May 2013 Over 500,000 of work won by Cornish construction firms WBM Groundworks of Liskeard and Sticker-based firm Hewaswater have recently won the tenders to work on the 5.6m office development at Victoria Commercial Centre. Despite nationwide competition the two local firms proved they could compete on a national level to win the two tenders which are worth over 500,000 to the local economy. WBM Groundworks have been awarded the groundworks and road construction contract whilst the contract for steel framework design, manufacture and installation has been awarded to Sticker-based firm Hewaswater. Graham Honey of Victoria Commercial Centre said: Selecting local contractors would always be my preference but we have to tender all aspects of the project widely so we deliver the best possible value and quality. That s why it is so satisfying to see that even though we have undertaken a rigorous selection process we are still finding local firms like Hewaswater and WBM are being competitive and winning the work. This means Convergence money stays in Cornwall - doubly great news. The investment will also provide access and servicing of an additional 10 acres of industrial land that will make available much needed opportunities for local businesses to expand in future phases. Martin Nicholls Director of WBM Groundworks said: We are delighted to be involved in this prestigious project. We prided ourselves on employing highly trained and competent local staff and by winning this project we have been able to continue to invest in them. Keeping the Convergence funding money circulating within Cornwall is not only good news for WBM but also our supply chain as the majority of the plant, materials and consumables we will use for delivering this project will have been locally sourced. Therefore the funding money is cascaded down through a whole range of Cornish businesses some of whom will not even be directly involved in the construction industry. Richard James Director of Hewaswater Engineering Ltd said: It was a pleasure to be invited to tender this project, and an honour to be awarded the contract for the structural frame and scaffolding packages. As a company we are pleased that the main contractors are locally based businesses which help to keep the local economy buoyant. It also goes to show that there is a skilled local workforce who can undertake such projects which is a good indication of local expertise which can competitively compete with out of County bids. Another local firm, Bodmin based Ease, is project managing the site. Work began earlier on the year and is due for completion in Autumn 2013 when two new BREEAM Excellent workspace buildings are completed..uk
Dafydd Hollyman Director of Ease said: Ease is delighted to be contributing towards an excellent project that will provide new office facilities for Businesses in Cornwall. It was a fantastic opportunity for Ease to offer our Construction Management Service as we continue to grow here in the South West. COPY ENDS Image 1 from left to right: Geoff Lupton EASE Mike Smith EASE John Fox EASE Richard James Hewaswater Stuart Denslow EASE Dafydd Hollyman EASE Graham Honey Victoria Commercial Centre Martin Nicholls WBM Groundworks Notes: About Victoria Commercial Centre: Victoria Commercial Centre provides serviced offices on flexible terms and conferencing facilities in Central Cornwall. Victoria is strategically located in the geographic centre of Cornwall and is accessible from the A30 trunk road at the new Victoria junction and via rail links. http://www.cornwalloffices.co.uk Work on the extension to the site with Advent House and Beacon Place due for completion in Autumn 2013. Both buildings are being constructed to BREEAM Excellent standard, which is the leading standard in sustainable, low carbon and low energy building design. http://www.cornwalloffices.co.uk/new-rental-offices-cornwall/ Advent House and Beacon Place have received investment of 3.1 million from the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme to extend the Victoria Commercial Centre by building flexible office space in central Cornwall. The development has been designed with the smaller SME in mind; the flexible space allows a business to expand with a range of modern office
configurations along with communal areas and shared facilities, such as conferencing and meeting space. About the contractors: Ease was formed in 2009 offering an alternative to the traditional main contractor approach by delivering projects differently through our service offerings of build, manage, refurbishment and asset management. EaseManage provides an elite team of highly professional and knowledgably personnel to successfully deliver projects on time and to cost certainty through a construction management framework. Ease predominately operates in the high end hospitality sector with previous clients including Watergate Bay Hotel and Jamie Oliver s Fifteen. Ease believes in an open and honest approach that builds long term relationships with our supply chain and clients alike. WBM Groundworks Limited was formed in July 2005 to work on the A30 Bodmin to Indian Queens Improvement for Alfred McAlpine Plc (now Carillion Plc). Whilst we are a relatively young Company, our open, ethical and honest approach to our business has helped enable us to quickly expand our portfolio of Clients covering the whole of the South West. Through our experienced Management Team we are able to work with our Clients as an integrated team and by utilising our programming and construction knowledge, we can ensure that projects are delivered successfully. The construction activities are supported by an integrated Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety Management System (QUENSH), in accordance with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and BS OHSAS 18001:2007. We are also compliant with the Construction Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme (CHAS), EXOR and are on the Utilities Vender Database Scheme (Achilles). Hewaswater Ltd is a family owned company established in 1947 operating from Cornwall in the Industrial, Retail, Commercial and Agricultural sectors. With a skilled workforce and a forward thinking outlook Hewaswater Engineering is one of the premier steel fabrication companies in the South West. Hewaswater Scaffolding Ltd offers anything from supply and erect to labour only, hire and sales, temporary roofs and emergency call outs. We also offer a design service with our specialist scaffold CAD program for quality and detailed quotations. Future Structures Ltd are the design and drawing consultancy within the group. We offer a range of services from structural design and preliminary member sizing to planning and building regulations applications. With the synergy between the companies, the Hewaswater Group can offer a complete solution to your project needs from concept through to completion. Contacts: Matt Silver Media Relations Officer for the Convergence Support Team. Tel: 07805737444 Email: msilver@cornwall.gov.uk Graham Honey Victoria Commercial Centre
Tel: 01726 891723 Email: info@cornwalloffices.co.uk Website: www.cornwalloffices.co.uk EaseManage & EaseBuild Cornwall Tel: 01208 79008 Website: www.ease-ds.com WBM Groundworks Ltd Tel: 01579 363528 Email: wbmgroundworksltd@googlemail.com Website: www.wbmgroundworksltd.co.uk Hewaswater Ltd Tel: 01726 885200 Email: info@hewaswater.co.uk Website: www.hewaswater.co.uk Editors Notes: The extension to Victoria Commercial Centre is part financed by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Convergence European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.gov.uk/browse/business/funding-debt/european-regional-development-funding Project Investment: ERDF Convergence investment: 3,101,941 Victoria Commercial Centre: 2,508,691 TOTAL: 5,610,632 For more information visit.uk