FROMTHEEDITOR
PROUD SPONSOR OF INDUSTRY NEWS
So much has been written about the collapse of construction and services giant Carillion , it ’ s hard to know where to start . It ’ s fair to say there has been no bigger business story in construction for the past 30 years .
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THE GROUP – WHICH WENT INTO liquidation in January – employed 20,000 people in the UK alone and what has gone under-reported are the voices of the workers and SMEs affected .
I ’ ve been looking at the stories of some of these workers - often low-paid sub-contractors - who are feeling the serious knock-on effects predicted by the Federation of Master Builders ( FMB ). One worker who was told to go home from a site in the north east said :“ It ’ s shocking . Everyone has bills to pay and we don ’ t know what ’ s going on .” Another , desperately worried about his pension , remarked that Carillion bosses earned in months what it took him 25 years to earn .
The witch hunts and political wrangling started as soon as Carillion collapsed . Mainstream media is playing the blame game , slamming everyone from New Labour , outsourcing and Private Finance Initiatives to former Carillion chief executive Richard Howson .
In my view , it ’ s urgent now to assist those suppliers and workers directly affected . There is action - UK banks are offering overdraft extensions and payment holidays to small firms , trade bodies are setting up support plans , and laid-off workers are being picked up by other private sector companies . I ’ ll be interested to see what the government now brings to the table . Turn to page 12 for more .
Elsewhere , there is more encouraging news . A new ‘ National Home Improvement Week ’ has launched ( see page 6 ) and is backed by some very big companies . It ’ s on from March 12-18 , just ahead of the key Easter sales period .
The National Homebuilding and Renovating Show has also expanded and takes place at the NEC , Birmingham , from 22- 25 March . Its organisers reveal that 33,000 people have signed up to the Right to Build register since October 2017 . This indicates a bold shift away from reliance on big companies and corporations to provide us with a home . Truly , a ‘ DIY trend .’
Finally , something refreshing was a call for ‘ naturefriendly housing ’ from The Wildlife Trusts ( page 10 ). The trusts believe people are fed-up with living on vast , concrete estates without a blade of grass . It would be nice to think we could create more places for nature in our new-build developments , and leave the environment in a better state than we found it .
Helen , Editor
FIT ’ S INSTALLATION OF THE YEAR IS BACK
FIT Show ’ s ‘ Installation of the Year ’ competition , which launched in 2017 , is back for 2018 . The hunt is now officially on to find the industry ’ s best glazed installations .
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NEW FOR 2018 , ENTRIES are being invited across two installation categories ; ‘ residential ’ and ‘ commercial ’. Whilst the actual FIT Show will not run until May 2019 , show organisers have responded to the industry ’ s enthusiasm for the ‘ Installation of the Year ’ competition by making it an annual fixture .
And with the inaugural Twitter competition in 2017 receiving more than 200 entries and 1,000 votes , uptake is anticipated to be high in 2018 as fabricators and installers vie to showcase their best work .
From facades and balustrades through to conservatories and bifold doors , entries can be made via Twitter by posting a picture of an installation to @ FITShow and utilising either the hashtag for # Commercial or # Residential - to identify the relevant category - accompanied by a short description of the project .
FIT Show Event Director , Nickie West said : “ The FIT Show is all about celebrating the great work that is being done throughout our industry and ‘ Installation of the Year ’ is our way of showcasing this . We were overwhelmed by the success of last year ’ s competition and wanted to maintain this platform to highlight the UK window and door industry at its very best . The excitement last year was incredible and we expect it to be even more successful over the next few months .”
Üni _ Slide , partnered with Barc Architects , won the 2017 FIT Show Installation of the Year title for this crisp , light-filled building featuring Üni _ Slide ’ s sophisticated minimal sliding door with 20mm sight lines . For 2018 the competition will include Commercial as well as Residential projects .
The competition is open now and will run until June . Each month entries will be showcased on the brand new FIT Show website , with one winner selected for both categories by FIT Show ’ s official judging panel made up of industry experts . Monthly prizes will be awarded to the winners in both categories , with the six monthly commercial and six monthly residential winners fighting it out to take home the overall ‘ Installation of the Year ’ crown in each category when it goes to public vote .
Overall winners will be announced at the 2019 FIT Show Gala Dinner and , alongside the honour of having the ‘ Installation of the Year ’, winners will receive a trophy and a two-night stay at a golf / spa hotel with dinner .
Full terms and conditions can be found on the FIT Show website at www . fitshow . co . uk / IOTY .
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