Clearview National February 2019 - Issue 207 | Page 74

BUSINESSNEWS
CONSTRUCTION
OUTPUT ROSE FOR SEP-
NOV DESPITE BREXIT
UNCERTAINTY, SAYS FMB
» » COMMENTING ON THE
construction output figures for
November 2018, published by
the Office for National Statistics,
Sarah McMonagle, Director of
External Affairs at the Federation
of Master Builders (FMB), said:
“The UK construction sector
grew by 2.1 per cent during
September to November 2018
compared with the previous
three months. However, we are
urging the Government not
to allow these results to create
‘Most
tradespeople
will be defined
as low skilled
and therefore
will not be
permitted to
enter the UK’
a false sense of security. Since
November, political uncertainty
has cranked up and is increasing
every day.
“The construction industry is
also extremely concerned about
the Government’s proposed
post-Brexit immigration system.
In the Immigration White Paper,
published at the end of last year,
the Government revealed that
they will make few allowances
for low skilled workers to enter
the UK post-Brexit. Most
tradespeople will be defined as
low skilled and therefore will
not be permitted to enter the
UK, regardless of whether they
are from the EU or further
afield. It is crucial that the
Government introduces a post-
Brexit immigration system that
continues to allow us to draw
on essential migrant workers or
else their house building and
infrastructure targets will be
totally unachievable.”
www.fmb.org.uk
A big tick for
trusted trade
directory
Checkatrade has reached a momentous
milestone in its 20-year history, with
the announcement that the website
has reached the four million mark for
published online feedback for its members.
» » THE LEADING ONLINE
directory’s record engagement
with its reviews process, is
affording trades the opportunity
to create an online reputation,
which is validated by not
only Checkatrade’s significant
vetting process, but also
independent previous and repeat
customers.
Figures before Christmas
also revealed that the number
of customers searching for
tradespeople through Checkatrade
is also now at an all-time high,
with 1.4m searches in every
corner of the nation.
Chief Executive at Checkatrade,
Mike Fairman, said: “At
Checkatrade, we’re here to help
our vetted tradespeople to succeed
and grow their business. And
getting more positive feedback
published is one of the best ways
for them to feature prominently in
searches on our site.
‘we’re here to
help our vetted
tradespeople’
“The feedback system not only
benefits our members - it also
helps our website visitors to avoid
potential rogue traders since it’s
very hard for them to consistently
generate positive reviews.”
www.checkatrade.com
New Fleet Unites Three Brands
» » HYDRO HAS LAUNCHED
its first UK fleet of branded
vehicles to deliver Building
System brands Sapa, Technal and
WICONA across the country,
uniting the three brands.
Unlike previous delivery
fleets, the six new Hydro trucks
can carry an increased payload,
designed to carry both stillage
aluminium profiles as well as
pallets of accessories in one
delivery, reducing the number of
journeys needed to fulfil orders
and improving delivery times.
74 » F EB 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
The Euro VI engine regulation
compliant tucks deliver a 7%
reduction in fuel consumption
when compared with previously
used Euro V standard. The trucks
also incorporate further efficiency
measures such as Predictive
Powertrain Control, a unique
cruise control system designed to
make intuitive predictions using
digital maps and GPS data, which
helps reduce fuel consumption
further by up to 5%.
Driver safety has also been a key
focus in the development of the
new trucks, allowing for a host of
safety features including Active
Braking, which reduces speed
based on surrounding hazards.
Steve Stack, Director of
Logistics and Manufacturing
for Hydro commented: “While
improvements to customer service
were paramount, the investment
in our new fleet, increased safety
for our staff, environmental
impact and efficiency.”
www.hydroextrusions.com/en-
GLOBAL/.