Articles by Date : June 27 2005 - July 03 2005

Highways Agency sets agenda for next three years
Greater collaboration with partners and other clients, together with further efforts to strengthen its supply chain are the main focus of the.... more
(01 July 2005 16:56)

Gleeson picks Speedy for plant needs
Gleeson has signed an exclusive five-year contract for subsidiaries of Speedy Hire to meet its plant hire needs. more
(01 July 2005 14:26)

Redrow buoyed by hike in selling price
Redrow' Homes' average selling price increased 11% to £172,000 in the year to 30 June. The number of completions was up 2% to 4,372. more
(01 July 2005 12:42)

Rok forecasts stronger second half
Rok expects to enjoy a stronger second half of the year after several project starts were delayed in the first quarter. more
(01 July 2005 12:41)

Two more die as fatalities rise to 14
Two more people have died in the construction industry –taking the total since 1 April 2005 to 14. more
(01 July 2005 12:40)

Accord reshuffles senior management
The reshuffle of Accord's senior management team became effective today Friday). more
(01 July 2005 12:15)

Heywood Williams sees future in building products
Heywood Williams will concentrate on the design, development, marketing and distribution of branded products and sell its Plastic Systems division. more
(01 July 2005 09:03)

New Holland launches 11 hydraulic breakers
New Holland has entered the hydraulic breaker market and launched a range of units said to be suitable for carriers in the 1.5t to 70t operating.... more
(30 June 2005 16:14)

New body launched to bid for construction research funds
A new body - the National Technology Platform (NTP) for the Built Environment - has been launched to provide a vehicle to bid for European and UK.... more
(30 June 2005 15:43)

'White Finger Act' points the way to hefty claims for UK industry
contractjournal.com Newsletter: 30.06.05 Businesses in UK industry - particularly those in construction, forestry, mining and public utilities -.... more
(30 June 2005 12:12)

CIOB to help SMEs tackle framework deals
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is to help small- and medium-sized contractors (SMES) tackle growing concerns that they are being squeezed.... more
(30 June 2005 10:21)

Montpellier stems interim losses
Montpellier has stemmed its losses – but only just – as its latest interim results show a pre-tax profit of £150,000 on a turnover of £230m. In the.... more
(30 June 2005 10:17)

ECITB needs to double income to combat skill demands
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) needs to double its income with an extra £10m to £15m a year if it is to meet the.... more
(30 June 2005 10:16)

Specialists seek payment security
Procedures that establish security of payment to subcontractors and are simple, fair, and easy to understand can be achieved through an amendment of.... more
(30 June 2005 10:12)

Extra costs jeopardise Stonehenge tunnel deal
Balfour Beatty and Costain could see their £192m A303 road tunnel project and upgrade at Stone-henge shelved after costs for the scheme rose by.... more
(30 June 2005 10:11)

Camden resurrects social housing PFI
Camden Council has relaunched its flagship social housing PFI scheme – £54m lighter – in the hope that the slimmed-down scheme will avoid the eagle.... more
(30 June 2005 10:10)

Wernick buys CDC Instant Space
Wernick Group has acquired CDC Instant Space for an undisclosed sum. CDC supplies relocatable accommodation in Cornwall and Devon. more
(30 June 2005 09:15)

Cartels blamed for high cement prices
Cement firms are operating cross-boarder cartels and keeping prices unnaturally high, Dr Ulrich Classen of Belgian firm Cartel Damage Claims (CDC).... more
(29 June 2005 15:18)

Construction waste tool launched
The Scottish construction and demolition industry is being urged to reduce, reuse and recycle building and demolition waste through the launch of.... more
(29 June 2005 15:00)

Costain heads ECI roads race
Leaders have emerged in the race for three Highways Agency (HA) early contractor involvement deals totalling more than £570m. more
(29 June 2005 14:47)

Seven schools cut from Argyll’s alternative PFI
A further seven schools have been dropped from the project, which is near financial close. This follows a cull in July last year, when the original.... more
(29 June 2005 12:53)

Two batched health PFI winners picked
Balfour Beatty’s Consort group has seen off Equion and Catalyst to clinch the £240m Northern batched hospitals PFI scheme. more
(29 June 2005 12:49)

Union chiefs encouraged to embrace pay agreement
The Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA) has warned union signatories to the NAECI national agreement on pay and conditions that all.... more
(29 June 2005 10:19)

O’Rourke escapes fines over Coventry stadium
Laing O’Rourke will walk away scot-free when it hands over the £113m Ricoh Arena stadium project nearly three weeks late in August, as its contract.... more
(29 June 2005 10:07)

