Stevie Duncanson who also joined in April as Trainee Estimator, will be working closely with Graham
Bannister in the Estimating Department. Stevie has almost 20 years experience in the construction
industry, and over 13 years construction cost management experience.
14
CONSTRUCTION
Great News for RBC Rail Division
It has been a busy first half of the new year with First Great Western awarding the Rail Division with three contracts – a ‘yearend spend’ project to undertake minor works at 15 stations and two Access For All (AFA) schemes at Hayle and St. Austell
stations.
The St. Austell scheme, being managed by Simon Haylett, is one of two AFA schemes that the Rail Division have assisted First
Great Western’s team to develop over the past nine months, by providing construction, programme and cost advice during
the design stage. With a contract value of £1.7m the works at St Austell include provision of a new steel footbridge between
the platforms with combined lift towers. The steel footbridge, lift towers and staircases will be lifted in during possessions of
the track. An artist’s impression of the proposed station development is pictured below.
The £500k access improvements at Hayle Station, which are being managed by Kevin Burrows, started on site in February
2014 and are set to be complete by the end of June 2014. The works comprise the construction of new PCC concrete and steel
staircases, concrete access ramps, line marking, street and platform lighting, resurfacing of disused railway line and the
removal of an existing barrow crossing.
The other AFA scheme that the Rail Division are currently developing with First Great Western is at Theale, near Reading. This
scheme is currently ‘on hold’ whilst First Great Western secure funding.
Brian Shepherd, divisional director (Rail) said, “Having recently joined Raymond Brown I would just like to say it is refreshing to
work in a company that is focused on safe and efficient delivery and retains a family feel. I look forward to meeting and
working with you over the next few months.
I am also pleased to announce the passing of our Achilles Link Up Audit, where we scored very highly. I would like to
personally thank Kit Wong, Nick Muir, Clare Isaac and the rest of the rail team for their hard work in achieving this.”
Osborne Framework
Elsewhere, the division has secured the opportunity to work as one of two earthwork contractors for Osborne under a five year
alliance framework which Osborne recently secured from Network Rail’s IPS team. This framework covers civil and building
works in the Wessex region. It is likely that the Rail Division will shortly be providing the Osborne / Network Rail Alliance with
Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) on earthwork schemes under Osborne’s framework.
Provision of an emergency response service is also part of Osborne’s framework requirement. Mark Issac’s Raymond Brown
Aggregates team have already provided emergency support to Osborne over the Christmas period, delivering over 980 tonnes
of stone to rebuild a failed embankment at Liss, one of several landslips on the rail network throughout the winter period.
15
CONSTRUCTION
Greenwich Reach Swing Bridge
Last year, the Raymond Brown Construction South East Division was awarded the £3.5m design-and-build Greenwich Swing
Bridge contract for Galliard Homes, which is located on the bank of the River Thames in historical Greenwich.
The Division has been involved with the project from an early stage, negotiating and working closely with Galliard Homes
throughout the planning and design processes. In order to undertake the works, Raymond Brown Construction were required
to submit applications to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Environment Agency (EA), and the Port of London
Authority (PLA).
Work commenced on site in February of this year, and a high degree of engineering complexity is being managed by the site
team, which consists of Donna Sullivan, Dan Nicholls and Gavin Tait, with the aid of lead consultant, Flint & Neill.
One engineering challenge is the provision of access for heavy plant and equipment over an underground car park for which
extensive temporary propping is required. In addition, the installation of the piles and foundation to support the bridge has
resulted in the need for a complex sheet piled coffer dam which had to be installed on an inter-tidal terrace.
The project is anticipated to be complete by October of this year, and the new pedestrian bridge will span 50 metres across the
Deptford Creek and swing open as necessary for passing vessels. Please see below an artist’s impression.
An update on Haywards Heath Relief Road
Despite the appalling weather earlier in the year, works have continued to progress well, with the Eastern road tie-in to the
existing road completed. The works are being undertaken under a full road closure utilising the council’s temporary traffic road
order of the existing Rocky Lane, lowering the existing road by some two metres to tie into the new relief road, along with
major road widening and drainage works to the remaining eastern section of the lane. Works directly affected some 80
dwellings in the adjacent housing estate and without constant communication with the residents committee; the works would
not have progressed as efficiently with minimal disruption to all parties. 5,000 households were leaflet dropped and a website,
www.haywardsheathreliefroad.com has been created by the client, Crest Nicholson.
