Clearview National July 2016 - Issue 176 | Page 26

INDUSTRYNEWS SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION PAYMENT CHARTER »»THE GLASS AND GLAZING Federation (GGF), as Members of Build UK, supports the principles of the Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter, which clearly sets out the existing public sector requirement for payment within 30 days, alongside payment terms of 45 days for private sector projects reducing to 30 days by 2018. The Payment Charter also includes clear commitments in respect of retentions, ‘pay less’ notices, variations and Supply Chain Finance schemes. By signing up to the Payment Charter, a company agrees to apply the commitments in its dealings with its supply chain, to be monitored on its compliance in line with the new statutory reporting requirements when they come into force later this year, and to consider the performance of its supply chain when awarding contracts. With current payment practices holding back the industry and affecting the businesses of both Main and Specialist Contractors, fair payment has been identified as a priority for Build UK and it is working to set out what best practice looks like. The Payment Charter is one of a series of measures being taken forward which together have the potential to fundamentally change the payment culture within construction. www.promptpaymentcode.org.uk/cscpc.htm www.ggf.org.uk Skydive Cements Partnership »»THE STRENGTH OF THE relationship between Business Micros and Sliders UK was perfectly illustrated when Ian Longbottom, Sliders UK’s Chairman, arranged for Nick Bailey from Business Micros’ installation team to tick a giant challenge off his bucket list and complete a skydive from 15,000 feet. C-Licensed skydiver Ian heard about Nick’s ambition while he was working on the installation of the Evolution and EvoNET software, and decided that a charity skydive with 60 seconds of free fall would be the perfect way to cement the partnership between the two businesses. Nick completed the skydive recently with a tandem instructor at Black Knights parachute centre near Lancaster, jumping out of the plane just after Ian and his skydiving team had made on of their regular jumps. Nick said: “I’d like to thank Ian and everyone at Sliders UK for making this happen. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time, but as soon as I landed I did want to do it all over again.” The skydive raised £350 for the Children’s Heart Foundation thanks to support from Nick’s colleagues and friends at Business Micros. www.businessmicros.co.uk SIMPLE BUT ADAPTABLE »»NATIONAL PLASTICS IS the largest independent trade counter in the UK and will have 50 depots open by the end of 2017. But what’s the secret of its success? Geoff Foster, the company’s Managing Director, has been sharing his secrets… “We have a very simple strategy, but we make sure we stick to it,” says Geoff. “We identify and meet customers’ requirements so we know we’re giving them what they need. This clear direction informs everything we do and to keep it on track we continually plan for the future so we know we’ve got all eventualities covered and can quickly adapt to changing circumsta