Government channels £500m into new schemes
The government renewed its allegiance to social housing PFI last week, in a bid to boost market confidence following the recent problems on the.... more
(29 June 2005 10:04)

Gap Group profits up to £7.7m
Gap Group, the Glasgow-based small plant and tool hirer has reported a 14% increase in turnover to £56m and a pre-tax profit of £7.7m (£6.3m) for the.... more
(28 June 2005 16:58)

Paperwork delaying electricians becoming compliant
A phobia of paperwork is preventing electricians becoming Part P registered, according to the UK Trades Confederation (UKTC). more
(28 June 2005 16:10)

ISG InteriorExterior wins £25m residential deal
ISG InteriorExterior has won a £25m contract with CIT Developments to build a residential development in west London. more
(28 June 2005 16:05)

VP Groundforce in Sokkia swoop
VP's Groundforce subsidiary has added the business and assets of surveying instruments supplier Sokkia to its portfolio. more
(28 June 2005 16:00)

Sherlock steps up at Hewden
The reshuffle continues at Hewden with Brian Sherlock promoted to managing director. more
(28 June 2005 15:59)

Hope takes the hotseat at Midas
Alan Hope has been appointed to the new post of chief executive at Midas. more
(28 June 2005 15:58)

Causeway, Asite and Burns join forces for Hub Alliance
Causeway Technologies, Asite Solutions and Burns eCommerce Solutions have formed the Hub Alliance, which connects their electronic trading hubs. more
(28 June 2005 15:57)

Products firms see KPIs improvement
Construction products manufacturers have improved their environmental and health and safety performances, but have found it harder to convince.... more
(28 June 2005 15:56)

Morooka gets on track for wildlife trust work
The Norfolk Wildlife Trust has taken delivery of a Morooka MST800VD tracked carrier to undertake a variety of work while causing minimum ground.... more
(28 June 2005 15:56)

SMC raises £4.6m from float
SMC Group, the privately owned architect and design company, has floated on AIM, the junior portion of the Stock Exchange. Shares were priced at 43p.... more
(28 June 2005 15:54)

Path buys out rival Orchard
Path Recruitment, which specialises in the plant and tool hire sector, has purchased its rival Orchard Recruitment. more
(28 June 2005 15:53)

UK bows to EC rule on contract delay period
Contractors face delays in signing public sector contracts now that the UK government has bowed to European Commission (EC) pressure and introduced a.... more
(28 June 2005 15:52)

£25,000 fine for Kronospan
Wrexham magistrates fined wood maker Kronospan £25,000 this month after the company admitted pollution from contaminated surface water at its wood.... more
(28 June 2005 15:50)

Steel prices stabilise
The price pressures on steel fabricators are expected to ease for the rest of this year, after the industry faced soaring prices and heavy Chinese.... more
(28 June 2005 15:50)

Four share £30m MoD work
Four contractors are sharing out more than £30m-worth of work for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). more
(28 June 2005 15:49)

Changes on the cards for CSCS skills schemes
Fundamental changes to the relationship between the owners of the CSCS skills cards scheme and its CITB administrators are being drawn up. more
(28 June 2005 15:48)

O'Neill joins SEC Group
Martin O'Neill, the former Labour MP, who was created a life peer in the dissolution honours list, has been appointed to the board of the Specialist.... more
(28 June 2005 15:47)

Interserve plays down IFRS effect
Interserve's message after restating its 2004 accounts to the new international accountancy standard IFRS is that it has had "no impact on.... more
(28 June 2005 15:47)

Quality Mark Mk2 launched today
The government-backed quality register of approved domestic building and specialist firms is officially relaunched to the industry today (15 June).... more
(28 June 2005 15:46)

TCC gets full-time judge
Mr Justice Jackson, the High Court judge in charge of the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), will preside over the court full-time, following.... more
(28 June 2005 15:45)

Safety focus on new EU states
The European Commission (EC) is working with national labour inspectorates in the 10 new member states of the European Union (EU) to improve the poor.... more
(28 June 2005 15:13)

ISG scoops £23m academy award
ISG Interior/Exterior has emerged victorious from a four-way contest to gain admission to a £23m education-sector deal in south-east London. more
(28 June 2005 15:12)

Heritage skills crisis
A chronic labour shortage will delay work on historic buildings over the next 12 months, according to CITB-ConstructionSkills. more
(28 June 2005 15:11)

Queen recognises industry chiefs in Birthday Honours
Half-a-dozen construction industry players featured in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. more
(28 June 2005 14:53)

HSE calls for glass safety assessments
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) wants suppliers and contractors involved in glazing and cladding to carry out risk assessments before packing and.... more
(28 June 2005 14:51)