The local community has shown its appreciation to Raymond Brown by writing to both the client and us directly, they have also
contacted the Considerate Contractors Scheme with praise of the contractor’s efforts, which resulted in receiving an audit
score of 41, one of the highest a Raymond Brown site has received. Thanks must go to the site team consisting of Robert
Collingridge, Pat Devine, Tony Barnes and Robin Furnish, together with everyone else who has contributed.
Prior to his arrival on site the Considerate Contractors Scheme Monitor had already
received details of 10 emails and telephone calls that had been received from local
residents and the Residents Association with the highest level of praise and
compliments about the site team including the operatives. It was also the highest
number of compliments for a single project that the Monitor had experienced. The
Monitor stated, “Please express my sincere compliments and commendations to the
entire team for proving that construction can be managed with great consideration
and this has been clearly acknowledged by members of the general public."
The first phase of the works was completed by the end of March to allow the
connecting rail bridge to be constructed (by others), and we will be returning in June
to complete the project mid August this year.
16
CONSTRUCTION
Raymond Brown Cymru Student Open Day attracts Bright New Talent in Wales
On Tuesday 25 February 2014, Raymond Brown Cymru held their annual Student Open Day. This was an all day event which
was attended by 40 students; applying for graduate jobs, in industry, and summer placements.
The event, which takes place every year, enables students to gain a feel for what it would be like to work at Raymond Brown
Construction. During the day, the students are split into small groups and set a work based scenario for them to solve. This
year’s scenario was based on a disaster at Wear Point Wind Farm.
The group exercise shows how candidates work as part of a team and
demonstrates first hand their ability to perform under pressure,
effectively listen and communicate with peers and clients. It
provides the opportunity to assess their aptitude to think on their
feet, as they attempt to find a solution to the engineering scenario
presented to them.
Alongside the group exercise, informal
interviews and a written exercise were undertaken where candidates
were asked to answer questions about their personal aspirations.
This year’s student open day was a huge success with some first-rate
applicants; as a result of this, six of the candidates have since been
offered positions in the Bridgend office.
Frameworks and Foundations for Raymond Brown Renewables
Raymond Brown Renewables has been awarded the
Balance of Plant contract by Airvolution for two new
wind farm schemes.
Dirft Wind Farm near Junction 18 on the M1 will see the
development of two Vestas V90 – 2.0 MW wind turbines
and has a contract value of £1m.
Garlenick Wind Farm will see the development of 2
Vestas V90s in Cornwall and has a contract value of
£1.15m.
These projects lead on from the successful construction
of Ysgellog Wind Farm last year (pictured), which won
the Outstanding Green Energy Project Award 2013.
Raymond Brown Renewables considers Airvolution as
one of their key sector clients and is proud to be
continuing this relationship through the development of
two new schemes.
Raymond Brown Renewables has recently entered into its first
framework agreement with Enercon for the construction of its wind
turbine foundations. This is a clear sign of how highly they value the
work that the Raymond Brown project delivery teams undertake on
site and it is really encouraging to see this relationship continuing to
strengthen year on year.
The framework will see Raymond Brown constructing all Enercon’s
foundations in Wales and North and South England. We will also be
constructing fifty percent of its foundations in South Scotland. At
present this stands at 28 foundations within the next six months with
an estimated value of circa £2m.
17
CONSTRUCTION
Site Team discover WW2 Self-Igniting Phosphorus (SIP) Grenades at Swanage
Whilst carrying out ground levelling works at Swanage beachfront as part of the £2.1 million stabilisation scheme they are
currently undertaking for Swanage Town Council, Raymond Brown Construction’s 20 tonne excavator unearthed what
appeared to be a large number of bottles filled with a milky white substance. These were later identified as number 76 special
incendiary or self-igniting phosphorus (SIP) grenades, used by the Home Guard during World War Two. When exposed to the
air two of these SIP grenades ignited and started to smoke.
