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Back bites
00:00 18 Aug 1999
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That sinking feeling
Doom-merchants and pun-mongerers should give the headquarters of Simons Construction in Lincoln a wide berth.
Visitors to the family construction firm which hosts open days as part of the Inside UK Enterprise best practice scheme snigger that the building was dubbed Titanic House when opened on that same day in 1912 when the allegedly unsinkable ship was launched. The comparison stops there because Simons couldn't be more buoyant lately with net profits boosted by 54 per cent in the last two years and turnover now steaming ahead at £160 million with not a metaphorical iceberg in sight. And pundits please note - there is no indication of a flotation.
Cruise-in for a bruising
A row is brewing up over allegations that contractor TEI is using agency labour on the Danhead power station site in Kent. The unions are kicking up a fuss because the use of agency workers is against the 'Blue Book' working rule agreements. However, Contract Journal suggests that those stirring up things should be very careful when dealing with the main contractor on the project, Raytheon. The US side of Raytheon is best known for manufacturing Trident cruise missiles as well as the Patriot anti-missile-missile.
Shelf life
Will Chris Butler, managing director of Policy Publications, ever be able to complete his shelving? Each time he got halfway up a ladder, he was called back to answer the phone because his secretary was on holiday. The reason for the calls was an article in our 11 August issue on how to bid for construction business which gave Policy Publications' telephone number. The result - 150 calls clamouring for more information. Butler said: "I kept getting halfway up the ladder when the phone rang. In the end I decided to shelve the shelves! I've never known a response to an article like it." The magic number to dislodge him from his ladder is 01234 328448.
Bird's eye view
Hamish the Hawk has been hired to stop pigeons fouling stations on the new Jubilee Line Extension. Rumour has it that JLE project manager Bechtel is behind the appointment in order to keep an eagle eye, or should that be hawk's eye, on building and civil engineering workers during overtime working.
Doom-merchants and pun-mongerers should give the headquarters of Simons Construction in Lincoln a wide berth.
Visitors to the family construction firm which hosts open days as part of the Inside UK Enterprise best practice scheme snigger that the building was dubbed Titanic House when opened on that same day in 1912 when the allegedly unsinkable ship was launched. The comparison stops there because Simons couldn't be more buoyant lately with net profits boosted by 54 per cent in the last two years and turnover now steaming ahead at £160 million with not a metaphorical iceberg in sight. And pundits please note - there is no indication of a flotation.
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Cruise-in for a bruising
A row is brewing up over allegations that contractor TEI is using agency labour on the Danhead power station site in Kent. The unions are kicking up a fuss because the use of agency workers is against the 'Blue Book' working rule agreements. However, Contract Journal suggests that those stirring up things should be very careful when dealing with the main contractor on the project, Raytheon. The US side of Raytheon is best known for manufacturing Trident cruise missiles as well as the Patriot anti-missile-missile.
Shelf life
Will Chris Butler, managing director of Policy Publications, ever be able to complete his shelving? Each time he got halfway up a ladder, he was called back to answer the phone because his secretary was on holiday. The reason for the calls was an article in our 11 August issue on how to bid for construction business which gave Policy Publications' telephone number. The result - 150 calls clamouring for more information. Butler said: "I kept getting halfway up the ladder when the phone rang. In the end I decided to shelve the shelves! I've never known a response to an article like it." The magic number to dislodge him from his ladder is 01234 328448.
Bird's eye view
Hamish the Hawk has been hired to stop pigeons fouling stations on the new Jubilee Line Extension. Rumour has it that JLE project manager Bechtel is behind the appointment in order to keep an eagle eye, or should that be hawk's eye, on building and civil engineering workers during overtime working.
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