Project manager, Rob Hayman instantly recognised this as a chemical fire and immediately called the emergency services,
whilst implementing a well-rehearsed evacuation procedure on site.
The fire brigade arrived, followed shortly by ambulances, the police, the Royal Logistics Corps' Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Regiment and chemicals experts. After the emergency services had placed a 50-metre cordon around Shore Road, officers
from the Royal Logistics Corps' Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment worked carefully to excavate the grenades before
transferring them to a skip where they were dealt with in a controlled explosion.
Rob Hayman and three other members of the Raymond Brown project team were taken straight to hospital by ambulance as a
precautionary measure, and after ongoing observations, were discharged later that evening.
Rob Hayman, commented, “The bottles contained phosphorus which ignites when it comes into contact with oxygen, this
could have been very serious. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the emergency services and the Royal Logistics
Corps' Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment for their quick action on site yesterday.”
The Mayor of Swanage, Ali Patrick commented “The prompt response to the incident of both the members of the Raymond
Brown team and the emergency services are to be congratulated. I am so glad that nobody was seriously injured and that the
members of the Raymond Brown team who had been exposed to the smoke have been unaffected and are now out of
hospital. Thank you to all involved in dealing with this worrying situation in a very efficient and professional manner.”
Raymond Brown Construction were awarded this £2.1m contract in late 2013 by Swanage Town Council to protect the
Swanage seafront from the effects of landslips and improve tourist facilities. Having experienced fierce weather conditions
and unexpected ground conditions, the team, managed by Rob Hayman, have been described as ‘heroic’ by the local
community, after their persistent efforts whilst battling the worst winter on record.
Split into two sections, the project involves; slope stabilisation, replacing buildings and beach huts on the seafront at Shore
Road and enlarging a nearby public car park in Broad Road.
The first part of the project has comprised the stabilisation of land on the Downs, in a bid to hold back the encroachment of
soil onto Broad Road Car Park, where the number of spaces has diminished in recent years as the land slips there have
worsened. The capacity of the public car park will consequently be increased from 167 to 207 spaces by re-profiling the
surrounding embankments and optimising bay layout. Ground stabilisation behind the new works formed a major part of the
scheme at both sites, using a combination of soil nailing, pre-cast concrete retaining walls and counterfort drains.
At Shore Road, the existing toilet block and kiosk were demolished and are being replaced with larger modern units. 60 new
terraced two-tiered beach huts are to be erected in place of the existing tired timber buildings, a mixture of pre-cast and insitu
concrete will form the foundations, with steel frames and blockwork supporting Purbeck Stone, Evagreen and membrane
roofs. The fit-out of the buildings is to be robust and of high quality, to reflect the type and intensity of use anticipated during
the busy holiday periods.
The recent Considerate Constructors
Scheme (CCS) report scored the site
well above the industry average, with
39 out of 50. The auditor also gave
much praise to the site, stating:
“Despite the recent storms and the
stage of the project, an excellent
impression is given with a clean, tidy
and well organised site with good
fencing and signage and cabins in
corporate
colours
giving
a
professional image.”
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CONSTRUCTION
£6.2m Bridport HWRC works to Commence
In January 2012, Raymond Brown Construction were contacted by Dorset County Council to provide a target price for a new
Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) to be constructed on a yet to be purchased land parcel west of Bridport, off the
A35 trunk road.
During this extended period, the works have been developed with Raymond Brown providing Early Contractor Involvement
(ECI) through the Dorset / Hanson Framework. This is about to culminate in a £6.2m contract for the new HWRC which
consists of a large waste transfer hall with separate loading bay, a high level public access skip area, a Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) building, associated weighbridge office and welfare accommodation for the workforce. See
artist’s impression of the site below.
The site ground conditions will require considerable improvement, some by piling, and a careful interface with the existing
groundwater drainage system is also required.
The site is bounded by existing buildings, the A35 trunk
road, a stream and woodland; so all works will have to
comply with a stringent Construction Environmental
Management Plan (CEMP).
The level of challenge on the project is heightened by a
considerable amount of Japanese Knotweed and
Himalayan Balsam to eradicate, interspersed by flytipped asbestos contaminated builder’s waste.
The project, which commenced at the end of April, is
being managed by Paul Stevens, and is programmed to
take approximately 90 weeks.
Employees take on Three Peaks Challenge
On 14 June 2014, a group of Southern Division employees led by Mark
Kettle, submissions manager, will be attempting to climb Ben Nevis,
Scafell Pike and Snowdon, the three highest peaks in Scotland, England
and Wales including all the driving in between, in less than 24 hours!
26 miles of walking and climbing a combined height of 3,407 metres,
the National Three Peaks Challenge is not for the faint hearted, and
with a failure rate of 40%, is as much about mental integrity as it is
physical.
The team are undertaking this challenge to raise money to refurbish the Victoria Education Centre’s caravan at Rockley Park,
Poole. The Victoria Education Centre is a residential and day school located in Poole, giving specialised, high quality care and
therapy to young disabled people aged, 3 - 19 years old. All the students at the school have physical disabilities or complex
medical conditions or needs.
The caravan located at Rockley Park is used most of the year by students of the school, their families and carers and is in
desperate need of refurbishment.
Mark Kettle’s son, George (pictured) has a severe form of Cerebral Palsy and is profoundly disabled. He is now nine years old
and has faced many difficulties in his life so far. George has attended the Victoria Education Centre since November 2012 and
stays at the school 52 weeks of the year.
The Victoria Education Centre is a registered charity which relies heavily on donations and fundraising to keep vital facilities like
the caravan at Rockley Park open for all the special children and their families to use.
The team would really appreciate your support for this event.
Please sponsor us at http://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Kettle1
19
The South
LaunchEast
of Project
RBC
Division6Ti
move into new Offices
Due to recent expansion, the South East Division has outgrown its
current home and relocated to new offices within the Medway area.
Jeff Roberts, divisional director has commented: “I am very grateful to
Greg Eaton and Glenn Gosden for working hard to organise the
agreement process for the new lease.
I would also like to say a big thank you to Sweena Badhan who has
gone all Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen and organised the new fit out (to
my rather demanding specification).”
st
As of 1 June, the new address is: Raymond Brown Construction Ltd,
Exeter House, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4FE.
The telephone number will remain the same.
Second graduates produced from internal Management Development Programme
After another 18 months undertaking extensive modules to develop key management skills, we now have our second set of
Raymond Brown Group graduates.
Since the successful completion of the outdoor classroom for St James’ School in Alderholt, the participants have participated
in numerous training modules on an offsite residential basis, which encompassed such topics as:






Becoming an Effective Leader
Leading Teams and Managing Performance
Strategic Management
Leading Innovation and Change
Financial Management
Effective Communication and Presentation Skills
The culmination of the course was the final presentation of business improvement ideas to a panel of directors, demonstrating
how they would create a return on investment.
The “Dragons’ Den” set up consisted of directors, Kelvin White, group chief executive, Greg Eaton, group finance director, Guy
Hardacre, RBC managing director, Mark Isaac, RBA managing director and Colin Bolam, RBA sales director (pictured, below in
action).
The presentation of the four business improvement ideas were to a very high standard, well researched and contained full
financial appraisals, and as a result the directors agreed that all four ideas should be progressed further.
The business improvement ideas included
expanding our existing training programmes
including recruiting apprentices, progressing our
Building Information Modelling (BIM) capabilities,
the development of a wind turbine in Cardiff, and
skip factoring.
The presentations were followed by a Graduation
Dinner and the award of certificates to all
graduates.
Congratulations to our new graduates; Richard
Knight, Patrick Emslie, Glenn Gosden, John
Broughton, Vitali Levtchaev, James Fidler and Tim
Waller from RBC, Dwain Brice and Harry Weston
Boots
& Suits
from RBWS,
Stuart Pearson from RBA, Tim
Godden
RBB andfor
Maria
from Wilkins
Thank
youfrom
to everyone
theirSmith
contributions
in this edition of the Group Newsletter.
Builders.
The next issue will be due out in 2014 and any news for inclusion can be emailed or given to Kerry Smith
([email protected]).
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